BYU Football: 5 possible Media Day announcements
By Ron Jensen
During BYU football’s Media Day, fans often get announcements about the program they love. Here are some things we might hear this coming Friday.
The long summer months of the off-season can be hard to get through. Waiting for that first kick-off in September can seem unbearable at times. Thank goodness for special events, like BYU Football Media Day, that make the wait a little more tolerable.
Here are a few guesses on some of the things we may be finding out about:
No. 1 – New ESPN Television contract
During last year’s media day, BYU announced that ESPN exercised the extension clause in its contract through the 2019 season. Don’t be surprised that this time around, the “World Wide Leader in Sports” strikes a new deal with the Cougars.
With the market the way it currently is, the network knows the longer it waits, the more expensive this gets. Expect the announcement to be more lucrative than the prior agreement, but nowhere near what the Power 5 conferences are getting.
No. 2 – Notre Dame series update
Back in 2010 the Irish agreed to a 6-game series with BYU football, four in South Bend and two in Provo. After hosting the Cougars twice, Notre Dame entered an agreement with the ACC in 2013, which canceled the final four scheduled games.
For five years, Cougar Nation has patiently waited to find out when the return game is taking place. It’s time for the Irish administrators to put it on the schedule or pay up. Assume a date quite a few years away to be revealed, or a settlement to compensate BYU Football for its pain and suffering.
No. 3 – The rest of the 2018 TV schedule
Recently, televising information and times for five of the Cougars’ games were announced. With five games already slotted for the ESPN family of networks, it will be interesting to find out if any more make the cut.
Anticipate the remaining three home contests to be discussed on Friday, in addition to more details on the road game with Boise State.
No. 4 – New series with an intriguing program
Look forward to possibly finding out about a new series with an unfamiliar program in the future years. It could be a Power 5 team, or possibly an Independent like Army. Maybe a foe BYU football hasn’t played for years, or even a team they’ve never seen before.
Whoever it is, count on someone who brings a little excitement to the proceedings of the day. With already-difficult future schedules, it certainly doesn’t need to be another elite opponent to make fans happy.
No. 5 – Joining a conference
This one’s a giant reach, but anything’s possible, right? Remember that June of 2010 was the infamous day when the PAC 10 made the announcement that Utah and Colorado would be joining their fold. Nobody saw that one coming, so why not something similar for the Cougars.
If such a declaration were to be made, what better time to make it than at BYU Football Media Day? However, I would discount any notions of joining a Group of 5 conference. For those who are holding out for this return, it’s either Power 5 or bust for Tom Holmoe and company.
Now all of these are sheer speculation, although they’re all plausible to varying degress. Even if they are completely inaccurate, at least it gives fans some items to think about. If you’re anything like me, this hypes up a day that you forward to all year long.