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BYU AD: School intends to play in Power 5 conference in 'near future'
BYU is still sending signals that it would like to be a member of a Power Five conference sooner rather than later.
Athletic director Tom Holmoe said Tuesday that he thinks there's a round of realignment in college football to come. And he hopes the Cougars are involved in it.
"We’re an independent team playing an independent schedule,” Holmoe said. “That’s what we’ve got and that’s where we are. We’re not really looking back, we’re looking forward because there are possibilities, and I have to do my due diligence on that.”
Meanwhile, Holmoe also said he foresees another shift in conference alignment coming, and "it’s our intention that we would be playing in what they commonly call a 'Power 5' conference sometime in the near future."
The Cougars have a television deal with ESPN for home games. As Power Five conferences have added mandatory out of conference games against fellow Power Five opponents, BYU has fought to be considered like Notre Dame. The Irish are independent too, but they're treated like a P5 school. BYU is considered a Power Five opponent by the ACC but not the SEC.
In June, coach Bronco Mendenhall expressed his desire for BYU to join the Big 12. With 10 teams, the Big 12 seems the most likely candidate for the Cougars. However, members of the conference said shortly after Mendenhall's comments that it wasn't looking to expand.
While BYU would likely have to give up its ESPN deal if it joins a Power Five conference, the conference revenue would more than make up for the loss of the ESPN revenue.
Holmoe also said that the school was handling discipline internally for the brawl at the end of the Miami Beach Bowl. BYU and Memphis players fought at the end of the double overtime game and Memphis has previously announced suspensions for players involved in the fight.
"There is a lot going on behind the scenes and we'd like to keep it that way," Holmoe said.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
