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August 18, 2010, 1:20 AM ET

Sources: BYU mulling Notre Dame path
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com

Rival Utah's move to the Pac-10 has given BYU the impetus to seriously explore the possibility of leaving the Mountain West, going independent in football and re-joining the WAC in all other sports, multiple sources told ESPN.com Tuesday.

BYU, according to sources, was stunned that an invitation didn't come its way as the Pac-10 first invited the Big 12's Colorado and then turned to Utah to become the Pac-12 earlier this summer. The Big 12, which lost Nebraska to the Big Ten as well, decided to stay with 10 members for 2012 and beyond after Texas decided to stay put instead of going to the Pac-10.

According to sources, BYU wants to differentiate itself from Utah, and by making itself the Notre Dame of the West, it could become a national power. Notre Dame is a football independent and in the Big East for all other sports.

BYU and Notre Dame do share some characteristics, as both are religiously affiliated universities (Notre Dame with the Catholic Church and BYU with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and both schools have television affiliations (BYU owns its own network, while Notre Dame has a network deal with NBC). As a result, BYU is seeking an agreement similar to that of Notre Dame, which is granted a Bowl Championship Series bid if it is in the top eight of the final BCS standings.

According to multiple sources, BYU would have to get a gauge from the BCS if it could get access similar to that of Notre Dame -- should it meet certain criteria -- and further explore the financial feasibility of such a move.

In departing the Mountain West, BYU would be leaving a conference it helped found in 1998 along with seven other schools from the WAC. Despite having once turned its back on the WAC, multiple sources say the conference would welcome back the high-profile Cougars' non-football sports to join a league that is striving to remain relevant.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson said earlier this summer that the league "would give consideration to" taking back BYU in all other sports were the Cougars to go independent.

The current WAC membership includes Fresno State, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, San Jose State, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada and BYU's in-state rival Utah State. If BYU were to leave the MWC, then Fresno State and/or Nevada would certainly be possible options for the MWC if it decided to replace the Cougars.

BYU has discussed going independent in all sports for years as evident by local columns in Utah in 2007. But at that time, the option of being a football independent included also being an independent in all other sports where scheduling is much more difficult. That's not the case in this instance where BYU's other sports would be protected, especially in men's basketball -- a program which would have a favorable path to an NCAA tournament berth through the WAC.

According to sources, having all other sports, notably men's basketball assured of a home in the WAC where it has been comfortable and is in its region, would soften any transitional period.

But if BYU can't be assured a seat at the BCS table, the Cougars won't make the move, leaving anxious schools in the WAC and the MWC still waiting to see what its fate may be in the coming months or year.

The West Coast Conference is now trying to get in on the action with an attempt at grabbing BYU for their non-football sports. Now, that the WAC is currently at six basketball members and with BYU being a seventh for non-football sports this really affects the basketball schools, because it takes eight teams for a conference to gain an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

Here is where the WCC swoops in with an offer to have BYU join them as a non-football member:

WCC commissioner Jamie Zaninovich told ESPN.com early Wednesday the league would be interested in pursuing BYU for all sports except football. Zaninovich said BYU would fit well with the other church-based institutions in the eight-team league. Zaninovich told ESPN.com he reached out to BYU but hasn't heard back.

This would certainly boost the WCC in basketball that already has a few good teams in Gonzaga and St. Mary's, and as for BYU this makes some sense if they are truly going to leave the Mountain West. The WAC would need to add one more member for basketball and two more for football to equal the magic number of eight to be an NCAA conference.

monk wrote:seofan_via_dublin -

Just curious, how do you figure that BYU "instantly becomes THE #1 INDEPENDENT school in the country" if they choose to go that route?

monk wrote:seofan_via_dublin -

Just curious, how do you figure that BYU "instantly becomes THE #1 INDEPENDENT school in the country" if they choose to go that route?

Sources: BYU to remain in Mountain West

The Mountain West Conference-BYU impasse could be resolved as soon as today, numerous sources said Wednesday, with all indications that the Cougars will remain in the MWC.

The Provo, Utah, school doesn't have many alternatives since the Mountain West pulled the rug from under the Western Athletic Conference by raiding Fresno State and Nevada. BYU was contemplating going to the WAC in all sports except football and becoming an independent in football but playing a handful of WAC opponents.

BYU has made no secret it wants greater freedom to broadcast its games over its network, BYU-TV. Unlike the proposed University of Texas network, BYU-TV isn't a cash cow but a vehicle for spreading the Mormon faith.

The pending announcement would keep the issue from spilling into next week's season opener when BYU hosts Washington, coached by BYU favorite son, former Cougars quarterback Steve Sarkisian.

Also, if BYU stays with the MWC, pushing membership to 11, the next debate will be whether to further expand to 12 members, split into divisions and have a football championship game.

Natalie Meisler, The Denver Post