Why Y. isn't a consideration
I’m no expert on what makes a great university. I barely made it to graduation, which could explain why I’m in journalism instead of software. But as far as I can tell, the Pac-10 has been speaking (hinting?) out of both sides of its mouth. It has said it was looking for universities that are a good fit, academically and athletically, yet it never considered BYU. The reason most often cited: BYU wasn’t a “research institution.”
That all sounded logical until this week when the conference tried to woo six Big 12 schools and got just one. Yes, Colorado does well in research, as does Texas. But Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, to name two, aren’t on any list I’ve seen of best research schools in America.
So maybe the Pac-10 wasn’t so set on research after all. Maybe it just didn’t want an ultra-conservative school like BYU on the list.
The one argument the Pac-10 can still make is scheduling. When you’re new in a conference, you can’t expect to dictate terms. (BYU doesn’t play games on Sundays.) That in itself had to be a factor for the Pac-10.
The conference can choose whom it wants. I won’t go so far as to call religious bigotry, but at least the Pac-10 should say it for what it is: scheduling and overall philosophy, not necessarily research potential that kept BYU from ever being in the discussion.