The BYU Hatred

[ItSucksToBeACSURam]

Maybe you all can help me. I’m reading about “The Project” and have some thoughts. This is the timeline as I can put it together:

-Spring 2010 Utah is poached is poached from ththe MWC by the P12
-BYU believes it has to keep up with the Joneses and begins communications with USU to go indy/ join WAC
-Boise State joins the MWC
-Thompson gets wind of The Project (I assume from fort fart?)
-Thompson quick strike invites Fresno, USU, and Nevada to the MWC
-BYU leadership scoffs and gloats that FSU and Nev wouldn’t dare and probably don’t have the money for buy outs.
-Within 24 hours both Nevada and Fresno accept invites to the MWC, USU honors it’s agreement with BYU/WAC
-2 weeks later BYU announces its independence and that its joined the WCC.
-in the span off 6 months USU went from a meteoric rise by hitching it’s wagon to BYU to being the lone Utah school left in the gutted WAC.

The four or five article I have read mention NOTHING of the other MWC schools. No mention of Fort Fart saving the day, the animus (and desire to destroy us) toward UW, or anything like that.

I would love someone who is a little more knowledgeable of the happening to help me make the leap from BYU leaving to benefit itself to it was trying to torpedo UW and the MWC. From my readings, USU should be the one who feels betrayed. Also, please help me understand how if it happened Wyoming would be wallowing in independence hell. The MWC had just landed BSU and still had TCU. How was BYU leaving going to affect us anymore than it actually did... which is not at all?

You won't find any tangible evidence about "The Project" because it never came to be. As I understand it, it was an idea, it was an attempt, but nothing actually came of it.

Except an ocean of butthurt on this board...

[Poke-proud]

If you read the account in the SLC paper about the project, there is no doubt a coup was being planned, with BYU and Benson leading the charge. The delay in BYU and ESPN negotiations is probably what ultimately was the demise. For anyone to believe that BYU has any good intentions after the years in the same conference, especially for Wyoming, is fairy dust. They view us as bunch of backwards inbred hicks. I will always have a strong dislike of BYU. They didn’t want anything to do with us when they left the conference. Why are we “ok” now to be on their schedule. I’ll always remember the last game, Dave Walsh stating that he’s glad we’ll never have to go back there again. I felt the same way. I feel a bit betrayed.

[ItSucksToBeACSURam]

If you read the accountbin the SLC paper about the project, there is no doubt a coup was being planned, with BYU and Thompson leading the charge. The delay in BYU and ESPN negotiations is probably what ultimately was the demise. For anyone to believe that BYU has any good intentions after the years of the conference, especially for Wyoming, is fairy dust. They view us as bunch of backwards inbred hicks. I will always have a strong dislike of BYU. They didn’t want anything to do with us when they left the conference. Why are we “ok” now to be on their schedule. I’ll always remember the last game, Dave Wals staying that he’s glad we’ll never have to go back their again. I felt the same way. I feel a bit betrayed.

You're implying a coup was happening and Thompson was part of it? The same Thompson who ended up preventing the whole damn thing which has helped BYU to fade into irrelevance?

I would love to know about this angle. I haven't seen anything that says he was working with BYU but would love to if you have an article!

[Poke-proud]

I said Thompson, meant Benson. Changed it. Sorry for the confusion.

[Wyolie Coyote]

If you read the accountbin the SLC paper about the project, there is no doubt a coup was being planned, with BYU and Thompson leading the charge. The delay in BYU and ESPN negotiations is probably what ultimately was the demise. For anyone to believe that BYU has any good intentions after the years of the conference, especially for Wyoming, is fairy dust. They view us as bunch of backwards inbred hicks. I will always have a strong dislike of BYU. They didn’t want anything to do with us when they left the conference. Why are we “ok” now to be on their schedule. I’ll always remember the last game, Dave Wals staying that he’s glad we’ll never have to go back their again. I felt the same way. I feel a bit betrayed.

You're implying a coup was happening and Thompson was part of it? The same Thompson who ended up preventing the whole damn thing which has helped BYU to fade into irrelevance?

I would love to know about this angle. I haven't seen anything that says he was working with BYU but would love to if you have an article!

Look dude, we get it. You are a BYU apologist. Most of us followed the stories through the Project. We formed our opinions based upon the facts then, nothing has changed. F BYU.

[Poke-proud]

http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?i ... type=CMSID

[ItSucksToBeACSURam]

If you read the accountbin the SLC paper about the project, there is no doubt a coup was being planned, with BYU and Thompson leading the charge. The delay in BYU and ESPN negotiations is probably what ultimately was the demise. For anyone to believe that BYU has any good intentions after the years of the conference, especially for Wyoming, is fairy dust. They view us as bunch of backwards inbred hicks. I will always have a strong dislike of BYU. They didn’t want anything to do with us when they left the conference. Why are we “ok” now to be on their schedule. I’ll always remember the last game, Dave Wals staying that he’s glad we’ll never have to go back their again. I felt the same way. I feel a bit betrayed.

You're implying a coup was happening and Thompson was part of it? The same Thompson who ended up preventing the whole damn thing which has helped BYU to fade into irrelevance?

I would love to know about this angle. I haven't seen anything that says he was working with BYU but would love to if you have an article!

Look dude, we get it. You are a BYU apologist. Most of us followed the stories through the Project. We formed our opinions based upon the facts then, nothing has changed. F BYU.

Dude, I get it. You can't fathom someone thinking differently than you. I hate BYU. I despise them. But its on a rivalry level. Its not personal, they did nothing that i can see that impacted Wyoming in the slightest. "oh but they hate Wyoming, they want us to suffer." Have you read half the comments on this board? Wyoming fans say the exact same poop.

Oh, Black 14, Black 14. Hello!?!? Do you know anything about our history? Most of the damn country had the same views on blacks as BYU. Obviously as history as shown, they were wrong. Maybe instead of blaming BYU for Black 14, we should blame Eaton for dismissing the players. Or Jacoby for supporting it. Or Hathaway for supporting it. Or the Board for supporting it. I see a lot of people and entities responsible for Black 14, BYU isn't one of them.

I am not apologizing for BYU. I am trying to understand this boards strange hatred for BYU. I keep seeing research The Project, research the Black 14, research their fan base. Those 3 things should be all you need to know.

Well The Project really only screwed USU, Wyoming and the MWC actually may have made out better with BYU leaving as we are as relevant as we've been since the 80s/90s and BYU is a complete after thought.

The Black 14 was a UW problem, not a BYU problem. Were their policies atrocious and vile? Yes. But they didn't force the hand of anyone here.

The BYU Fan base? Awful. Putrid. One of the most over inflated, egotistical group of humans on the planet. But all fanbases are. How does this board look to outside fans when they poke their nose in here? We think really high of ourselves and low of most everyone else.

I am not trying to start fights or invite a poop post, I am trying to understand something that is obviously so close to the heart of many Wyoming fans. So far, I come away with a lot of opinions and heart felt sentiments, very little fact or substance.

[ItSucksToBeACSURam]

I said Thompson, meant Benson. Changed it. Sorry for the confusion.

Gotcha. Thanks.

[NowherePoke]

Maybe you all can help me. I’m reading about “The Project” and have some thoughts. This is the timeline as I can put it together:

-Spring 2010 Utah is poached is poached from ththe MWC by the P12
-BYU believes it has to keep up with the Joneses and begins communications with USU to go indy/ join WAC
-Boise State joins the MWC
-Thompson gets wind of The Project (I assume from fort fart?)
-Thompson quick strike invites Fresno, USU, and Nevada to the MWC
-BYU leadership scoffs and gloats that FSU and Nev wouldn’t dare and probably don’t have the money for buy outs.
-Within 24 hours both Nevada and Fresno accept invites to the MWC, USU honors it’s agreement with BYU/WAC
-2 weeks later BYU announces its independence and that its joined the WCC.
-in the span off 6 months USU went from a meteoric rise by hitching it’s wagon to BYU to being the lone Utah school left in the gutted WAC.

The four or five article I have read mention NOTHING of the other MWC schools. No mention of Fort Fart saving the day, the animus (and desire to destroy us) toward UW, or anything like that.

I would love someone who is a little more knowledgeable of the happening to help me make the leap from BYU leaving to benefit itself to it was trying to torpedo UW and the MWC. From my readings, USU should be the one who feels betrayed. Also, please help me understand how if it happened Wyoming would be wallowing in independence hell. The MWC had just landed BSU and still had TCU. How was BYU leaving going to affect us anymore than it actually did... which is not at all?

There was a lot of things going on at that time. Some rumors that turned out to have legs and lots of moving pieces.

Remember that TCU was on it's way out at that time as well (they would announce their departure to the Big East later in the fall of 2010 but it was heavily rumored by the time of the project, which of course they later switched to the Big 12).

Essentially what would have happened is that the MWC would have been left with only the Front Range schools and at that point the WAC could probably leverage BSU into coming back. The rumors indicated that UNM would be asked to join as well (SDSU and UNLV had already been in discussions).

There were so many moving pieces, but it can be stated as a fact that BYU left the MWC to pursue independence. As they were leaving, they colluded with USU to try to poach additional MWC programs to the WAC. This is 100% true. Wyoming was in the worst position of any school in that situation (which isn't BYU's fault of course, just a fact).

We shared a conference with them for 80+years, joined with them to form the MWC, saw our program decimated at the end of the 60's due to our response to player protests regarding BYU's overt racism, and at the end of it they tried to screw us over on their way out.

[ItSucksToBeACSURam]

Maybe you all can help me. I’m reading about “The Project” and have some thoughts. This is the timeline as I can put it together:

-Spring 2010 Utah is poached is poached from ththe MWC by the P12
-BYU believes it has to keep up with the Joneses and begins communications with USU to go indy/ join WAC
-Boise State joins the MWC
-Thompson gets wind of The Project (I assume from fort fart?)
-Thompson quick strike invites Fresno, USU, and Nevada to the MWC
-BYU leadership scoffs and gloats that FSU and Nev wouldn’t dare and probably don’t have the money for buy outs.
-Within 24 hours both Nevada and Fresno accept invites to the MWC, USU honors it’s agreement with BYU/WAC
-2 weeks later BYU announces its independence and that its joined the WCC.
-in the span off 6 months USU went from a meteoric rise by hitching it’s wagon to BYU to being the lone Utah school left in the gutted WAC.

The four or five article I have read mention NOTHING of the other MWC schools. No mention of Fort Fart saving the day, the animus (and desire to destroy us) toward UW, or anything like that.

I would love someone who is a little more knowledgeable of the happening to help me make the leap from BYU leaving to benefit itself to it was trying to torpedo UW and the MWC. From my readings, USU should be the one who feels betrayed. Also, please help me understand how if it happened Wyoming would be wallowing in independence hell. The MWC had just landed BSU and still had TCU. How was BYU leaving going to affect us anymore than it actually did... which is not at all?

There was a lot of things going on at that time. Some rumors that turned out to have legs and lots of moving pieces.

Remember that TCU was on it's way out at that time as well (they would announce their departure to the Big East later in the fall of 2010 but it was heavily rumored by the time of the project, which of course they later switched to the Big 12).

Essentially what would have happened is that the MWC would have been left with only the Front Range schools and at that point the WAC could probably leverage BSU into coming back. The rumors indicated that UNM would be asked to join as well (SDSU and UNLV had already been in discussions).

There were so many moving pieces, but it can be stated as a fact that BYU left the MWC to pursue independence. As they were leaving, they colluded with USU to try to poach additional MWC programs to the WAC. This is 100% true. Wyoming was in the worst position of any school in that situation (which isn't BYU's fault of course, just a fact).

We shared a conference with them for 80+years, joined with them to form the MWC, saw our program decimated at the end of the 60's due to our response to player protests regarding BYU's overt racism, and at the end of it they tried to screw us over on their way out.

TCU left for the 2012 season.

One thing that I have pondered a number of times through this, who's to say that had this actually come to fruition and BYU had their way and Wyoming was totally left in the dark, screwed over, left with no one in the MWC and the MWC disbanded. Who's to say that the WAC wouldn't have extended an offer to UW? They'd take all the teams with historic ties to the conference and leave out UW? In which case, we would be joining this new "power" conference devised by BYU with all of our familiar faces that would have been, in essence the MWC...

[NowherePoke]

If you read the accountbin the SLC paper about the project, there is no doubt a coup was being planned, with BYU and Thompson leading the charge. The delay in BYU and ESPN negotiations is probably what ultimately was the demise. For anyone to believe that BYU has any good intentions after the years of the conference, especially for Wyoming, is fairy dust. They view us as bunch of backwards inbred hicks. I will always have a strong dislike of BYU. They didn’t want anything to do with us when they left the conference. Why are we “ok” now to be on their schedule. I’ll always remember the last game, Dave Wals staying that he’s glad we’ll never have to go back their again. I felt the same way. I feel a bit betrayed.

You're implying a coup was happening and Thompson was part of it? The same Thompson who ended up preventing the whole damn thing which has helped BYU to fade into irrelevance?

I would love to know about this angle. I haven't seen anything that says he was working with BYU but would love to if you have an article!

Look dude, we get it. You are a BYU apologist. Most of us followed the stories through the Project. We formed our opinions based upon the facts then, nothing has changed. F BYU.

Dude, I get it. You can't fathom someone thinking differently than you. I hate BYU. I despise them. But its on a rivalry level. Its not personal, they did nothing that i can see that impacted Wyoming in the slightest. "oh but they hate Wyoming, they want us to suffer." Have you read half the comments on this board? Wyoming fans say the exact same poop.

Oh, Black 14, Black 14. Hello!?!? Do you know anything about our history? Most of the damn country had the same views on blacks as BYU. Obviously as history as shown, they were wrong. Maybe instead of blaming BYU for Black 14, we should blame Eaton for dismissing the players. Or Jacoby for supporting it. Or Hathaway for supporting it. Or the Board for supporting it. I see a lot of people and entities responsible for Black 14, BYU isn't one of them.

I am not apologizing for BYU. I am trying to understand this boards strange hatred for BYU. I keep seeing research The Project, research the Black 14, research their fan base. Those 3 things should be all you need to know.

Well The Project really only screwed USU, Wyoming and the MWC actually may have made out better with BYU leaving as we are as relevant as we've been since the 80s/90s and BYU is a complete after thought.

The Black 14 was a UW problem, not a BYU problem. Were their policies atrocious and vile? Yes. But they didn't force the hand of anyone here.

The BYU Fan base? Awful. Putrid. One of the most over inflated, egotistical group of humans on the planet. But all fanbases are. How does this board look to outside fans when they poke their nose in here? We think really high of ourselves and low of most everyone else.

I am not trying to start fights or invite a poop post, I am trying to understand something that is obviously so close to the heart of many Wyoming fans. So far, I come away with some poop that was blown out of importance, some poop that we did to ourselves, a poop fan base.

In the end, it is true that Wyoming ended up fine because the Project didn't work. So what? Do you forgive someone for trying to stab you in the back because they missed?

The Black 14 is a little different. Plenty of blame to go around, especially the UW administration and Eaton. However, BYU's views on race were the central theme (I have a bridge to sell you if you think those views have actually changed by the way).

Where a person grew up can make a difference too. Those of us who grew up or live in the Western part of the state probably have much stronger feelings. The negativity towards Wyoming (the people, state, and University) which is consistently expressed throughout Utah media (then and now) along with real life interactions with BYU fans (there are quite a few unfortunately in Western Wyoming) really strengthens the "hatred".

[Asmodeanreborn]

http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?i ... type=CMSID

Thanks for digging this up.

[ItSucksToBeACSURam]

If you read the accountbin the SLC paper about the project, there is no doubt a coup was being planned, with BYU and Thompson leading the charge. The delay in BYU and ESPN negotiations is probably what ultimately was the demise. For anyone to believe that BYU has any good intentions after the years of the conference, especially for Wyoming, is fairy dust. They view us as bunch of backwards inbred hicks. I will always have a strong dislike of BYU. They didn’t want anything to do with us when they left the conference. Why are we “ok” now to be on their schedule. I’ll always remember the last game, Dave Wals staying that he’s glad we’ll never have to go back their again. I felt the same way. I feel a bit betrayed.

You're implying a coup was happening and Thompson was part of it? The same Thompson who ended up preventing the whole damn thing which has helped BYU to fade into irrelevance?

I would love to know about this angle. I haven't seen anything that says he was working with BYU but would love to if you have an article!

Look dude, we get it. You are a BYU apologist. Most of us followed the stories through the Project. We formed our opinions based upon the facts then, nothing has changed. F BYU.

Dude, I get it. You can't fathom someone thinking differently than you. I hate BYU. I despise them. But its on a rivalry level. Its not personal, they did nothing that i can see that impacted Wyoming in the slightest. "oh but they hate Wyoming, they want us to suffer." Have you read half the comments on this board? Wyoming fans say the exact same poop.

Oh, Black 14, Black 14. Hello!?!? Do you know anything about our history? Most of the damn country had the same views on blacks as BYU. Obviously as history as shown, they were wrong. Maybe instead of blaming BYU for Black 14, we should blame Eaton for dismissing the players. Or Jacoby for supporting it. Or Hathaway for supporting it. Or the Board for supporting it. I see a lot of people and entities responsible for Black 14, BYU isn't one of them.

I am not apologizing for BYU. I am trying to understand this boards strange hatred for BYU. I keep seeing research The Project, research the Black 14, research their fan base. Those 3 things should be all you need to know.

Well The Project really only screwed USU, Wyoming and the MWC actually may have made out better with BYU leaving as we are as relevant as we've been since the 80s/90s and BYU is a complete after thought.

The Black 14 was a UW problem, not a BYU problem. Were their policies atrocious and vile? Yes. But they didn't force the hand of anyone here.

The BYU Fan base? Awful. Putrid. One of the most over inflated, egotistical group of humans on the planet. But all fanbases are. How does this board look to outside fans when they poke their nose in here? We think really high of ourselves and low of most everyone else.

I am not trying to start fights or invite a poop post, I am trying to understand something that is obviously so close to the heart of many Wyoming fans. So far, I come away with some poop that was blown out of importance, some poop that we did to ourselves, a poop fan base.

In the end, it is true that Wyoming ended up fine because the Project didn't work. So what? Do you forgive someone for trying to stab you in the back because they missed?

I havent seen anything that they actively did anything with the express intent to screw over Wyoming. I see them as a petulant little child that wants what they want and theyre going to do anything in their power to get it. I actually thank them because UW has come out the other side better off. USU got stabbed in the back.

The Black 14 is a little different. Plenty of blame to go around, especially the UW administration and Eaton. However, BYU's views on race were the central theme (I have a bridge to sell you if you think those views have actually changed by the way).

I have no affiliation with BYU, I have no idea what their stance is on anything. Don't really care

Where a person grew up can make a difference too. Those of us who grew up or live in the Western part of the state probably have much stronger feelings. The negativity towards Wyoming (the people, state, and University) which is consistently expressed throughout Utah media (then and now) along with real life interactions with BYU fans (there are quite a few unfortunately in Western Wyoming) really strengthens the "hatred".

I can get on board with this. I actually tend to believe most of the hatred for BYU is based on some feelings of personal slight versus actual events that BYU did to oppose UW.

[Poke-proud]

[img]

Why wouldn’t the administration of Wyoming been in the original discussion if we were being considered. Contracts were already being signed and the process was moving forward, without consideration of The University of Wyoming being included. I don’t believe for a second they intended to include us.

[NowherePoke]

Maybe you all can help me. I’m reading about “The Project” and have some thoughts. This is the timeline as I can put it together:

-Spring 2010 Utah is poached is poached from ththe MWC by the P12
-BYU believes it has to keep up with the Joneses and begins communications with USU to go indy/ join WAC
-Boise State joins the MWC
-Thompson gets wind of The Project (I assume from fort fart?)
-Thompson quick strike invites Fresno, USU, and Nevada to the MWC
-BYU leadership scoffs and gloats that FSU and Nev wouldn’t dare and probably don’t have the money for buy outs.
-Within 24 hours both Nevada and Fresno accept invites to the MWC, USU honors it’s agreement with BYU/WAC
-2 weeks later BYU announces its independence and that its joined the WCC.
-in the span off 6 months USU went from a meteoric rise by hitching it’s wagon to BYU to being the lone Utah school left in the gutted WAC.

The four or five article I have read mention NOTHING of the other MWC schools. No mention of Fort Fart saving the day, the animus (and desire to destroy us) toward UW, or anything like that.

I would love someone who is a little more knowledgeable of the happening to help me make the leap from BYU leaving to benefit itself to it was trying to torpedo UW and the MWC. From my readings, USU should be the one who feels betrayed. Also, please help me understand how if it happened Wyoming would be wallowing in independence hell. The MWC had just landed BSU and still had TCU. How was BYU leaving going to affect us anymore than it actually did... which is not at all?

There was a lot of things going on at that time. Some rumors that turned out to have legs and lots of moving pieces.

Remember that TCU was on it's way out at that time as well (they would announce their departure to the Big East later in the fall of 2010 but it was heavily rumored by the time of the project, which of course they later switched to the Big 12).

Essentially what would have happened is that the MWC would have been left with only the Front Range schools and at that point the WAC could probably leverage BSU into coming back. The rumors indicated that UNM would be asked to join as well (SDSU and UNLV had already been in discussions).

There were so many moving pieces, but it can be stated as a fact that BYU left the MWC to pursue independence. As they were leaving, they colluded with USU to try to poach additional MWC programs to the WAC. This is 100% true. Wyoming was in the worst position of any school in that situation (which isn't BYU's fault of course, just a fact).

We shared a conference with them for 80+years, joined with them to form the MWC, saw our program decimated at the end of the 60's due to our response to player protests regarding BYU's overt racism, and at the end of it they tried to screw us over on their way out.

TCU left for the 2012 season.

One thing that I have pondered a number of times through this, who's to say that had this actually come to fruition and BYU had their way and Wyoming was totally left in the dark, screwed over, left with no one in the MWC and the MWC disbanded. Who's to say that the WAC wouldn't have extended an offer to UW? They'd take all the teams with historic ties to the conference and leave out UW? In which case, we would be joining this new "power" conference devised by BYU with all of our familiar faces that would have been, in essence the MWC...

TCU announced their departure to the Big East on 11/29/2010. They were invited to the Big 12 the following year.

https://gofrogs.com/news/2010/11/29/TCU ... ports.aspx

There wouldn't have been much to gain for the WAC. We would have been the least desirable MWC member left.

[Pokes fan 24-7]

Maybe you all can help me. I’m reading about “The Project” and have some thoughts. This is the timeline as I can put it together:

-Spring 2010 Utah is poached is poached from ththe MWC by the P12
-BYU believes it has to keep up with the Joneses and begins communications with USU to go indy/ join WAC
-Boise State joins the MWC
-Thompson gets wind of The Project (I assume from fort fart?)
-Thompson quick strike invites Fresno, USU, and Nevada to the MWC
-BYU leadership scoffs and gloats that FSU and Nev wouldn’t dare and probably don’t have the money for buy outs.
-Within 24 hours both Nevada and Fresno accept invites to the MWC, USU honors it’s agreement with BYU/WAC
-2 weeks later BYU announces its independence and that its joined the WCC.
-in the span off 6 months USU went from a meteoric rise by hitching it’s wagon to BYU to being the lone Utah school left in the gutted WAC.

The four or five article I have read mention NOTHING of the other MWC schools. No mention of Fort Fart saving the day, the animus (and desire to destroy us) toward UW, or anything like that.

I would love someone who is a little more knowledgeable of the happening to help me make the leap from BYU leaving to benefit itself to it was trying to torpedo UW and the MWC. From my readings, USU should be the one who feels betrayed. Also, please help me understand how if it happened Wyoming would be wallowing in independence hell. The MWC had just landed BSU and still had TCU. How was BYU leaving going to affect us anymore than it actually did... which is not at all?

If I remember correctly. BYU was in contact with USU and had plans to contact BOise to have them not make the move to the MW then contacted UNLV and SDSU(not sure if there was another team) to get them to move to the now more powerful WAC and leave the MW in shambles. This would have given BYU a better basketball conference to land in than what they ended up with in the WCC and a good base for scheduling football games. I think whoever said the UNLV AD spilled the beans is correct because I don't think CSU was invited along. I think the UNLV AD talked to the CSU AD and clued him in.(BUt could be wrong about that part). The MW quickly decided to invite FSU and Nev to the MW to gut the WAC before they could gut the MW. Once the WAC was gutted BYU was forced to join the WCC in all other sports and the Project was defeated.

At least that is my memory of how it went down. Things were happening crazy fast for a couple days.

I think this is correct. If BYU had succeeded, Wyoming,CSU Airforce, and New Mexico would have been left in the mountain west which would have disbanded leaving wyo most likely in Independence hell for a few years before we said f-word it and dropped to 1 AA and joined the big sky

[elfletcho]

Maybe you all can help me. I’m reading about “The Project” and have some thoughts. This is the timeline as I can put it together:

-Spring 2010 Utah is poached is poached from ththe MWC by the P12
-BYU believes it has to keep up with the Joneses and begins communications with USU to go indy/ join WAC
-Boise State joins the MWC
-Thompson gets wind of The Project (I assume from fort fart?)
-Thompson quick strike invites Fresno, USU, and Nevada to the MWC
-BYU leadership scoffs and gloats that FSU and Nev wouldn’t dare and probably don’t have the money for buy outs.
-Within 24 hours both Nevada and Fresno accept invites to the MWC, USU honors it’s agreement with BYU/WAC
-2 weeks later BYU announces its independence and that its joined the WCC.
-in the span off 6 months USU went from a meteoric rise by hitching it’s wagon to BYU to being the lone Utah school left in the gutted WAC.

The four or five article I have read mention NOTHING of the other MWC schools. No mention of Fort Fart saving the day, the animus (and desire to destroy us) toward UW, or anything like that.

I would love someone who is a little more knowledgeable of the happening to help me make the leap from BYU leaving to benefit itself to it was trying to torpedo UW and the MWC. From my readings, USU should be the one who feels betrayed. Also, please help me understand how if it happened Wyoming would be wallowing in independence hell. The MWC had just landed BSU and still had TCU. How was BYU leaving going to affect us anymore than it actually did... which is not at all?

If I remember correctly. BYU was in contact with USU and had plans to contact BOise to have them not make the move to the MW then contacted UNLV and SDSU(not sure if there was another team) to get them to move to the now more powerful WAC and leave the MW in shambles. This would have given BYU a better basketball conference to land in than what they ended up with in the WCC and a good base for scheduling football games. I think whoever said the UNLV AD spilled the beans is correct because I don't think CSU was invited along. I think the UNLV AD talked to the CSU AD and clued him in.(BUt could be wrong about that part). The MW quickly decided to invite FSU and Nev to the MW to gut the WAC before they could gut the MW. Once the WAC was gutted BYU was forced to join the WCC in all other sports and the Project was defeated.

At least that is my memory of how it went down. Things were happening crazy fast for a couple days.

I think this is correct. If BYU had succeeded, Wyoming,CSU Airforce, and New Mexico would have been left in the mountain west which would have disbanded leaving wyo most likely in Independence hell for a few years before we said f-word it and dropped to 1 AA and joined the big sky

So to summarize...

f-word BYU.

[Wyovanian]

If you read the accountbin the SLC paper about the project, there is no doubt a coup was being planned, with BYU and Thompson leading the charge. The delay in BYU and ESPN negotiations is probably what ultimately was the demise. For anyone to believe that BYU has any good intentions after the years of the conference, especially for Wyoming, is fairy dust. They view us as bunch of backwards inbred hicks. I will always have a strong dislike of BYU. They didn’t want anything to do with us when they left the conference. Why are we “ok” now to be on their schedule. I’ll always remember the last game, Dave Wals staying that he’s glad we’ll never have to go back their again. I felt the same way. I feel a bit betrayed.

You're implying a coup was happening and Thompson was part of it? The same Thompson who ended up preventing the whole damn thing which has helped BYU to fade into irrelevance?

I would love to know about this angle. I haven't seen anything that says he was working with BYU but would love to if you have an article!

Look dude, we get it. You are a BYU apologist. Most of us followed the stories through the Project. We formed our opinions based upon the facts then, nothing has changed. F BYU.

Dude, I get it. You can't fathom someone thinking differently than you. I hate BYU. I despise them. But its on a rivalry level. Its not personal, they did nothing that i can see that impacted Wyoming in the slightest. "oh but they hate Wyoming, they want us to suffer." Have you read half the comments on this board? Wyoming fans say the exact same poop.

Oh, Black 14, Black 14. Hello!?!? Do you know anything about our history? Most of the damn country had the same views on blacks as BYU. Obviously as history as shown, they were wrong. Maybe instead of blaming BYU for Black 14, we should blame Eaton for dismissing the players. Or Jacoby for supporting it. Or Hathaway for supporting it. Or the Board for supporting it. I see a lot of people and entities responsible for Black 14, BYU isn't one of them.

I am not apologizing for BYU. I am trying to understand this boards strange hatred for BYU. I keep seeing research The Project, research the Black 14, research their fan base. Those 3 things should be all you need to know.

Well The Project really only screwed USU, Wyoming and the MWC actually may have made out better with BYU leaving as we are as relevant as we've been since the 80s/90s and BYU is a complete after thought.

The Black 14 was a UW problem, not a BYU problem. Were their policies atrocious and vile? Yes. But they didn't force the hand of anyone here.

The BYU Fan base? Awful. Putrid. One of the most over inflated, egotistical group of humans on the planet. But all fanbases are. How does this board look to outside fans when they poke their nose in here? We think really high of ourselves and low of most everyone else.

I am not trying to start fights or invite a poop post, I am trying to understand something that is obviously so close to the heart of many Wyoming fans. So far, I come away with some poop that was blown out of importance, some poop that we did to ourselves, a poop fan base.

In the end, it is true that Wyoming ended up fine because the Project didn't work. So what? Do you forgive someone for trying to stab you in the back because they missed?

I havent seen anything that they actively did anything with the express intent to screw over Wyoming. I see them as a petulant little child that wants what they want and theyre going to do anything in their power to get it. I actually thank them because UW has come out the other side better off. USU got stabbed in the back.

The Black 14 is a little different. Plenty of blame to go around, especially the UW administration and Eaton. However, BYU's views on race were the central theme (I have a bridge to sell you if you think those views have actually changed by the way).

I have no affiliation with BYU, I have no idea what their stance is on anything. Don't really care

Where a person grew up can make a difference too. Those of us who grew up or live in the Western part of the state probably have much stronger feelings. The negativity towards Wyoming (the people, state, and University) which is consistently expressed throughout Utah media (then and now) along with real life interactions with BYU fans (there are quite a few unfortunately in Western Wyoming) really strengthens the "hatred".

I can get on board with this. I actually tend to believe most of the hatred for BYU is based on some feelings of personal slight versus actual events that BYU did to oppose UW.

Guy, you really come off as an apologist for byu* and for its institutional hypocrisy, misogyny, and long history of racism. It's not just about byu* athletics or football, it's about validating and supporting what is essentially Scientology-Lite. It's about supporting an institution that has thrown a lot of money at the wrong side of civil rights issues and maintains policies that turn victims of the deed assault into perpetrators. We're talking about a bunch of chest-thumping, self-righteous moral high-grounders who looked the other way when Jim McMahon violated their "Honor Code", but jettisons players of other than white ethnicity for single transgressions.

There is nothing, I mean NOTHING redeeming about byu* on any level. That school has been a cancer on college athletics for way too long. If all of the MW schools stood together and refused to schedule byu*, their football program would be gone in ten years.

Your support of Wyoming validating their program is something you really should consider through a Code of the West lense. #9- Remember, some things are not for sale.

[ItSucksToBeACSURam]

If you read the accountbin the SLC paper about the project, there is no doubt a coup was being planned, with BYU and Thompson leading the charge. The delay in BYU and ESPN negotiations is probably what ultimately was the demise. For anyone to believe that BYU has any good intentions after the years of the conference, especially for Wyoming, is fairy dust. They view us as bunch of backwards inbred hicks. I will always have a strong dislike of BYU. They didn’t want anything to do with us when they left the conference. Why are we “ok” now to be on their schedule. I’ll always remember the last game, Dave Wals staying that he’s glad we’ll never have to go back their again. I felt the same way. I feel a bit betrayed.

You're implying a coup was happening and Thompson was part of it? The same Thompson who ended up preventing the whole damn thing which has helped BYU to fade into irrelevance?

I would love to know about this angle. I haven't seen anything that says he was working with BYU but would love to if you have an article!

Look dude, we get it. You are a BYU apologist. Most of us followed the stories through the Project. We formed our opinions based upon the facts then, nothing has changed. F BYU.

Dude, I get it. You can't fathom someone thinking differently than you. I hate BYU. I despise them. But its on a rivalry level. Its not personal, they did nothing that i can see that impacted Wyoming in the slightest. "oh but they hate Wyoming, they want us to suffer." Have you read half the comments on this board? Wyoming fans say the exact same poop.

Oh, Black 14, Black 14. Hello!?!? Do you know anything about our history? Most of the damn country had the same views on blacks as BYU. Obviously as history as shown, they were wrong. Maybe instead of blaming BYU for Black 14, we should blame Eaton for dismissing the players. Or Jacoby for supporting it. Or Hathaway for supporting it. Or the Board for supporting it. I see a lot of people and entities responsible for Black 14, BYU isn't one of them.

I am not apologizing for BYU. I am trying to understand this boards strange hatred for BYU. I keep seeing research The Project, research the Black 14, research their fan base. Those 3 things should be all you need to know.

Well The Project really only screwed USU, Wyoming and the MWC actually may have made out better with BYU leaving as we are as relevant as we've been since the 80s/90s and BYU is a complete after thought.

The Black 14 was a UW problem, not a BYU problem. Were their policies atrocious and vile? Yes. But they didn't force the hand of anyone here.

The BYU Fan base? Awful. Putrid. One of the most over inflated, egotistical group of humans on the planet. But all fanbases are. How does this board look to outside fans when they poke their nose in here? We think really high of ourselves and low of most everyone else.

I am not trying to start fights or invite a poop post, I am trying to understand something that is obviously so close to the heart of many Wyoming fans. So far, I come away with some poop that was blown out of importance, some poop that we did to ourselves, a poop fan base.

In the end, it is true that Wyoming ended up fine because the Project didn't work. So what? Do you forgive someone for trying to stab you in the back because they missed?

I havent seen anything that they actively did anything with the express intent to screw over Wyoming. I see them as a petulant little child that wants what they want and theyre going to do anything in their power to get it. I actually thank them because UW has come out the other side better off. USU got stabbed in the back.

The Black 14 is a little different. Plenty of blame to go around, especially the UW administration and Eaton. However, BYU's views on race were the central theme (I have a bridge to sell you if you think those views have actually changed by the way).

I have no affiliation with BYU, I have no idea what their stance is on anything. Don't really care

Where a person grew up can make a difference too. Those of us who grew up or live in the Western part of the state probably have much stronger feelings. The negativity towards Wyoming (the people, state, and University) which is consistently expressed throughout Utah media (then and now) along with real life interactions with BYU fans (there are quite a few unfortunately in Western Wyoming) really strengthens the "hatred".

I can get on board with this. I actually tend to believe most of the hatred for BYU is based on some feelings of personal slight versus actual events that BYU did to oppose UW.

Guy, you really come off as an apologist for byu* and for its institutional hypocrisy, misogyny, and long history of racism. It's not just about byu* athletics or football, it's about validating and supporting what is essentially Scientology-Lite. It's about supporting an institution that has thrown a lot of money at the wrong side of civil rights issues and maintains policies that turn victims of the deed assault into perpetrators. We're talking about a bunch of chest-thumping, self-righteous moral high-grounders who looked the other way when Jim McMahon violated their "Honor Code", but jettisons players of other than white ethnicity for single transgressions.

There is nothing, I mean NOTHING redeeming about byu* on any level. That school has been a cancer on college athletics for way too long. If all of the MW schools stood together and refused to schedule byu*, their football program would be gone in ten years.

Your support of Wyoming validating their program is something you really should consider through a Code of the West lense. #9- Remember, some things are not for sale.

What the f-word are you talking about?

Where have I even made any statement supporting them or their beliefs?

The only thing I have ever said relating to their beliefs is that out side those poop beliefs, they had nothing to do with Black 14. As a fan base, we seem to want to blame them for the Black 14. The University of Wyoming, and UW alone, caused The Black 14 scandal. Eaton and Jacoby and Hathaway made the decision to dismiss the players, not BYU...

Me calling this fan base out on its poop hatred of BYU because of Black 14 by no means equates to support of BYU. I have said many times, I f-word hate BYU because of the rivalry and them piss pounding us for the bulk of my life time. I certainly don't equate them to Cold War Soviet Union as some have on here.

[Wyovanian]

If you read the accountbin the SLC paper about the project, there is no doubt a coup was being planned, with BYU and Thompson leading the charge. The delay in BYU and ESPN negotiations is probably what ultimately was the demise. For anyone to believe that BYU has any good intentions after the years of the conference, especially for Wyoming, is fairy dust. They view us as bunch of backwards inbred hicks. I will always have a strong dislike of BYU. They didn’t want anything to do with us when they left the conference. Why are we “ok” now to be on their schedule. I’ll always remember the last game, Dave Wals staying that he’s glad we’ll never have to go back their again. I felt the same way. I feel a bit betrayed.

You're implying a coup was happening and Thompson was part of it? The same Thompson who ended up preventing the whole damn thing which has helped BYU to fade into irrelevance?

I would love to know about this angle. I haven't seen anything that says he was working with BYU but would love to if you have an article!

Look dude, we get it. You are a BYU apologist. Most of us followed the stories through the Project. We formed our opinions based upon the facts then, nothing has changed. F BYU.

Dude, I get it. You can't fathom someone thinking differently than you. I hate BYU. I despise them. But its on a rivalry level. Its not personal, they did nothing that i can see that impacted Wyoming in the slightest. "oh but they hate Wyoming, they want us to suffer." Have you read half the comments on this board? Wyoming fans say the exact same poop.

Oh, Black 14, Black 14. Hello!?!? Do you know anything about our history? Most of the damn country had the same views on blacks as BYU. Obviously as history as shown, they were wrong. Maybe instead of blaming BYU for Black 14, we should blame Eaton for dismissing the players. Or Jacoby for supporting it. Or Hathaway for supporting it. Or the Board for supporting it. I see a lot of people and entities responsible for Black 14, BYU isn't one of them.

I am not apologizing for BYU. I am trying to understand this boards strange hatred for BYU. I keep seeing research The Project, research the Black 14, research their fan base. Those 3 things should be all you need to know.

Well The Project really only screwed USU, Wyoming and the MWC actually may have made out better with BYU leaving as we are as relevant as we've been since the 80s/90s and BYU is a complete after thought.

The Black 14 was a UW problem, not a BYU problem. Were their policies atrocious and vile? Yes. But they didn't force the hand of anyone here.

The BYU Fan base? Awful. Putrid. One of the most over inflated, egotistical group of humans on the planet. But all fanbases are. How does this board look to outside fans when they poke their nose in here? We think really high of ourselves and low of most everyone else.

I am not trying to start fights or invite a poop post, I am trying to understand something that is obviously so close to the heart of many Wyoming fans. So far, I come away with some poop that was blown out of importance, some poop that we did to ourselves, a poop fan base.

In the end, it is true that Wyoming ended up fine because the Project didn't work. So what? Do you forgive someone for trying to stab you in the back because they missed?

I havent seen anything that they actively did anything with the express intent to screw over Wyoming. I see them as a petulant little child that wants what they want and theyre going to do anything in their power to get it. I actually thank them because UW has come out the other side better off. USU got stabbed in the back.

The Black 14 is a little different. Plenty of blame to go around, especially the UW administration and Eaton. However, BYU's views on race were the central theme (I have a bridge to sell you if you think those views have actually changed by the way).

I have no affiliation with BYU, I have no idea what their stance is on anything. Don't really care

Where a person grew up can make a difference too. Those of us who grew up or live in the Western part of the state probably have much stronger feelings. The negativity towards Wyoming (the people, state, and University) which is consistently expressed throughout Utah media (then and now) along with real life interactions with BYU fans (there are quite a few unfortunately in Western Wyoming) really strengthens the "hatred".

I can get on board with this. I actually tend to believe most of the hatred for BYU is based on some feelings of personal slight versus actual events that BYU did to oppose UW.

Guy, you really come off as an apologist for byu* and for its institutional hypocrisy, misogyny, and long history of racism. It's not just about byu* athletics or football, it's about validating and supporting what is essentially Scientology-Lite. It's about supporting an institution that has thrown a lot of money at the wrong side of civil rights issues and maintains policies that turn victims of the deed assault into perpetrators. We're talking about a bunch of chest-thumping, self-righteous moral high-grounders who looked the other way when Jim McMahon violated their "Honor Code", but jettisons players of other than white ethnicity for single transgressions.

There is nothing, I mean NOTHING redeeming about byu* on any level. That school has been a cancer on college athletics for way too long. If all of the MW schools stood together and refused to schedule byu*, their football program would be gone in ten years.

Your support of Wyoming validating their program is something you really should consider through a Code of the West lense. #9- Remember, some things are not for sale.

What the f-word are you talking about?

Where have I even made any statement supporting them or their beliefs?

The only thing I have ever said relating to their beliefs is that out side those poop beliefs, they had nothing to do with Black 14. As a fan base, we seem to want to blame them for the Black 14. The University of Wyoming, and UW alone, caused The Black 14 scandal. Eaton and Jacoby and Hathaway made the decision to dismiss the players, not BYU...

Me calling this fan base out on its poop hatred of BYU because of Black 14 by no means equates to support of BYU. I have said many times, I f-word hate BYU because of the rivalry and them piss pounding us for the bulk of my life time. I certainly don't equate them to Cold War Soviet Union as some have on here.

Respect is implicit to rivalry. There is zero respect for byu*. To play them is to support their football team, their athletic program, their school, and the institution that backs them. It's an act of validation that says, "You're one of us". They aren't, and they'll be the first to admit it.