BYU officially announces football independence, will join WCC
Provo, UT (Sports Network) - Brigham Young University officially announced its resignation from the Mountain West Conference, effective June 30, 2011, in its quest to become a football independent next season.
The Cougars will join the West Coast Conference in every sport but football starting in the 2011-12 athletic season.
Rumors had been swirling about the possible move, which became official on Tuesday. Further information will be provided at a news conference on Wednesday at 2 p.m. (et).
BYU was a long-time member of the WAC before joining the MWC in 1998 to help form the new eight-member conference. The Cougars had until Wednesday to inform the MWC of their intentions.
The move is a continuation of a massive restructuring of college football's power conferences this summer. The blockbuster move occurred when Nebraska left the Big 12 to join the Big 10. Meanwhile, the Mountain West Conference and Western Athletic Conference have undergone several shifts, with preseason top-5 and WAC powerhouse Boise State announcing its intention to leave for the MWC starting next year among other changes.
Currently, there are only three schools which compete as an independent in major college football. The most notable, Notre Dame, was rumored to possibly join the Big Ten but ultimately did not. The two other teams not affiliated with a football conference are the two most recognized service academies, the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy, who of course play against each other every December in the famed Army-Navy game.
