BYU's Top Five

With the sports season winding down, what would you consider were the five most significant events for BYU athletics in the past school year?

Here’s my list:

1. The Direct TV agreement to carry The Mtn programming. Because of two years of frustration, angst and acrimony for all concerned (fans, athletes, recruiters, coaches, administrators, Comcast, the old CSTV, and the media), this move was big. It isn’t a catch-all and there is work still to be done, like DishNetwork coming onboard, but because of this deal, BYU and the MWC will gain more exposure and there will be far more happy campers. Because of the number of folks impacted, this is No. 1.

2. Contracts. That Tom Holmoe and President Samuelson had the foresight to renegotiate contracts of Bronco Mendenhall and Dave Rose, will have far-reaching continuity issues in these cash cow programs. It also sent a signal to both coaches that their success with back-to-back championships and the way programs are administered are on track with the university’s mission statement. These guys feel more appreciated and it’s a repellent for raiders seeking rebuilders for ailing BCS programs. Behind the scenes of these new contracts, is fundraising efforts to establish an endowment to help pay coaching salaries of head coaches in the future. Piggy backed on this issue are pay hikes and title changes for Jaime Hill (defensive coordinator, football) and Dave Rice (associate head coach, basketball). The paper trail. It was a big, bold move by BYU I haven?t seen done in one year ever.

3. Magic. Call it what you want, make fun of it, worship it, make T-shirts and posters out of it, but the Fourth and 18 catch by Austin Collie on a pass from Max Hall against Utah in LaVell Edwards Stadium, was monumental. It kept a second-straight league winning streak alive, and face it, if it had not happened, much of the season’s success would have been tarnished. The feeling around BYU football would not be what is this spring and summer if this had been a loss on Cougar turf.

4 Magic Part II. The blocked field goal that ended the UCLA-BYU game in the Las Vegas Bowl. It shouldn’t have come to that. It should not have been that close of game, but it was and it was not going the way of Bronco Mendenhall. But that single play repeated 11-2 and as preseason publicity starts to churn out for the 2008 season, that kind of success sets the table for a lot of recognition and rankings heading into the season opener against Northern Iowa in LaVell Edwards Stadium.

4. Hoop repeat: The MWC basketball championship title by a two-game margin. Face it, although BYU ended up with two guys on the all-conference team, the Cougars are still a team lacking in overall athletic talent when compared to UNLV, SDSU and New Mexico. But better chemistry, a higher level of competitiveness, and outstanding coaching got Dave Rose and his players a repeat championship. It will be tougher to get it to three-in-a row but this finish, albeit with another disappointing two-game skid in post-season play, was as good as it’s been in BYU hoops in almost two decades when you count the rankings and records set.

I welcome replacements or challenges to the above Top Five.