I’ve never really spent much time there before today, but this thread was just too entertaining, I couldn’t look away. Bear in mind, all of this response is to rumors that have yet to actually be confirmed. What a fanbase.



“BYU used to brag about how they were one of the few institutions that have never been put under any kind of NCAA probation. The (of all things) their Men's Volleyball program got whacked w/ the a 3-yr probation. It almost makes me wish I cared about Men's Volleyball enough to run smack. https://www.deseret.com/2008/3/11/20075886/byu-volleyball-ncaa-puts-cougars-on-3-year-probation

Then there is the Nick Emery stuff (loss of games retroactively, whoopee), sock-gate, and Spencer Hadley's Spearmint Rhino exploits.

Still BYU does have a pretty clean record with the NCAA on paper... BYU like everyone else has to self-report all the little stuff, but unlike Utah & USU the local press can't GRAMA request copies and then publish all the little issues. Most years BYU gets to act like their farts don't stink. The local media could say "we don't know what happened at BYU this year, but we assume they have a similar list." If BYU wanted to claim purity they could reveal their submissions. Of course the local media won't put BYU into that position, if anything most of the local media is complicit in the purity myth.

Now of more speculative stuff... When the NCAA comes calling on BYU for like say the borderline issue of recruiting missionaries, BYU whispers "isn't that religious discrimination?" and the NCAA decided "let the 3 Utah programs and the odd other school w/ LDS Missionaries argue among themselves" we are not touching this hot rail w/ a 10-pole. I will say the mere existence of the "Riley Nelson" Rule indicates the NCAA thought some fishiness was about.

I really don't think it is the Church providing BYU religious cover than explains aggressive NIL stance, I just think they are cagey, they correctly assumed this was rushed and not something the NCAA really wanted... Inspection would spotty and enforcement lax... If and when the NCAA tightens the reg.s BYU will pull back to the rules having gained the advantage of going aggressive until a pull-back is enforced across the board.”





“ I've had several independent sources (none in Utah athletics w/ an obvious bias) confirm a lot of what you say. One has spent his entire career in the Compliance world and says BYU is as dirty and difficult to work with as they come. They consistently bend the rules, and then use the timeless religious persecution angle when the outside world cries foul.”




“Smith was a bad hire, I said it at the time and this just confirms it. This is a devastating blow to the program, there is no other way to look at it.”




“Pope is a killer and some of the things happening down south are sketchy AF.”



“This is the biggest load of horse **** I’ve ever seen in college sports. In no way is this within the spirit of what NLI was trying to accomplish. This is simply pay to play. Any semi-intelligent attorney could argue how this egregiously violates the rule, yet the judge is non-existent and this continues to fly without constraint. It’s brazen and so destructive for college athletics. I would be beating down the NCAA’s door right now with the same hell and fury our self-righteous zoob neighbors say is coming our way.”





“Let’s hope. I’ve been hearing from LDS general authority relatives for 5+ years that the end is nigh for BYU athletics but the cockroach continues to live on. Sure the leaders would be mighty proud of Mark Pope and his charades. It’s pharisaical bull****”


“After reading and thinking about this, I hope Elder David A Bednar becomes president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the next 10 years, because he is the one I could see shutting down BYU athletics.

Just shut it down, they be doing shady things.”





“I'm sure there are byu fans now reading this and laughing at it. Laugh away, jerks. I don't care.

In fairness, most of my byu family and friends are ok. But they are not the die hard fans and aren't even aware of this. Those Cougarboard byu fans that I have met over the years have been nothing but prime, quantum jerks. And that's holding back and being mild.

This is disgusting and if you byu fans reading this have half a conscience (you dont) you would agree.

And before you say, "but you Ute fans are so much worse", I say nonsense. just because 50K of you post on Cougarboard about a Ute every time one sneezes hardly means you're right.

And no I'm not some anti Mormon. I'm active in the church.

Sorry. Had to vent. This sucks and byu sucks.”





“There is no greater irony than the Lords school flat out bribing kids to come play sports.”


“One little quibble, I am not privy to the BYU books, but BYUtv Is heavily funded by tithing dollars (can anyone contest that?).

BYU the institution has and is using BYUtv as a back door to send tithing dollars into BYU Sports. Do you really think BYUtv is getting fair market value for the $500K is is spending for the rights to broadcast BYU Women's Basketball???

Now I am not LDS so if BYU is funneling tithing money in to Sports despite years of claiming that BYU Sports are tithing free is a little hypocritical (I won't even get into the question about how every BYU's student's tuition is tithing subsidized because Utah's scholarships are tax subsidized in the same way), but it is none of my business.

I only point that out to show in order to get BYU though independence some "corners were cut" and some work and accounting games were played.“





“I’m not sure I’ve ever heard them claim tithing money wasn’t involved in sports… I’m LDS and always thought it was.

When I found out about it and asked my raging BYU fan Bishop he said it’s a missionary tool

Still don’t like it… at all. Never have. Especially for a lot of other reasons I hate BYU, but that’s for another day

Regarding books, I’m sure some are fuzzy. At the risk of sounding like a bitter sour grapes BYU hater I’ve never trusted them. They’re kings of cover up, that’s how Lavell did so well.”




What a great bunch of guys. Thoughts and prayers to all of them during these difficult times.