"A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM"
From the "King of Las Vegas" WAYNE ROOT!

WILL INDEPENDENCE MAKE BYU A NATIONAL POWER?

Talk about A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM! News broke this week that BYU may soon become an independent university in college football, while moving back to the WAC in all other sports.

After a summer where the media couldn't shut up about teams changing conference affiliations...and even more rumors about Notre Dame giving up its independences to join the Big Ten...we now have a move in the opposition direction by a team hoping to take a step up in college football.

How could becoming an independent be considered a step up in the current college landscape? It's actually fairly easy:

• BYU is hoping that independence will allow itself a chance to negotiate an exclusive TV contract like Notre Dame has with NBC. They probably wouldn't be able to pull it off with a major network like ABC, CBS, or Fox because there aren't enough eyeballs in that part of the country. But, ESPN needs programming for its family of networks, and is reportedly already in preliminary discussions with BYU.

Should BYU gain that contract, they'd now have a HUGE incentive for potential recruits. They'll be on TV almost ALL THE TIME! State rival Utah will be sharing exposure with the Pac 10 (soon to be Pac 12). Boise State and TCU would be left to fight for attention in the newly watered down Mountain West conference. Suddenly, BYU is a big player in that part of the country, and can make inroads to high profile high school states because of the TV exposure.

• The control you have over your schedule can play a huge role in giving you a shot at a BCS bowl or even the national championship. BYU can schedule home games vs. high profile teams because of the national TV coverage (giving them a better chance to knock off name opponents), and can then fill out the schedule with weaklings from the Mountain West and the WAC.

Plus, they won't have to play brutal TCU any more...and their talent mismatches against the Horned Frogs had been standing in their way at national acclaim ever since TCU joined the Mountain West.

• The decision-makers for the BCS have been pressured into allowing non-power programs access to the major bowls if those teams are undefeated, and have earned what it takes in the "math" of the system to be ranked in the top eight. You don't have to play in the SEC or Big 10 to play in a high profile bowl. It may be possible soon (even quickly) for independents to work their way into a national championship game with an undefeated run.

So, TODAY, you have a BYU team who hasn't been to a high profile bowl in ages, and has been seen as falling behind Utah and TCU in their own conference (and well behind soon-to-be-arriving member Boise State). With Independence, you have an upgrade in regular season exposure, recruiting, a schedule that's easier to stack in your favor, and a potential crack in the doorway that would allow for something very special at the end of the season.

Everyone was thinking that joining a select power conference was the way to go. BYU is showing that heading the opposite direction may be even smarter.

As a college football fan, this is very interesting to me. As a handicapper, bettor, and the undisputed KING OF LAS VEGAS, I'm very interested in the legal sports betting ramifications.

• Will BYU's players lose focus THIS year because of what's coming down the pike?
• Will BYU's traditional conference rivals get fired up to take them out because they're abandoning the league just when the league needed its biggest name programs to stick around?
• Will this kind of move lead to distractions in other parts of the country, creating a domino effect in the exact opposite direction that everyone was expecting? Will Rutgers consider becoming independent so they can pitch their access to a major media market to TV networks? Will 2010 become a year where handicapping is more about game-to-game motivation and focus than ever before because SO MANY teams are looking forward to immediate changes on the horizon?

The last time we were together I talked about how excited I was that college football would be starting soon. Things may turn out to be even more interesting than I had expected!

The colleges may be a couple of weeks away, but we have NFL action going TONIGHT! You can purchase my selections for weekend action online, or call me in the office at 1-877-ROOT-WINS for more details about package options like the FOOTBALL UPSET CLUB, the NO LIMIT CLUB, and my PERFECT PLAYS.

Games of interest for me these next few days:

• Thursday: New England at Atlanta on FOX
• Friday: Philadelphia at Cincinnati on FOX
• Saturday: Baltimore at Washington, Pittsburgh at NY Giants, NY Jets at Carolina, , Dallas at San Diego, Green Bay at Seattle to name a few...
• Sunday: Minnesota at San Francisco on NBC
• Monday: Arizona at Tennessee on ESPN

Purchase daily slates individually here at the website with your credit card. Or sign up for the rest of Preseason, or the full 2010 football season if you're ready to make a commitment.

Personally, I love INDEPENDENCE! That's what makes capitalism work. That's how I became a "Millionaire Republican" in the past, and why I became a libertarian when the political tides shifted toward more government control (don't forget I ran for vice-president on the Libertarian ticket in 2008!). I'm the biggest name in sports handicapping because I never took orders from anyone. As a result, I'm the ONLY handicapper to have a star on the "Walk of Fame" here in Vegas.

I think BYU is making a very savvy move. You'll be doing the same thing if you sign up today with WAYNE ALLYN ROOT!