LARAMIE, Wyo. -- University of Wyoming men's basketball coach Heath Schroyer and women's basketball coach Joe Legerski know college athletics are in a state of flux right now.
That's why the two coaches -- both with previous ties to schools who will be leaving the Mountain West next year -- aren't getting too wrapped up in the latest news that Brigham Young University is bolting the conference.
BYU announced Tuesday that it plans to go independent in football and join the West Coast Conference in other sports.
"In today's world of college athletics, it's crazy, and TV money, and money in general, is driving so much," said Schroyer who spent four years as an assistant at BYU.
"It's hard to imagine you're losing a rival you've had for 75, 100 years. It's hard to swallow for the fans -- and even the coaches -- but it's the way college sports are going right now."
The college landscape appeared ready to go through a shift of historic proportions this summer. But when the dust settled, only a handful of teams -- Utah and Colorado to the Pac-10, Nebraska to the Big Ten and Boise State to the MWC -- had moved.
But few believed there wouldn't be aftershocks. Even after the latest round of moves -- BYU leaving and Fresno State and Nevada coming to the MWC -- few are convinced that this is the end of the shifts.
BYU announced Wednesday that it has reached an eight-year deal with ESPN for the network or one of its affiliates to broadcast its home games.
BYU also said it is close to ironing out the details on a six-game deal with Notre Dame through 2020. Another potential foe is archrival Utah.
Legerski, now entering his seventh season with UW, was a longtime assistant at Utah. He said he understands the moves made by Utah and BYU and also applauds the MWC's quick actions to add Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada.
"When you look at the changes happening throughout the country, you realize you have to be flexible enough to keep moving in the right direction," he said. "In women's basketball, the MWC has been a very difficult league to compete in over the years and will continue to be with the additions.
"It's really too early to talk about how this will all affect the league."
Both Schroyer and Legerski said it is also too early to talk about whether they will schedule BYU or Utah as nonconference opponents.
They do understand the fans' frustration in the schools bolting the MWC.
"Scheduling is a challenge for everyone right now," Legerski said. "We have to make sure it's a right fit.
"We want to bring the best opponents into Laramie, and we want teams that want to have a home-and-home agreement."
Other UW coaches will also have to decide whether to schedule the Utes and Cougars. Football coach Dave Christensen has said he hasn't had time to think about the situation.
Then there's the issue of several BYU sports -- softball, swimming and diving and track and field -- that won't have a home in the West Coast Conference because those sports are not offered there.
If current coaches like UW's Don Yentes have their way, those BYU teams won't be invited back to the MWC, either.
"The way I feel is that if you're going to be in a conference, either you're all in or you're all out," the track and field coach said. "I would hope that we wouldn't allow them back.
"I'm disappointed that Utah and BYU left, but I understand why. But if I was a track coach at BYU, I probably wouldn't be too happy."
All UW coaches agreed that the days of conference stability seem to be a thing of the past.
"It seems like it all comes back to the word 'change,"' Legerski said. "I don't know if you're ever going to see something like you've had in the past with conferences stuck together for 30 or 40 years. You're going to constantly see teams moving in one direction or another."
Legerski also echoed the thoughts of the rest of the coaching staff when it comes to the unsettled future of conference realignment.
"I worry about what I can control," he said. "We have a challenging schedule ahead of us this season. That's what we're focused on."
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