Las Vegas • Eight miles from the Big 12 media circus inside Allegiant Stadium, Bronco Mendenhall settled into a cozy backroom of an empty casino that was much more his style.
Mendenhall had danced in Power Four circles before, pursuing a job at Virginia from BYU in 2015. He had seen the opulent media days like the one the Big 12 put on in Las Vegas, a spectacle that seemed more like a tech company sales pitch than a college football exhibition, as Commissioner Brett Yormark addressed hundreds of people on a 40-yard stage with a wireless microphone and introduced commercials on a massive video board.
But Mendenhall left all that behind in 2021. He escaped to a ranch in Montana, trying to physically and metaphorically get away from the self-serving world of Power Four football.
When he decided to return to training, he deliberately avoided jobs that involved a lot of power. Instead, he chose New Mexico and the mountainous region of the West as his next destination. He thought it suited him, suited his values.
So when he looked around during Mountain West media day (a scaled-down version of the Big 12, just off the Las Vegas Strip in a ballroom), he knew he’d made the right decision.
“Sometimes going up the ladder (towards the Big Four) is going down the ladder,” he said. “The outside world may perceive that you are going up, but it is possible that morally or because of your family, because of your values, you are going down. Going up does not always mean going up according to perceptions.”
This is the version of Mendenhall that is taking over in Albuquerque. He is introspective and looking for some sustainability. That applies to his own life, but also to football. He believes they go hand in hand.
He sees how the major conferences are seeking money and programs in major markets. Now he prefers the Mountain West. He will visit schools in smaller cities, where a college football Saturday is less of a mass event and more of a community gathering. He won’t have the fear of conference realignment ruling his work.
“I love the parity. I love the cities that are part of the league. I think, in my idealism, it’s more like college. So I like it,” he said. “I think this league is, if not the most, one of the most stable at any level… I love seeing communities come alive and vibrant and I think college football is one way to do that.”
In his day-to-day work, he has surrounded himself with people he is familiar with. He hired players who played for him at BYU, such as former defensive end Jan Jorgensen. Both of his coordinators have ties to BYU. He finished assembling his staff within six hours of getting the job. He stayed within the family, just like he wanted.
“I don’t have time to integrate anybody or convince anybody,” he said. “This is how we’re going to do it. They played in my system. They trained in my system. They know me intimately and vice versa. We’re loyal. We’re not perfect. But I love watching them every day.”
Even his view of college football has changed. He knows the national championship race will be dominated by schools at the top, the kind of programs he left behind at UVa and BYU. But he is convinced that for the good of the sport, a conference like the Mountain West has to succeed. He believes that if a Group of Five team wins a playoff game, or even a title, it might be healthy for everyone to take a step back.
“I would love it if, with a 12-team playoff, an underdog could come in and win,” he said. “Is it possible? It has to be possible. There are going to be a lot of people who will argue otherwise. With resources, there’s no chance. I don’t think so. I have to believe it. I think it would be great for college football. Maybe we could rebalance in some ways. It could be a better version of college football.”
That’s what he saw in his own life when he went to Montana. Recalibrated, he no longer sought the spotlight.
“There is something about Montana that I recommend to all of you. That doesn’t mean you can stay at my house, but come visit me. They call Montana the ‘last, best place.’ And I think I just shared that with distance has come clarity,” she said.
In his new life in Albuquerque, he still wants to win. He believes he will have the Lobos back in the postseason in his second year, but he also wants to be part of the community.
He and his wife, Holly, have a habit of trying out new local restaurants. He’s always looking for the perfect spiciness for his salsa.
“I like it when I sweat a little, when I feel it throbbing, but not running,” he said, laughing.
And that wouldn’t have been possible before. He has clarity. He found the right place, away from the spotlights and in an almost empty ballroom.
“I’m clear about what I want to do, why I want to do it and where,” he said. “Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously in the college football world. And Montana helped me realize that.”
That you thought
Last week, you told us where you thought BYU would finish in the Big 12 this season. Most preseason prognosticators have the Cougars near the bottom of the conference.
But you were more optimistic. Fifteen percent of respondents thought BYU would finish fifth in the league. Another 15 percent had the Cougars in eighth place. The last group of respondents had BYU in 10th place.
Surprisingly, only 7.5% of you had BYU ranked No. 13, where it appears in the preseason poll. 2.5% had the Cougars bringing home the trophy.
Quick hits
• Is Kalani Sitake’s seat warming? BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe has the answer
• Why BYU and Utah won’t play on rivalry weekend and why the Big 12 could change that in the future
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