Arlington, Texas • Kalani Sitake could’ve taken the easy out.
Up on the dais inside AT&T Stadium for the first time as a Big 12 member, Sitake was asked if it would take a couple of years for BYU to compete at the Power Five level. After all, the Cougars won’t become a full-share member of the Big 12′s revenue deal until year three. So, why not say the ramp up on the field would take a while too?
But Sitake wasn’t interested in that.
“I mean I’m looking at the last six teams that played for championships here in the last three years and there is a lot of parity there,” Sitake said. “So I’m hoping that our team can add to that. Everyone wants to win. My goal is to get us to perform at our best 12 times. And if we do it the way that I hope, that will earn us some opportunities to play again.”
It might be a step too far to say BYU will be playing the conference championship game come December.
Sure, TCU, Baylor and Iowa State had magical runs the last three years to get into the Big 12′s final game. But they weren’t new to the conference. They also didn’t go from being picked to finish No. 11 to being inside the top two.
Still, Sitake’s confidence was clear during BYU’s formal introduction to the Power Five this week. Sitake acknowledged plenty of times how grateful he was to be there. He said BYU had its work cut out for it. But ultimately he followed his athletic director’s lead.
“We are in this thing to win,” Tom Holmoe said. “I’m not going to back down.”
Sitake showed both deference to the existing conference members while also trying not to back away from expectations.
“This has been a great dream for me, please don’t wake me up,” Sitake said in his first remarks on stage.
But then he explained why he has confidence in his team. He reasoned that BYU has played Power Five teams in the past. It played seven P5 opponents in 2021. Last year it faced five.
Sitake also noted he has experience in transitions like this. He was at Utah when it went from the Mountain West to the Pac-12. The Utes had their growing pains, but eventually found their way to a winning record five years later.
“This isn’t going to be easy. We know that,” Sitake said. “That’s why in independence I told Tom [Holmoe] to find as many [Power Five] teams that you can. [Teams] that people don’t want to play. [It was] with the thought that this could possibly be the goal. And now that we are here, there is a high sense of urgency for us to get ready to go.”
Sitake’s staff is currently operating like it wants to compete immediately. It has brought in 21 transfers — tied for the most in the Big 12. It will have new starters at most positions. Perhaps more importantly, it is trying to get more depth around the roster.
“When you go against these Power Five teams it takes a toll on you,” Sitake said. “You might not feel it that night, but you will feel it the week after. So that is what we are focused on. Making sure our depth meets the skill of our starters.”
As Sitake made his way from station to station, interview after interview, he stopped himself this week to look around the empty stadium. A scene like this one, for BYU, would have been unimaginable even just a couple of years ago.
“This is a really cool moment for me,” he said. “I’m just trying to take it all in.”
But as soon as he said, he was right back to work. Much like BYU will be in its first year back on the national stage.
“This is something we have been dreaming of for awhile. I’m speaking as a fan,” Sitake said. “But now that we are given this platform, I’m excited for this opportunity we have.”