We have a great relationship with ESPN. This gives us a couple of years to consider the future. It’s great to be back with ESPN for at least one more year. – BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe

PROVO — To kick off BYU’s annual football media day festivities Friday morning, athletic director Tom Holmoe made some big announcements in rapid succession.

For starters, the school will retire the No. 6 jersey to honor quarterbacks Marc Wilson and Robbie Bosco and running back Luke Staley in a ceremony to be held during the Wisconsin game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Sept. 16.

Holmoe also announced that ESPN has exercised its option on its contract to extend broadcasting rights of BYU home football games by one year through the 2019 season.

In addition, this fall the Cougars will wear a patch paying tribute to the legacy of legendary coach LaVell Edwards, who passed away last December at the age of 86. The patch, which will be worn on the front of the jerseys, features a likeness of Edwards.

Wilson, Bosco and Staley join Steve Young (No. 8), Jim McMahon (No. 9), Gifford Nielsen and Ty Detmer (No. 14), Eldon Fortie (No. 40) and Marion Probert (No. 81) as the only Cougar football players to have their jerseys or numbers retired.

“These are legends of BYU football,” Holmoe said at the BYU Broadcasting Building. “It’s been a matter of time and I couldn’t be happier for these three.”

“They’re great men and I’m glad they get their number retired,” said coach Kalani Sitake. “They deserve it.”

Wilson guided the Cougars to an 11-1 season and their first top 10 ranking in 1979 while Bosco led BYU to the 1984 national championship and its only undefeated season.

“These things don’t happen without great teammates and great people surrounding you,” said Bosco. “You’re not going to get your number retired being 1-10. We had a lot of success and great teammates.”

Staley rushed for nearly 2,500 yards in his Cougar career and won the 2001 Doak Walker Award, emblematic of the nation’s top running back.

“It’s a complete honor,” said Staley, who played in the same backfield as Sitake at BYU. “Growing up, I just wanted to come to BYU and contribute and be part of something at a program I idolized. I never expected this but it speaks to my teammates and what we accomplished.”

Bosco said having his jersey retired with two other players makes it even more special.

“I’ve looked up to these guys. Marc Wilson is the first thing that popped out about why I wanted to come to BYU, what he did on the field. Luke, I was able to coach and see what a special player he was. I don’t know that Luke gets enough credit. He was as good a running back as you’ll ever see in college football. It’s awesome to be with both of those guys.”

As far as the ESPN deal goes, BYU went independent in 2011 and signed an eight-year deal with ESPN at that time to broadcast its home football games. Friday’s announcement now includes a ninth season.

“We have a great relationship with ESPN,” Holmoe said. “This gives us a couple of years to consider the future. It’s great to be back with ESPN for at least one more year.”

Many have speculated about the future of the partnership between BYU and ESPN since the network has had to cut back financially in recent years.

“With all of the rumors about ESPN and their future, they’re strong,” Holmoe said. “Every recruit, and most colleges, want to be on ESPN and that’s where we’ve always played. It’s where we built our name, our brand and ESPN’s helped us along the way. They put us on TV every week. It’s something really special.”

“BYU has played an important role in ESPN’s college football history, having aired its games for more than 32 years,” Nick Dawson, ESPN Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions, said in a statement. “Continuing the relationship for the 2019 season secures another top-notch program for our industry-leading portfolio.”

In six seasons as an independent, BYU has played 32 of its 37 home football games on ESPN networks and platforms. Overall, the Cougars have been on ESPN in 58 of 78 of their games as an independent — including all six bowl games.

BYU opens the 2017 season on Aug. 26 at home against Portland State on ESPN. The following week, the Cougars take on Louisiana State in Houston, a game that will also be televised by ESPN. So far, eight BYU contests will be broadcast by ESPN networks or platforms.

When the Cougars play on television this season, they’ll be paying homage to Edwards, who won 257 games in 29 seasons at the helm of the program.

“We’re all going to remember him forever,” Holmoe said of Edwards. “The patch with LaVell was an idea with Kalani and me to be able to show the country and have them talk about it. We want to pay tribute to LaVell for the man he was, the coach he was, the love he gave us. We’ll have LaVell and that iconic look all the time with us.”

Detmer, who won the Heisman Trophy under Edwards and is currently BYU's offensive coordinator, approved of remembering the coach in this way.

“It’s great. They named the stadium after him and he built the program to where it is today,” he said. “It’s nice that we can honor him with a patch. It’s a constant reminder to do it the right way and he’ll be with us all season long.”

Quarterback Tanner Mangum said he and his teammates are proud to honor Edwards.

“I love it. He’s the ultimate legend. He’s done so much for BYU football and put it on the map and revolutionized the game a little bit,” he said. “Not only as a coach but as a man and what he stood for. We’d be remiss not to honor him somehow. It’s great to play in a stadium that has his name and now to be able to wear a patch with his likeness on it. It’s special. It reminds me that we’re part of something bigger than just us.”