Independence is a nice short term tonic. It keeps most fans happy in the suspended false belief that we are some quasi-P5. As an independent, we get more money in the short run and we get what many perceive is a chance at exposure. But that is all we will get. We won't see much more benefit down the line, and we have little chance to grow. What you see is what you get--and what I see is a program that has no ability to affect playoff committee decisions, has no coalition when it comes to impacting NCAA rules, and has probably the most difficult path of any team in the country to a NY6 bowl.

Personally, I could not care less about exposure. While we do play some nice games the first four weeks of the season, there is no reason why we could not play these games the first four weeks of an MWC season. As for the money, I'm sure we could make a lot more money than BSU in the MWC, and BSU seems to be doing fine. As long as the money does not impact competition, I really don't care much for the money either.

Meanwhile, the MWC is situated in growing markets in a part of the country where there is a major shortage of available P5 college football games. They benefit from championship games, a much easier path to NY6 bowl games, and have the benefit of conference affiliation to affect playoff committee and ncaa decisions. As the population and economic productivity of the intermountain west continues to grow in the coming decades, the MWC will be well situated. It may be an also ran at the moment, but I expect the MWC to continue to make big strides over the next 25 years.