Whelp, It looks like the Big 12 actually benefits from not having a CCG this year. Now that all the members see the upside they aren't going to be in a big hurry to split up the pie anytime soon. It's going to be a while before they make a move and if they do there are not guarantees that we will be involved. This year's team was a good BYU team and we spent the last month and a half playing for nothing. Let's suck it up and join a conference, specifically the AAC! Here's what I am thinking.

1. TV Access - AAC Games are on ESPN. ESPN means fans find and watch the games. The MWC is not a viable option because they can't get TV right. Also, there is a decent change the AAC lets us keep our TV deal in place and make concessions for us to broadcast a lousy game on BYUTV AND lets us game day replay away games in conference. The AAC likes us and has shown a desire to work with us, we can join a conference AND have access to our TV rights. win/win.
2. Travel- Travel to away games sort of stinks but it will be no worse than it is now. Also, we wanted to have a "National" travel schedule for away games. The AAC gives us that with footprint in the northeast, south, and Texas. to ease that burden we can bring Boise with us. They will be in our division and be our annual rival going forward. If the AAC is open to being a 16 team league we could add Air Force( A natural fit with Navy already in the conference) and one other. I would like Utah State or UNLV ( The MW teams the have been the best to us aside from Boise) but that last pick doesn't matter to me. Whatever works.
3. Quality- Houston, Memphis, Navy and Temple were all good this year. USF and UCF have had good teams recently. Our games with Cincinnati, East Carolina, and UConn were quality. This is our peer group. If we add Boise that is basically and non-P5 that has a chance of being really good in any given year. Winning that conference would pretty much give us NY6 access most years. Also, Quality games at the end of the year and a CCG for fun. If really wish we were a part of them this year, I would have loved to have played Houston, Memphis, and Navy. - Also Basketball. Home games against Uconn, Memphis, SMU, Temple...Basketball back in real arenas against some big time teams.

So Tom, if you're out there. Let's play the football schedule from Ute next year and then in 2017 grab Boise and go full speed ahead to the AAC!