upgrading facilities, paying coaches better, etc, you could make a reasonable case that our performance would improve and over time we'd gain more access.

IMO the best thing that can happen for BYU's "access" problem isn't the B12. It's the playoff expanding to 8 teams, with three at-larges. In that scenario it's not that difficult to imagine an independent BYU getting an invite if they went 11-1 or 12-0.