MWC level or worse remaining schedule. I don't think our "national" schedule is game changer from a recruiting perspective. It's better than what a school like Wyoming has, but it doesn't compare to a P5's typical schedule.

AWESOME this year: LSU, Wisconsin, Mississippi State! But the rest of the schedule is 6 MWC teams + pitiful Umass. Why can't we be in the MWC with 8 conference games, and then schedule 3 P5s and an FCS team? That's essentially what we have this year, and most years since independence. A P5's schedule will always be more attractive to a recruit over a 4-year period. Look at the yewts. They play USC and UCLA every year plus a Stanford and/or Washington and/or Oregon (this year they play all three)! We fall all over ourselves for a schedule like that once every 3 or 4 years. They have it every year. Freaking USC or UCLA go to Salt Lake every year! We had UCLA at LES last year and USC in 2019. That's awesome for us, but I doubt it wins over a recruit's heart. (BYU has a bigger story to sell than it's independent schedule). 

In 2019, I'm sure we have the toughest 4-week start to the season in the country: Utah, Tennesse, USC, Washington. Nirvana from a brand scheduling perspective. Then we have Toledo, Liberty, Idaho State, and UMass with a couple of MWC teams sprinkled in. That's a big let down. Down the road why can't we join the MWC, play a pre-season schedule similar to 2019's followed by a solid MWC schedule, win the conference and go to a NY6?

That seems like a better arrangement than independence. I'm afraid our collective egos are what's keeping us independent at this point.