for after we likley get snubbed by P5 again, the climate will likely be worse for getting into the AAC as well. 

One could make the argument that getting into AAC now could save BYU football.  I could see a day where student bodies would protest their school even scheduling BYU altogether (much less accepting us into their conference).  If we don't have a conference, scheduling could become difficult.  But if we're already in the AAC, it's harder to kick us out.