BYU is currently doing OK from a revenue standpoint. Not as well as P5 schools (by a long shot), but still much better than G5 schools.

BYU now consistently has a schedule that rivals most P5 schools in terms of P5/G5 mix, including many marquee teams.

The biggest hurdle BYU faces is that their schedule is pre-loaded with their toughest games. That gauntlet makes it difficult to achieve a good record, increases the likelihood of injuries early in the season, and, after 2 or 3 losses, with no conference championship or higher-tier bowl game to play for many fans tend to lose interest.

BYU needs 2 things in order to take the next step forward:

1. A schedule where their toughest games are spread out throughout the season.
2. Realistic access to better bowl games.

These two things could occur in several ways, either separately or in unison:

1. BYU could enter into a scheduling agreement (or agreements) with 1 or 2 P5 conferences, or even 1 P5 conference and 1 G5 conference. Those agreements could specify that at least 1 of the 3 or 4 games with teams from those conferences has to be in late October or November, and that if BYU attains a certain record, they would have access to certain bowl games aligned with those conferences. Consider what have 2 agreements with conferences like the P12 and the AAC could mean.

2. BYU could negotiate independently with several bowl games to gain access to their games if they win a certain number of games. This is something that, hopefully, ESPN could help with. Who knows, maybe something like this is what's holding up a renewal of BYU's contract with ESPN.

3. As even minor changes in conference affiliations occur, it could result in a few more teams going independent. Schools could choose to do so for a number of reasons. Perhaps they want more control of their schedule and media rights. Perhaps they want the freedom to do things differently than what their conference allows. Regardless of the reasons, if there were even a small increase in the numbers of independent teams, it could significantly impact BYU's ability to put together a more balanced schedule, because those teams would need late-season games too.

BYU's future as an independent could be very bright. As fans, I believe we need to quit thinking in terms of a P5 invite solving all the problems in an instant at some undefined, future day, and instead see the step-by-step progress is making toward independence being truly sustainable. Look at the schedule BYU is playing now compared to the first few years of independence. Look at the marquee teams that are now coming to LES to play games. We didn't see that the first few years of independence. Maybe the next small step is a slightly-improved bowl game situation. Maybe the next step after that is a scheduling agreement with a G5 school (maybe AAC or MWC). Perhaps after that BYU benefits by a couple of teams transitioning to independence. And, then maybe BYU is able to get a formal scheduling agreement with the P12 or some other P5 conference. Or maybe all of these things, or even a couple of them, begin occurring simultaneously.

Bottom line, the nature of fans is to be impatient. I get that. We all want BYU to be in a P5 conference now. We're convinced that they belong and should have been invited long ago. And since that doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon, if ever, some want to bail on indy altogether and hook up with the AAC or some other G5 conference. But, I truly believe, that if we're patient, we'll see more of the things described above begin to happen. BYU's situation will continue to improve, a little by little, year by year. It may be incremental, and for those of us who are impatient, it may be seen as insignificant or not enough quickly enough. But I'm convinced it will happen.

Of course, winning could help accelerate all these things. I hope we start seeing more of that starting this fall.

Anyway, thanks for those of you willing to read this entire thing. Just the thoughts of one fan who has no inside information, but has been an interested observer of intercollegiate athletics for many years.

Go Cougars!