Instead of joining a conference, how about we lure more teams into independence? I know I'm in fantasy world, but think about it: If there were six or seven independent teams the caliber of BYU and Boise State, we could have the best of both worlds. Instead of a conference schedule, we'd have long-term scheduling agreements with our fellow independents. 5-6 games every year would be taken care of, leaving the other 6-7 games free to schedule with anyone we'd like.

And you could even take things a bit further. You could offer some kind of trophy to the independent with the best record. Like the service academies do with the Commander-in-Chief Trophy.

Manageable schedule: Check.
Freedom to play a wide variety of teams across the country: Check.
"Something to play for": Check

Independence targets:
Boise State
SDSU
Houston
Navy
UCF
Air Force

If something like this were to happen, I would be absolutely thrilled.