1) BYU is obviously better off outside the MWC than in, and the MWC's lousy bowls are a big part of it. They seem to have gone backwards on bowls, first having the Holiday Bowl, then BYU getting into the Cotton Bowl, then the Independence Bowl, and now the deal with the lousy Vegas Bowl. There really isn't much of a penalty for not winning the conference, since the Vegas isn't that much better than Poinsettia, NM or AF Bowls.

2)Utah and TCU are far better off than BYU in terms of bowls. I understand that 2011 is tough for scheduling, and 2012 is less so, but 2013 was supposed to be the year of the big reward. What does BYU get? The Emerald Nut Bowl against PAC-12 #6. This year, that would be 6-6 (4-4) Arizona State, or if PAC-12 isn't that deep, 6-6 Clemson. BYU could be a top 15 team at 10-2 again and play a team ranked 30 places below it for a paltry $900,000. Even if Utah finishes 5th in the PAC-12, they will still be in a better bowl, and considering how weak the PAC-10, they should finish 3rd most years, sending them to the $2.4 million Holiday Bowl in San Diego. How are you going to feel about an 8-4 Utah team getting 3x the payout of BYU, who is 10-2 and playing a tougher schedule? Even though Utah has to split it, they of course get an automatic cut of the $17 million Rose Bowl and possibly a 2nd taste of another BCS game. The PAC-10 has 2 BCS teams this year: Rose and BCS game.

I know, I know, BYU didn't get invited to the PAC-10 this year, but both Utah and TCU left the MWC for AQ Conferences. What I am saying is that in the next 3 years, the chances of BYU getting invited at least football-only to a major conference are huge. BYU and Boise State are now the best teams not in a Big 6 Conference (not counting ND). BYU has a much better overall athletic program than BSU, and a much deeper football history.

If this is the best BYU can do as an Indy, then it should be actively seeking an invitation to a Big 6 conference. The PAC-10 is likely out, and the Big Least is geographically ridiculous, but the Big 12 is in turmoil and who knows what will happen next summer. If the Sunday thing is a problem, then stay in the WCC and go football only. In that case, even the Big East might be feasible since the only travel issues are with football, and the WCC is pretty compact for other sports.