BYU is finally free. Free from the Mountain Network. Free from trips to Laramie. Free from regional exposure. BYU is now free to do whatever it wants. But is that island they just jumped out on too big? Afterall, BYU is not Notre Dame.
Going independent has a lot of attractive features. From the ability to schedule big-name schools, to the national exposure they'll get from the deal they'll no doubt strike with ESPN, to the fact that they'll no longer have to be jealous of Utah's jump to the Pac-10.
But while this is definitely a bold move, it definitely comes with its share of risks. What if BYU can't schedule enough quality opponents week in and week out? What if they can schedule big name schools, but can't beat them? What if ESPN only agrees to televise just a handful of games on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays? Those are risks BYU is willing to deal with seeing how big the reward can be.
BYU's facilities and fan base have always far exceeded the level Mountain West Conference. Now we'll see just how much. We'll see just how broad their appeal is around the country. But if BYU pulls this off and beats quality opponents regularly and is able to land a BCS bowl bid over the next few years, conferences like the Big-12 are bound to come calling. That would be the ultimate payoff for a risk this big.
