Exposure for BYU drives push to independence

PROVO — Since the 1980s, a segment of BYU football fans has dreamed of breaking the shackles of conference affiliation and declaring independence.

They may soon get their wish.

In recent years, and particularly in recent months, BYU has been mulling the unorthodox, revolutionary option of going independent. The school appeared to be close to pulling the trigger on that type of bold move this week by pulling out of the Mountain West Conference and aligning all of its sports but football with the Western Athletic Conference.

But in a pre-emptive strike, the MWC added two WAC teams, Fresno State and Nevada. The league also invited Utah State, but the Aggies declined the invitation because of a financial arrangement the WAC schools had agreed to — to remain part of that league and welcome BYU as a partner.

Now, the WAC's future is uncertain. And so is BYU's.

Will the Cougars stay in the MWC? Or test the waters of independence, aligning themselves with the West Coast Conference for their other sports?

A decision is expected to be made before Sept. 1, when BYU would have to let the MWC know its intentions for the 2011 sports season.

For the first time in school history, and for a number of reasons, the timing might be right for BYU to go independent.

Because of archrival Utah's imminent departure to the Pac-10, because of insufficient television revenue from the MWC's TV contract, and because of frustration over a lack of television exposure, BYU officials have aggressively examined independence.

"Independence is an option. We will look at everything," athletic director Tom Holmoe said in July. "There are pros and cons to ... independence. What you have to do is weigh those and measure them against what's right for BYU. And not only what's right for BYU in 2010, but what's right for BYU into the future."

While football is driving the independence issue, it goes much deeper than that for BYU. Ultimately, football is a means to an end for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns and operates BYU. Football is a missionary tool of the LDS Church and there are Cougar fans around the country who are not members of the LDS Church but are attracted to the values BYU espouses. BYU's athletic successes have opened doors to proselytizing for the church's army of missionaries who serve all over the world.