New conference idea--Premiere league style
 

16 teams maybe 18

Two leagues within the conference that are completely seperate, don't play each other, have different TV contracts, different revenue sharing, they're marketed differently, and have different brand. For now call them A and B.

You have a complex evaluation system based on conference record, attendance, TV ratings, home schedule, computer rankings, bowl appearances, all of them with a historical element but emphasis on most recent history. Teams can move up and down between the A and B league each off-season.

For basketball, you have the same set up. Completely independent of the football divisions.

For other sports, you can do it the old WAC style.

Sample divisions

A
BYU
Utah
Boise State
TCU
Fresno State
Hawaii
Nevada
Tulsa

B
Wyoming
Colorado State
UNLV
SDSU
UNM
AFA
UTEP
Houston

Basketball

A
BYU
Utah
UNLV
UNM
Nevada
Fresno State
Wyoming
AFA


This way a team gets hot like Hawaii and they move in to the A league. A team cools down like Wyoming last ten years, they move down to the B league. You don't have to keep realigning based on which western teams have temporary success.

Down to 8 teams in the conference, gives you an extra OOC game, so you can schedule your patsy home game, and still have four games to mess with.

Who wouldn't like this schedule

Utah State/nonD1AA home game
UCLA
Washington
Wisconsin
Kansas State
Boise State
TCU
Fresno St
Hawaii
Nevada
Tulsa
Utah