SALT LAKE CITY — The Big 12 media days are underway, and on Tuesday, the conference's board of directors will gather. In June, conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby told the Dallas Morning News that he anticipated conference expansion talks to take place during the meeting.

Now, BYU football fans are left hoping that the Big 12 with both opt to expand and, within that expansion, include the Cougars as a new member. If BYU were included, football in Provo would change. The finances, exposure, competition and exposure for BYU would skyrocket, much like it did for the University of Utah when they were invited to join the Pac-12. BYU would once again have a place at the grown-up table of college football and might have a clear path to get back to the glory days of Cougar football.

But BYU moving into the Big 12 might still be a longshot.

First, the Big 12 commissioners would have to agree to expand, which roughly equates to wrangling a pack of wild cats.

Secondly, after expansion, BYU would have to be favored among other college football programs, like Houston, Colorado State, Cincinnati, Memphis, UConn, Central Florida and South Florida. What determines who would get into the Big 12 is anybody's guess, but simply having a winning history and a national fan base doesn’t make BYU a can’t-miss prospect.

Instead of waiting for the Big 12 to expand, if BYU wants better access to the national championships, and the money and exposure that come with it, perhaps Cougars fans should redirect their hopes to College Football Playoff expansion.

Currently, the College Football Playoff includes four teams each season, and though the model has only been in place for two seasons, each of the eight competitors has come from a power five conference. It’s safe to assume that if Notre Dame were to have a season strong enough to be in the conversation, they could find themselves competing in a College Football Semifinal game. Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine a champion from a group of five conference, or BYU as an independent truly having access to College Football’s biggest games.

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BYU's future doesn't include Power 5 affiliation

After months and months of speculation, it doesn't appear the Big 12 is interested in expanding by two teams. This means BYU may have to settle in for several more years of staying as an independent in football, which is fine in the short term.

Until the Playoff expands to include six, and more likely eight teams, it’s hard to project BYU as a playoff team.

If the Playoff were to include six teams, most likely each of the five power conference champions would find themselves in the postseason, with the final spot being awarded to either an independent team with an extraordinary record or the highest ranking group of five team.

At eight teams, the Playoff would likely include the five power conference champions, the best group of five team, and have two spots left over to award to the next highest ranking teams in college football.

Enter BYU.

As an independent, BYU’s access to the playoffs is slim to none. In a conference, the access it there, but would require a conference championship. In an extended playoff landscape, BYU could get in as currently constituted, with an extraordinary season, something within their control.

Unlike hoping for Big 12 expansion, where BYU is truly a lone wolf trying to fend for themselves, pushing for playoff expansion could find the Cougars among powerful allies.

TCU head coach Gary Patterson is in favor of playoff expansion, as his Horned Frogs were excluded from the initial college football playoff, when their 12-1 record was seen as less impressive than the identical records of Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State. Stanford head coach David Shaw echoed those sentiments last season when the Cardinal were left out of the playoff despite winning the Pac 12.

Group of Five conferences have a familiar gripe with the Playoff. With Boise State and Houston both winning their New Year’s Six Bowl games, the only the lower level conferences can claim they are undefeated in college football’s biggest bowl games since the move to the Playoff.

Previously, teams that felt they were being unfairly excluded from the National Championship pressured the NCAA to move to move from the BCS model to a playoff, and had success. Teams arguing that a four-team playoff is causing similar problems may find similar success, and BYU can join that argument.

Ultimately, if BYU finds themselves on the outside of the Power Five Conferences, their best bet to pressure the NCAA to expand the playoff is produce a season worthy of the College Football Playoff Committee's attention.

Until then, BYU’s fans can root for a lack of representation for teams worthy of a College Football Playoff appearance, in hopes it will change the playoff landscape. Otherwise, fans should let Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby know he never has to pay for a meal in the state of Utah again.

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