Where Does BYU Fit if Only Power Five Conferences Play during the Fall?

Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde released a video in which he talked about the possibility of non-P5 college football moving to the Spring. Specifically, he talked about the the group of five conferences using the Pandemic as a way to get out from the shadow of the power five conferences and permanently move to the spring.

If you can't watch the video, here's the transcript of the video:

"As we try to figure out what's going to happen with the college football season, an interesting theory was floated out over the weekend about the lower level of division one. The FCS level and maybe even the group of five conferences that are not in the power five of the FBS moving to the Spring. Not just for health and safety concerns, but perhaps as a means of getting out of the shadow of the power five and creating a Spring TV inventory that people seem to want...that's why there have been attempts to have pro leagues at that time of year.

There is some support for it so that those leagues and players could get some exposure and be seen by a football hungry country. There might be even more credence to it now as P5 schools look to consolidate their schedules and get rid of their non-conference games against those very teams. They could be needing to band together and find their own way.

I'm not sure we're at the point of the much prophesied schism of the power five on one side and everyone else on the other of college sports, but this will certainly be a driving topic in terms of whether there's a wedge there...possibly a way out would be for those smaller schools to possibly have their own league and their own championship in the spring."

First and foremost, let me say that spring football as a permanent solution is extremely unlikely. I think this creates way more problems than it solves for non-P5 schools. G5 schools and FCS schools typically rely on "money games" against P5 schools each year as a big portion of their budget. Apart from money concerns, there would be a variety of logistical obstacles like whether high school players would be eligible to enroll in December and play during the Spring after finishing their high school career in the Fall. The idea that G5 schools could provide TV inventory during the Spring is an interesting idea, but I believe it begs the question: how many times do we need to watch spring football leagues fail before we stop trying?

While I don't believe it will happen on a permanent basis, COVID-19 could force some leagues into a Spring season. The Ivy League, for example, already announced their plans to play in the Spring. Smaller schools with smaller budgets are concerned over the price of testing their athletes - I'm not just talking about FCS schools. G5 schools have the same concern. Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger reported that a single test can cost anywhere from $100 to $150. If the G5 were forced to postpone their season until the Spring, what would happen to BYU?

If only P5 schools played during Fall 2020, it's likely that all five conferences would play a conference-only schedule leaving BYU on the outside looking in. Unless, of course, BYU is able to form a scheduling agreement with a P5 conference. You could argue that such an agreement with the Big 12 would make sense for both sides as the Big 12 would have fewer games on their schedule than other P5 leagues. The odds of that happening, however, are slim. It's more likely that BYU would be forced to play an Independent-only schedule or form a scheduling agreement with a G5 conference.

The COVID-19 pandemic could create a line in the sand between those that have money and those that don't. The idea of dividing the FBS into two separate seasons is a concerning one for BYU who depends on games from P5 and G5 schools. The next couple weeks will provide answers regarding the fate of college football this Fall.

What do you think about Pat Forde's idea?