Brigham Young University will leave the Mountain West Conference for the 2011-12 season, go independent in football and join the West Coast Conference in all other sports. The WCC confirmed it today and it will be announced at a joint press conference tomorrow. BYU will be an independent like Army and Navy as opposed to Notre Dame which is guaranteed a BCS bid if it's in the top eight in the final BCS standings.
The school has worked out a football schedule for the 2011 season that will include annual games against Utah, Utah State, and Hawaii. Texas, Boise State, and Oregon State are also signed up for future games. Expect the schedule to also include games with San Jose State, New Mexico State, and Idaho from the WAC during the short term because filling a 12 game schedule isn't going to be easy.
The reason for the move is simple. With the right schedule, and ESPN deal, BYU will generate up to five times more football revenue on their own than they would have in the MWC. Could be a good move. We'll see.