PROVO — BYU will be entering its fifth season as an independent this fall, but, in many ways, not belonging to a conference is getting even tougher.

The Cougars left the Mountain West Conference in 2011, and independence continues to present both rewards and challenges.

“It is a brand new and completely different time in BYU football for a lot of different reasons,” coach Bronco Mendenhall said in an interview last Friday. “There are the highest expectations ever for the program, which I love. I’m promoting those. There is the most difficult schedule — and schedules — coming up in the history of the school, with the most exposure the school has ever had with more at stake in the landscape of college football.”

The trouble for BYU is, although the major conferences regard the Cougars as a Power 5 program in terms of scheduling, and they are facing more Power 5 schools than ever, they are not earning Power 5 revenue.

“With what are now termed Power 5 conferences, us being labeled as a Power 5 independent, the difference there being, financial resources,” he said. “If you look at the average market share of TV, if you’re a member of a Power 5 conference, it’s $27 million per year per team. If you think about that and if you’re not getting that money, your brand, intent and purpose better be very strong, which BYU’s is. Again, the highest expectations, the most difficult schedule, the most exposure, playing at the elite level of college football, with a very unique place in the market and a very unique institution … My intent is for BYU’s program to be at the top — that’s what I’m pursuing. I’m passionate about pursuing that. Sometimes I feel lonely in the pursuit of that. But that is what I’m pursuing and what I’m driven by, is the elite level of college football with the program that I’m running."

While the Cougars have recorded three consecutive 8-5 seasons, Mendenhall won’t concede that the program has plateaued during that stretch.

In fact, he said he has seen progress.

BYU has posted double-digit wins in 2006 (11-2), 2007 (11-2), 2008 (10-3), 2009 (11-2) and 2011 (10-3). Posting those kind of records as an independent is much more difficult, Mendenhall said.

“I think some of our recent 8-5 teams were better than some of our 10- and 11-win teams by who we’re playing and the circumstances in which we’re playing. What I’ll clearly say is, independence is harder. It is harder than being affiliated with a conference," he explained. "To me, independence is a brand new challenge and has to be viewed independent of any other challenge we’ve ever faced. I’m not willing to say that this 8-5 is not as good as this 11-2, while the record might have said that. This challenge in my mind has been every bit as significant if not even more challenging than that. That’s not to say I don’t want 10 wins or more every year. I do. But the way I view it, there’s a lot more depth to it than that. I always want to win 10 or more games and finish in the top 25. I always want to win our bowl game. Any competitor would. Am I driven for more? Absolutely. Do I think we’re making significant progress and strides? Absolutely, in a completely different realm than BYU football has ever faced. These next two seasons in particular, when you see these schedules coming up, that’s a new era of independence — working every way possible (to reach) the elite level of college football with the landscape changing.”

Indeed, BYU’s upcoming schedules are more challenging, not only in terms of opponents, but in terms of when and where those games are being played.

The Cougars’ schedule is front-loaded with tough opponents, and many of them require BYU to go on the road. This season, the Cougars visit Nebraska, UCLA and Michigan in the month of September, along with a home game against Boise State.

“The schedule — this isn’t complaining, this is just the reality — is traditionally backwards, where the most difficult teams and the highest attention is the front end and it works its way down,” Mendenhall said. “When you’re in a conference, it works just the opposite, where it escalates over time. Psychology, it’s much easier on a week-in, week-out basis to prepare your team. There are landmarks and goals in a conference race that you’re always measuring against. You could be 6-4 and finish second and still win your bowl game and have this trajectory of ascent. Independence is harder. The schedules have been more difficult, not only by number of more difficult teams, but sometimes where we’re playing them — which means most are on the road. There are some unique challenges of playing lesser opponents at home and what that does psychologically.”

Still, Mendenhall knows that he oversees a program that has a long tradition of success.

“There are only five teams that have won as many games as BYU over the past 40 years. Since I’ve been the coach, there’s only 12 teams that have won more games,” he said. “I hate validating by statistics, I’m just using as a point of reference. BYU is one of the most consistent winning organizations in football. That’s where it’s been. There are those who will say, ‘Yeah, but who have they played?’ We have maintained a very similar level of consistency, playing better teams. In terms of reflecting on what’s happened, I love the success, I love the consistency. I’m proud of that under my era. But I want more. That’s the best way I could frame it in terms of our team reaching its true potential.”