Antes are a total PITA. But having the dealer 'ante for the table' is like adding a 3rd blind. You're talking revolution there. Be careful or they'll behead the king.
Will longer levels at the end really help? If people really play push/fold around 10-15BB, heck that is often mathematically more correct than your average punter's strategy, but I don't see how a longer level will effect a meaningful change to their strategy, just stretch out the agony. A case could be made that longer levels in the beginning or middle would actually reward people who are "playing more poker".
If you want to get creative, you could consider something like a "time" tourney like Stars and others have, where after a certain point, you chip-chop the points. I'm just thinking off the top of my head here, but let's say you have 5 places ITM (points). Once you get there, or perhaps down to 4 players, chip chop the points. Here are some advantages:
1. Gets the punters done sooner. Could allow for longer levels at some point if you like, and to "compensate" the group so they get their money's worth.
2. Eliminates the part of the tourney that is in theory most exciting, but for your group, is mostly shuffling cards, mucking, shuffling more cards.
3. A chip chop as opposed to ICM chop actually encourages accumulating chips. ICM chops are much more about simply getting there. Chip chops are also easier for people to get their head around, and I think we'll all agree that if someone doesn't know about ICM, there's no point in telling them.
If anyone thinks there's merit to parts of this, I'd love some feedback. Probably I'm just overcaffeinated, but I kinda like this idea of mine. And it's only 10AM, what else will the day bring? Oh the places we'll go!