Different type of student body.
Thirty-some years ago, I applied to BYU with a 3.5 GPA and a 32 ACT score. That was good enough to get me a full tuition scholarship, even though I applied well after the deadline.
Last year, my son applied to BYU with a 3.96 GPA and a 35 ACT score. That was good enough to get him...a full tuition scholarship. Don't think he was even considered for the Monson full-ride scholarship.
The academic standards have gone WAAAAAAAY up. Competition is insane. The typical BYU student is simply a lot more academically committed than the average BYU student of my generation. On average, such academically committed young men and women simply don't care as much about watching a football game.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I bet I'm not.