than BYU football. How is a bunch of meatheads knocking each other's brains out going to convert people to the restored gospel? How many people have converted to Methodism because of SMU? How many new Baptists because of Baylor? How many new Catholics from Notre Dame, Boston College, or Gonzaga basketball's success?
BYU should want to succeed in football because they put money into it to compete. It should give BYU institutional prestige. That's the way it is at any other school. The whole "missionary tool" thing seems silly to me. It's just a football team. Attaching religious importance to it is losing one's perspective on a silly game 18-25 y/o's play every Saturday.