It's tough to compare what worked 30 years ago to what works now.
For me, it isn't necessarily about pride. To be completely honest, I didn't hate the games against CSU, Wyoming, AFA, etc. But I don't find them as intriguing as the games against other teams that BYU has on the schedule now. I wouldn't mind continuing to play against some of those teams, and we have.
But the appeal of a MWC title doesn't overwhelm the enjoyment of playing a variety of teams. For me.
I get where others are coming from. In the past I might find myself tuning in to some random came like UNM vs SDSU because of the effect it may have on the conference race. I understand how that might appeal to some folks. For me - because that doesn't matter any more, I just tune in to watch whatever game seems to have the most interesting matchup.
I also understand BYU wanting to be in the best position possible to potentially join a P5 conference in the event of an invite. And, frankly, independence is probably it. Yes - I understand that that invite isn't coming this year and probably not next year either. This is a long game we're playing. But in the meantime, I'm enjoying independence enough I don't feel the need to jump into any of the G5 conferences.