I disliked the idea of disbanding sports at Ricks. I haven't remotely encouraged this as an alternative for our kids (who have never expressed interest regardless), and that's part of the reason.

But it was a JUCO program and not particularly visible on a national stage. Go a couple states over, and most non-LDS folks have never heard of Ricks College.

I sympathize with BYU-Hawaii, but that's a tough place to have an athletic program. Even UH struggles with its athletic budget.

BYU, like it or hate it, is a national, even international, brand with a known history. Everyone knows it as the Mormon school. We have multi-million dollar facilities, and successful BYU athletes are among the best-known alums (and church members) on the planet.

I lose zero sleep over the idea of The BOT or anyone else shutting down BYU athletics. That’s not to say there aren’t high-ranking members of church leadership who hold extramural athletics in less esteem than others, but shuttering the BYU sports program says to the world, “Yep. We are THAT weird.”

The degree to which that move would turn off some of the church’s most faithful members, fringe members, and a great many in between, is hard to quantify. Some will scoff at the idea that people would lose their testimonies or whatever over such a maneuver, and to those I’d say, “Don’t scoff.” BYU sports have helped invite many back to the fold. Others who exist on the fringe of LDS-dom hold BYU football and/or other programs as their strongest attachment to the church, or have at a given point in their lives. Close down their happy places, and the backlash will be severe.

Now, there are a great many in the church, particularly internationally, who just wouldn’t care much. Locally, some LDS would retreat further into their ALUF bubble and tell themselves how great the decision is, Aggieland might celebrate (until realizing—wait, we still suck, and without BYU to hate on, our sports are even less relevant). But the net effect would be overwhelmingly negative. Most would shake their heads and write us off, permanently, as the crazy cult that guys like Steve Young and Danny Ainge had somewhat convinced them we are not.

Obviously, I’ve considered the scenario. But after mulling it over, I’m not worried. We are crazy enough to ban beards and caffeinated soda (until a few days ago). But even we aren’t quite shut-down-BYU-sports crazy.