My only guess is that Fehlberg has a rose colored memory or he is trying to make himself look good. I looove having Utah in the PAC, but they discriminate against religion in a BIG way and that was certainly true in the 90s. Fehlberg is wrong and possibly delusional.
The perceived lack of academic freedom and BYUs status as a non research institution are reasons 2 and 3 why the PAC would never take BYU.