UCF and Houston are very comparable to TCU and Utah - great rankings, multiple big bowl games, etc...and in football hotbeds. Cincinnati, Temple, Navy, Memphis, and South Florida provide a much better second tier compared to the old MWC. Tulsa, Tulane, ECU, and SMU are actually better than the old MWC's bottom rung. And the AAC is ridding itself of probably its worst football program when UConn leaves for the Big East. 

If the AAC were to add BYU, Boise State, and San Diego State, that becomes a much better conference than what the old MWC provided because you still have regional rivals but expand to a national conference...and, again, enjoy East Coast bias. 

Plus, the landscape has changed such that there is now guaranteed access to the big bowls, which wasn't the case in the old MWC. 

I favor joining the AAC, but only if it is part of a larger western expansion that includes Boise State and SDSU...and especially if it also involves Gonzaga and Olympic sports. It would largely be a wash for the football schedules, but adds the conference championship element and much better access to better bowl games - that would be a huge improvement for BYU football; and for men's basketball, the expanded AAC would be tremendous!