Arizona has been to a BCS bowl and tied for the conference championship.

I agree they Utah has serious built in disadvantages when compared to the CA schools, Washington, Oregon, and even ASU. That said, there is no reason why they cannot consistently outperform the rest of the schools and occasionally compete for the conference. I think their fans should be very satisfied with that.

However, unlike BYU I do not believe that they have to win. They play in an elite conference, they get a parade of great home and homes, and they don't have the expectations that would require them to win ten games every year. They can have a long term view and grow the brand over time.

BYU on the other hand must win in order to maintain its status. We cannot continue to lose every game to good teams and expect to maintain the brand. Without a conference association to promote us, the need to win becomes paramount.