I went to BYU for undergrad and am active LDS, and some of my best friends from grad school are Cal alum, and super-tolerant people. Some will be coming to the BYU-Cal game this year and I’m sure they’ll have a positive game day experience (at least as positive as possible when their Bears lose 😉).

I know it’s not the question—but as far as what school has been least tolerant of BYU football joining a P5 conference LATELY, isn’t it Iowa State University, as strange as that sounds? And this in spite of one of the most dominant college athletes ever in any sport being a member of the Church and bringing all sorts of accolades to ISU, a former prophet bring an ISU alum, and several former ISU b-ball stars being recently picked up by the Mormon-owned Utah Jazz. 🤷‍♂️

Personally I think the idea that a school of higher education—which should be encouraged to think freely—must subscribe to a particular political ideology or social code in order for athletes to be able compete at the highest level (by joining the P5 “elite”) is messed up and kinda un-American. But who knows if that’s really what’s happening. The bottom line is that if BYU wins games, and especially against tough competition, then people can’t as easily say we’re not in a P5 conference simply because we’re not good enough (notwithstanding that schools like ISU never had to do anything similar to “earn” their P5 status).