MWC without the dominant programs is just WAC 2.0
The same thing would happen if Texas and Oklahoma left the Big 12, or USC, Stanford and Washington left the Pac12. Their SOS would implode. Everyone winning the MWC back then was relevant, just as UCF or Houston winning their conference is now... because there are dominate programs in said conference. Did you hear about the WAC or SunBelt or Conference USA champion? Yeah me neither.