I grew up a red-clad UofU fan, living 3 minutes from its campus. 90% of my family and friends were Ute fans/alumni. I played football at East, whose stadium has a direct view of RES. In my community it was generally taught that it is cool to hate on BYU, and the Utes were starting to be consistently good when I was old enough to appreciate the hype (I remember being stoked on the Sugar Bowl victory).
I didn't start liking BYU until 2010 when I got back from my mission and realized that it was actually quite ridiculous to be LDS and not at least respect BYU (that's for a different post haha). Then I realized it is indeed a special (and in many ways, superior) institution, and I began to fall in love with BYU - the academics, the environment, teaching at the MTC, meeting my wife, etc. I love sports so I naturally began loving BYU football, essentially leaving behind my childhood fandom of the increasingly impressive Utes and simultaneously embracing the increasingly unpredictable Cougars. My first real season as a genuine BYU football fan (in which I actually paid attention to players and invested emotionally in the outcome) was the 2015 season when they went 9-4 and lost to Utah in the Vegas Bowl (Tanner Mangum near-comeback). Fast-forward to now and I can tell you something about every player on the spring roster and I am a season ticket holder. I am super excited (albeit nervously) for August 29th to come, which I think will be a great day for us.
What's my point? I never knew what it was like to be a BYU fan when the football team was consistently good. I never tasted the glory days (I was on the other side). I don't have a personal frame of reference like many of you veteran BYU fans. So although I completely understand the frustration of BYU's decline in marquee athletics - and it is indeed warranted - it makes me sad when people talk about the program so hopelessly. Sure, BYU is navigating some fairly unpleasant waters as an Independent, and the future is definitely uncertain. Everyone who complains is coming from a place of care and concern. But I don't believe NOT supporting the team and the program is going to help or solve a darn thing. You don't fight failure with apathy...
Would I like to see more commitment from the school toward football? Yes. Would I prefer to be in a P5 Conference? Yes. But for now, we've got a Coaching Staff who definitely cares, a team full of talented-enough players who are putting in the work to be successful, and people like me who believe that greatness CAN be achieved once again, even with less resources and maybe even less talent than many P5's. You might say that success for BYU football is as unlikely as a red-bred Salt Lake boy becoming a fully-converted BYU fan, but I guess that's something Zach Wilson and I have in common. I believe that kid and his teammates can do something special. I believe the program is on a positive trajectory. I'm gonna give them my full support. I'm committed, I'm in. Go Cougs.