If BYU and the Church were relative unknowns, the football program might be a tool for getting the Church some exposure. But in today’s hyper-competitive, social media driven world, sports competition builds walls and creates animosity more than it creates positive impressions.
Football exposure is limited to the United States and we’ve had a presidential candidate who was LDS. What more exposure does the Church need? The days when BYU football was a positive influence for the missionary program of the Church are over. In the state of Utah it clearly does more harm than good and nationality it is unnecessary.