The MWC screwed BYU as far as exposure. If BYU was in the MWC and playing liberty - I'm guessing the game wouldn't be picked up by the conference TV partners and they wouldn't let BYU show it on BYU TV. So no one would see it.
I don't remember the last time I couldn't see a BYU game on TV since independence started. I remember it occurring more than I'd like with the MWC.
And let's not forget - the MWC made all kinds of promises about fixing the problem and allowing BYU to use BYUtv, etc., but then never did anything about it. As long as Thompson is still the commissioner, why would BYU trust anything he has to say? There is no good faith negotiation when you have no faith in the other party.