BYU and Utah are competing, in many ways, for the same market of fans, sponsors, recruits etc. It is very important for Utah to differentiate themselves as they do not have the inherent support from the religious perspective. PAC12 was their biggest gift and why it was so prominently imbued in their marketing and identity because it provided that increased perception. Now that they have lost the conference differentiation they will demean BYU and try to make themselves look better in any possible way to build their brand. The short-sightedness of their negative actions is that they could be doing more harm than good.