I lost my dad last year too and he started the same tradition as her dad. BYU football was priority #1 always. He sometimes spent money he probably shouldn't have to keep his season tickets in the lean years so I get where she is coming from.
That being said, if I used my dad's death to in anyway disparage or even appear to disparage his alma mater publicly, I know darn well there would be a "slap upside the head!" as he would say, waiting for me on the other side.