RE: No, the point is the WAC was on par with the Big 8, SWC, ACC, and SEC.
From the time LaVell took over in 1972 until BYU left the WAC at the end of 1998, here are the records of the WAC vs the Big 8/12, SWC, ACC, PAC8/10, Big10 and SEC
ACC: 1-7-0 (0.143)
Big 8/12: 28-92-1 (0.231)
Big10: 26-41-2 (0.391)
PAC8/10: 52-117-1 (0.308)
SEC: 8-33-0 (0.195)
SWC: 20-65-1 (0.238)
Total: 134-355-5 (0.276)
Do you really think the WAC was on par with those guys before the P6/P5/P4 became a thing?