when CU committed to the Pac 10 and NE left for Big 10, and once Texas and OU decided to stay would have been to invite both Utah and BYU, thus leaving the Pac 10 with terrible options to bring in (CSU, SDSU, UNLV) as the 12th team. Maybe that keeps TAMU and Mizzou in place the next year. If not bring in WVU/Louisville or TCU.

The night game in the west is going to become a very popular/valuable game going forward (it's the main reason ESPN is so happy with the BYU relationship), and the Big 12 could have guaranteed at least one in that slot a week having both BYU and Utah.

Maybe Utah turns them down for the Pac 12 anyway (better cultural fit), but that was the play they should have made. The money is better in the Big 12 though, and at the time, the better football too.