no one seems to want to talk about. Let's compare the Big12 to the PAC12

Kansas has a population of 2.9M (Utah's population is actually about 50K higher than Kansas)
Iowa has a population of 3.1M
Oklahoma has a population of 3.9M
West Virginia has a population of 1.9M
Texas has a population of 27.0M
Total population of 38.8M

Arizona has a population of 6.7M
California has a population of 38.8M
Utah has a population of 2.9M
Oregon has a population of 4.0M
Washington has a population of 7.1M
Total population 59.5M

California has as great a population as the entire Big12. Without Texas (sorry Baylor, TT, & TCU - without UT you are no different than SMU or Houston), the Big12 folds