... geographic fit. No USC/UCLA cache.

OkSt?!?! They'd leave for the SEC sure, but not for the PAC where UW/Oregon would think they're the new king pins and Stanford/Cal would look down their noses at them.

Would probably be a financial downgrade (slight) when considering loss of teir 3 rights and the increased travel costs.

Kansas? It's a BBall school in the best BBall conference in the nation. Hard pass.

Houston? Don't see that happening.

Baylor/BYU/TCU... religious schools and taboo.

Big12 holds the advantage of size and stability and a realistic path forward of many equal partners with no true king pins.