Pac 12 pros.
The Pac 12 has been an unbelievably good fit for Utah. If the new Pac 8 is good enough to get its champion one of the 6 playoff births then Utah maybe better off staying in a weaker conference. B1G, SEC, ACC, B12 will get teams in most every year. I think 2021 Pac 12 would not objectivly have made the playoff. There will be 3-4 Cinderella teams that are not P4 teams. They will do better than if they were in the P4. The portal and NIL will help a few Cinderella teams.

New Pac 8 Cons.
Money. Byu was hurt without money both in preception and performance. Utah maybe less resilient than BYU was. Give me a break off USCs KitKat barprivately.

ADs job it to love the Pac 12 in public and fight to get in P4 privatly.