insecure Utes wanting to stay with Stanford and Cal plus some of the other elite academic schools in the ACC.

The problem for the Utes, however, is that it’s highly likely the top 4 ACC football programs (at least) will be heading to the SEC or Big 10 within the next year or two. If that happens, the second tier ACC teams likely bolt to the Big 12, leaving only the bottom tier ACC schools (Boston College, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest). I suppose if Utah wants to join that conference, along with Stanford and Cal, all power to them. It wouldn’t be a power conference though.