Utah doesn't want to be in the Big 12 anyway
Have you ever invited someone to a party and they show up only after making it clear that they don't really want to be there? It ruins the entire evening. That's how Utah has acted during its departure from the PAC 12 so why not just let them go play in traffic?
None of the four schools to leave the PAC 12 for the Big 12, (Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Arizona State) were more hesitant to come to the Big 12 than Utah was. In fact, at times it felt like the Utes had to be dragged to the Big 12 by their hair as they threw a tantrum.
Now, it is being reported that they may already be looking for alternatives despite having not yet even officially joined the league. Long-time college basketball writer Dick Weiss even reported on X late last month that there are rumors that the Utes could be trying to land in the ACC.
Speculation is circulating about potential shifts in college sports conferences. There is discussion about Utah possibly moving to the ACC despite its recent move to the Big 12, with some suggesting the ACC might be a better fit due to its ESPN network agreement and potential for…
— Dick Weiss (@HoopsWeiss) May 26, 2024
The Big 12 has already had to deal with self-important malcontents in the form of Texas. The Longhorns used their clout to ruin the conference by creating the Longhorn Network, a move that drove Texas A&M and Nebraska out of the league.
While Utah doesn't carry the national weight Texas does, why would the Big 12 want to put up with another school that isn't happy to be part of the league? Sure, Utah is saying all the right things in public but does anyone really think that the Utes are here for the long haul?
So to avoid this conference having to deal with another cancerous tumor in the form of a discontent member, it would be better to simply set them free and find another school that truly wants to be in the Big 12.