If your goal is to create a "best of the rest" conference, you have to succeed. You can't get half way there and then think you've already won and start low balling schools you desperately need in an attempt to save yourselves a few bucks.

Compare how the PAC conducted its business in attempting to build itself into a "best of the rest" conference to how Ryan Smith acted when he had a shot at getting an NHL team to Utah. Ryan knew what the objective was and he said 'Yes' to absolutely everything he could in order to achieve that end goal. He didn't take anything for granted because he knew there were other options on the table for the NHL. He simply wasn't going to let a huge opportunity slip away at any point in the process.

The PAC started down this path and got the early commitments from the Top 4 MWC programs. Then they thought success was inevitable and started getting cheap. The reported offer sheets to the AAC schools included only $2.5M per school towards exit fees. Seriously? You are looking at a potential TV deal worth hundreds of millions over the next decade and millions more in CFP revenue due to having a stranglehold on the G5 CFP auto bid, yet you put that in jeopardy because of a few million bucks in exit fees? The AAC schools had legitimate concerns about joining the PAC related to travel, game times, etc. so as an organization the PAC needed to minimize the concerns instead of giving the schools a reason to be even more worried.

From the outside looking in, this was a classic example of leadership overestimating their leverage. The PAC was in a position to build something really good for the few schools among the G5 that care about winning but have been locked out of the P4 party. Instead of keeping a singular focus on that goal they allowed it to slip away because they let other considerations take priority over the primary objective. With the treasure chest the former PAC schools left them, PAC leadership has no one to blame but themselves for their plan not fully coming together in the end.