'lesser' schools out is dumb (San Jose, UNM, Nevada, Wyoming). I'm sure some bean counter figured that the two PAC schools would make more money if they just took the cream of the crop schools from the MWC. I personally think that it was short-sighted NOT to just reverse merge and become a 13 team WEST conference:

1) The schools already know each other
2) Rivalries are already established
3) No wasted money on paying for exit fees + keeping bb credits/assets from both conferences
4) They'd be the biggest conference in the west (pretty much owning 3 smaller states)
5) They look less greedy and more traditional
6) They'd be united against the big bad schools that bolted for money - chip on their shoulder
7) The MWC has a TV contract and the PAC does not. You'll have to renegotiate it, but they have one.
8) Because of the first 7 reasons, they may make the same or more money overtime.

So, the new PAC schools will be:
• WSU
• OSU
• USU
• BSU
• SDSU
• CSU
• Fresno State
• HI - football only (pending)
• Gonzaga - all sports (pending)

The MWC will keep the remaining schools:
• AF
• UNLV
• UNM - not wanted by PAC
• Wyoming - not wanted by PAC
• Nevada - not wanted by PAC
• San Jose State - not wanted by PAC

The MWC probably could add:
• UTEP (back from the WAC days)
• NM State (regional rivalry)

Both conferences should just stick to 8 teams. Travel won't be an issue. The two conferences can play each other (conference rivalry). The only real reason I could see for the PAC to add fewer schools is that they hoped that Cal and Stanford (and uu) would consider coming home.