BYU would lift the middle -- it would have the 2nd-best US News ranking, behind only Texas.
I think it's a great selling point that BYU would lift the conference in that regard (and fb and bb attendance, etc.), as opposed to look to the Big 12 to do all the lifting in the relationship, as with various of the other candidates.
But I fear you may be right about looking east. The price of past mistakes.