Utah had people who overvalued the conference’s value. But that’s why you have a commissioner. There are independent people whose Job it is to reign those people in and give accurate valuations. Utah didn’t run the conference or make final say on any of those decisions.
USC sabotaged the conference by not allowing expansion when it would have destroyed the big 12 and solidified the stability of the PAC 12. They then joined with UCLA and left the conference, taking out the biggest TV market in the footprint.
Saying that what Utah did was more destructive is so ridiculously biased and wrong. USC killed the conference.