TCU football has great facilities in a big market that is a hotbed for high school football. It came into the Big 12 at the peak of its success with its almost undisputed all time best coach. It has played in the Big 12 during a period when the local 600 pound gorilla, Texas, has been mediocre. And it only needs to leave the state about three times per year for road games and one of those is next door in Oklahoma. So, even accepting that the Big 12 has been stronger too to bottom than the ACC or Pac 12 over the same period, what reason is there to believe TCU would make a big splash in one of those conferences when it has only had a couple pretty good seasons in the Big 12?

Don’t get me wrong. I think TCU and Houston are the best available brands left in Texas. But those schools are going to find it tough to compete at a high level in a conference based on the coast.