Yep! Politics makes a massive deal
Politics was a big challenge for the Pac-12 with its expansion discussions. Other factors than "owning all significant home carriage cable markets in the West" and "securing all the most successful, nationally respected and committed athletic departments in the footprint" drove decisions.
Boise State: can't have a former JUCO that recruits the same geography as current members. Ignore that they've regularly been ranked in football, consistently beats Pac-12 teams, makes the postseason in MBB, is under an MWC cutout deal with its media partner because they get selected for national broadcast every week, and brings in one of the 5 fastest growing states in the country.
BYU: same thing but with Utah not wanting it and the politics of how BYU, through its church affiliation, has some restrictions on academic freedom and invested heavily to try to block gay marriage passage in California. Let's ignore its success, following, ability to fill the 4th largest college stadium in the West, and the prestige of it having won a modern era (post-integration) national championship in football.
SDSU: secondary cutout in the MWC that wasn't as rich as BSU's but still significant, success vs the Pac-12, largest home market for cable rates the Pac-12 didn't have, and a national powerhouse in MBB. But there's political divide between the U Cal and Cal State systems, USC/UCLA claim San Diego as a home market in their minds, and UA/ASU rely heavily on San Diego recruiting so didn't want competition.
UNLV: upcoming with new stadium and facilities, 2nd largest unclaimed home metro, national brand for basketball, one of the fastest growing states, one of the fastest growing universities, and prep schools that are successfully playing football games against powerhouses from TX. But it was looked down upon as a commuter school in a secondary owned market by several then-current Pac-12 members.
Throw in that none were AAU members or ranked in the Top 100 on ARWU, so many in the Pac-12 felt that they weren't worthy of being associated with them.
Same thing happened when the possibility of becoming a Pac-14 via OU-OSU was on the table or when poaching the Big 12 for TTU & TCU was being discussed.
Arrogance and incompetence from the Pac-12, but a ton of politics with it too. I'm not surprised at all if this is also shaping B1G and SEC plans.
