This is what bothers me. Conferences may expand with schools thinking they are adding great new markets. It does not always synthesize very well. Even when Penn State moved to the BIG, there were plenty of disgruntled fans when it first happened. Much of the fan base travels, and heading deep into the midwest often wasn't so favorable.

West Virginia in the Big 12 is the blatant example of awkward placement. They would have fit well into the ACC, and provided the ACC fb (and bb really) more quality in the northern tier of the conference.

I am more optimistic about Mizzou. They are not an extreme outlier. They are cultivating good SEC rivalries. Note, being placed in the SEC-east, trips to/from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and even Tennessee, cannot be described as close. On most other measures, it is a positive association.