Then you are missing my ultimate point, which was tv money. Whether or not either of those aforementioned teams delivers a certain city or a portion of a certain state is only part of the equation. The fact of the matter is that all of those teams have significant fanbases (someone had posted a listing on another thread, but I'm not sure where). So that, coupled with the fact that the networks supporting the Big12 would love to have further penetration into Florida, Georgia, etc., and it's easy to see what the driver of this is. Again, in case anyone has missed it; it's money!
(the original discussion was improved football product versus tv money being the driver for acquisition, if indeed this move came to pass)
Well of course money drives it all. That's pretty much a no-brainer. I don't think that has to be stated. No conference is expanding unless it feels it can make them more money.
The point is how much money do these schools make? FSU and too a lesser extent Clemson should make money because they have passionate fan bases that are more SEC like. Miami and Georgia Tech are less clear. They merely exist in highly populated areas. Neither GT or Miami have proven they have large, dedicated fan bases (In Tech's case is lack of hardcore fans, in Miami's case its fair weather fans).
Look, here's the bottom line point. FSU to the Big 12 makes sense for both sides. FSU would make more money in the Big 12 (but not SEC or Big 10 money). The Big 12 should make more money with FSU. But despite a year of rumors, it has not happened. That tells me that at least one of the parties is not on board. This leaves you see options:
(1) Neither party wants the other one. We'll call this mutual disinterest. In this scenario, you need both sides to change their mind; or
(2) Big 12 said no to FSU. It's hard for me to see a conference desperate to add TCU and West Virginia saying no to a better school than both of them. Sure, it's possible this is what happened. But I don't see it being likely. Even if some say they're happy at 10, you make room for a Florida State. Any school that's not Oklahoma or Texas should be ecstatic if FSU wanted in. It solidifies what was a real shaky conference; or
(3) FSU said no to the Big 12. I find this much more likely and plausible. Comments from FSU higher ups, like their own President, evidence the fact many don't want to move. If FSU did say no when it had full disclosure of both ACC and Big 12 contracts, then I don't see anything that's changed since then that will make FSU change their mind. Something needs to happen to make the ACC weaker or the Big 12 stronger to revisit this decision.