The New Big East will always be small potatoes for the simple fact that they do not play FBS football.Gonzaga being close to joining Mountain West and leaving West Coast Conf is definitely noteworthy. They'd be leaving behind St Mary's & BYU for UNLV, Nevada, Colorado St, San Diego St, New Mexico, etc.
The MWC is rated No. 9 in conference RPI by CBS Sports, third-best among mid-major conferences. The WCC has an RPI of 14. Impact = Mountain West, American Conf, & (New) Big East are closing the gap on the "Power 5" conversation. Sure the TV payouts aren’t equitable but these leagues are formidle.