In my travels around this country and talking to fans of other conferences, the way they support each other like brothers would protect each other is almost sickening, but it makes a LOT of sense.
Ever talked to someone from the SEC or Big 10(1)? They usually HATE each other with a passion, but when you as an "outsider" start hammering on them or beating them, they will defend their conference brethren to the DEATH.
Meanwhile, we have ku, MU, KSU, and NU fans just get downright filled with GLEE when one of the other loses to a team like "Oral Roberts", Bradley, Colorado State, UMKC, Belmont, etc...
As far as I'm concerned, these other conferences have it figured out...they want to beat the hell out of each other, but never like seeing someone else tarnish the image of the conference as a whole...much like a brother will pick on his younger sibling mercilessly, but as soon as an 'outsider' comes along and does the same thing, there is hell to pay for that outsider.
When we will as fans figure out that it's in our best interest for our conference rivals to do well?