The future of the Big 12
I know this isn’t local, per se, but locals are very passionate about their college sports teams. Anyone listening to sports radio or reading national sports headlines knows the future of the Big 12 is uncertain at best.
There has been talk of Nebraska and Missouri going to the Big 10, the Texas and Oklahoma schools (except Baylor) going to the Pac 10, Colorado to Pac 10, Texas going anywhere it wants… everyone but KU, K-State, Baylor and Iowa State seem to be wanted at this point.
It is all about money.
I do wonder what the future holds for the Big 12. I personally wouldn’t mind a breakup. I don’t like the Texas schools at all. I think it would be awesome for Kansas and K-State to be part of the Big 10, but that is not part of the conversation at all.
Any thoughts on this topic?
I’ve heard the Wildcats have been invited to play in the Mid-American conference. Outside of Kansas they enjoy very little respect and I think it’s for one reason, they play unheard of patsies before the league play starts. Most people think that is just a cheap way to get enough wins to get “bowl eligible”. I have been a K-State fan for more than 50 years but I would rather see them get beat by a Notre Dame or Michigan or California than to beat hell out of a team like Northeastern Louisiana State. But to address your question, I don’t want to see any changes. The Big 12 is the best conference in the country.
I’ve done alot of reading on this recently.
First off, K-State has no chance to the Big Ten whatsoever because all Big Ten schools have to be AAU members. K-Sate is not. Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa State all are.
It looks like right now the lynchpin is Nebraska. They bolt for the Big 10 and the South (plus or minus Baylor) plus Colorado go to the Pac-10. Missouri may or may not head to the Big 10, depending on whether they actually get an invite.
Could leave KU, KSU, Iowa St, and Baylor looking for a new home. Baylor (if not Pac-10) and Iowa St would be destined to Mid-Major (possibly Missouri Valley).
That leaves KU and K-State. K-State fate would likely be tied to whether the Board of Regents allowed them to split up, which would be bad for K-Sate, good for KU. There just isn’t enough TV set outside of the KC market to warrant taking both schools when it’s mostly about revenue through big time TV contracts. (That’s why the Big 10 is not interested in Iowa Sate) If they were allowed to split up, KU to the Big 10 is likely if the Big 10 wants to get to 16 teams. If not, KU could be in trouble. Rumors are that KU has been talking to the ACC, but that would be a shame due to the distance. Kstate would likely look at the MAC like farmboy suggested but I think the Moutain West would be more likely
What I think will happen is that Nebraska stays (with the promise of a bigger chunk of revenue dollars) and the Big XII survives for now. Just depends on the Huskers.
I’m a huge Husker fan and I hope they stay where they’re at. I’m assuming the reason they would leave would be money….is that correct?
Dawn
I think that is a poor reflection of collegiate sports today that one of the strongest conferences both in sports and academics may be broken up over TV contracts and access to viewers. This is the epitome of snubs to the Midwest from our further east and west conferences who know they can utilize their greater TV viewerships to out spend our conference and pick off the teams they want. And further more I think it is an embarrassment to the teams considering leaving that they would allow the victory of the all mighty dollar over the tradition, history, honor, and loyalty of the Big 12.
OK I will get off my soap box now.
You should stay on your soapbox, Josh, I like what you have to say. The only thing I would add to the “poor reflection on college sports” is the absurd practice of paying College football coaches more than the College President. Of course, this potential “breakup” is all about money.
Maybe the athletic revenue helps fund education at some schools, I don’t know. It just seems to me we have lost our direction in so many ways today and the cause can usually be traced back to the dollar. Thank you Dan for maintaining such a great blog. I was in Washington for the first time in several years last weekend and I sincerely believe I never saw it look better. The biggest difference I noticed was the pride people are taking in their lawns, etc. Fabulous swimming pool, college level gymnasium and facilities and the golf course is as good as it gets. I love Washington County and you folks are lucky to live there.
If the Big 12 were really smart, it would quickly turn “pirate” itself and start raiding other conferences for likely candidates to form a 16 team conference.
Why not USC from the Pac 10, Utah or BYU from the Mountain West, plus Tennessee and LSU from the SEC?
Do they even play competitive football in the Big Ten? Big, slow, and stoopid . . .
THE BIG 12 IS OFFICIALLY DEAD!!
Some of the rumors have Kansas, K-State, Iowa State and Baylor going to the Mountain West. Which teams make up the current Mountain West?
TCU
Brigham Young
Utah
Air Force
Wyoming
UNLV
San Diego State
New Mexico
Colorado State
I had to Google it, since I couldn’t have named which teams were part of the MWC and which were part of the WAC. But that would make 13 teams, so would they add Boise State and BYU and one other to make a super conference?
Who the heck knows.
I just can’t wait to see the rivalry develop between K-State and San Diego State in football or KU and Air Force in basketball… not.
KCTV5 in Kansas City is now reporting the following.
Texas and Texas aTm to the Big 10
Oklahoma petitioning to join the SEC (but they need another school)
Oklahoma State to the PAC10
Would still leave 7 Big XII schools, enough to keep the BCS status.
Link
http://www.kctv5.com/sports/23860558/detail.html
So the two Texas schools are going to leave their others hanging, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are splitting. Could KU and K-State go to separate conferences? I know the board of regents wants them to stay together, but I assume the same was said by the Oklahoma and Texas regents (I assume every state has a board of regents.)
Good riddance Nebraska. Have fun being sellout sucks.
If the Texas and Oklahoma schools go else where I think that the “leftover” schools could become a part of the big east. Link: http://www.wvmetronews.com/sports.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=37556&type=Shawn
I think that the new big east could look like this:
BE – East:
Pitt
WVU
UConn
Syracuse
USF
Rutgers (or UCF, if Rutgers leaves)
BE – West:
Kansas
KSU
ISU
Missouri
Louisville
Cincinnati
Alot of good media markets like the article says. Any more what the universities are saying these days is what Cuba Gooding Jr. said in the movie Jerry Macquire ” SHOW ME THE MONEY” I hope that when all of this shakes out that KU and KSU are in a BCS conference. If the big east scenario would happen we would see Huggins back in Manhattan, need I say more. And that would also be good for TV ratings. I would like the big east a whole lot more the the mountain west