So how long has it been? At least a month or two, right? It was November 6th I believe when the SEC officially accepted Missouri as its 14th member. Since then it has been relatively quiet on the conference realignment front, West Virginia's exit from the Big East Conference notwithstanding.
Well, our luck has run out because the Big 12 is apparently back at it. The conference's expansion committee is meeting today for the first time since the league invited West Virginia into the league back in October. Not that anybody should be on the edge of their seats, however.
From most of the early reports, it doesn't sound like today's meeting will be anything more than trying to figure out the Big 12's next steps, if there are indeed going to be any at all. “There is nothing imminent in regard to expansion,” Bob Burda, associate commissioner for communications said. “We have never ruled out the possibility of further expansion. I don’t know if anything is going to come out of (today’s meeting) other than charting the course for future calls” to discuss possibilities."
That being said, the Chronicle of Higher Education was reporting that two-high ranking sources said Big 12 expansion is "very possible." Most of the speculation has centered on Louisville being the next team to jump on board should the Big 12 officially decide to expand. You may remember prior to West Virginia's invitation, Louisville was also under strong consideration.
This is from the Chronicles report. The quote is from Oklahoma AD, Joe Castiglione.
That report will be an update on where the committee believes things should go next, Hargis said. “If there are two schools that we feel meet our various criteria—good academic institutions with good athletic programs and strong fan bases—and that our television network partners think are additive to our conference, it’s something we’re clearly going to consider.”
He added, however, that there is no rush to decide: “It’s a very strong conference, and we’re very comfortable with the new members,” he said. “Whether we go beyond that is a big and important question that requires a very deliberative approach.”
Let's cut to the chase, Big 12. Expand. Get back to 12 teams. Although the conference will look nothing like it did a few years ago, start building a new identity. West Virginia, TCU, along with potentially Louisville and BYU all have respected athletic departments and programs which is really what we're after here.
Building a new identity will take time. But the longer the league waits, the more the other conferences will continue to build their brands while the Big 12 sits and twiddles its thumbs wondering what to do next.
This much we know. Texas vs. Texas A&M isn't got to happen. Neither is Nebraska and Oklahoma or Kansas vs. Missouri. Nobody likes that. But sitting around thinking about it isn't going to help anyone, either. Believe it or not, new rivalries will happen, eventually.
Getting back to 12 teams also means the championship game can return. Interim commissioner Chuck Neinas has said there hasn't been much enthusiasm for a championship game. Why? I have no idea. But it needs to happen. The best place in the country to host a championship game sits in the Big 12's backyard, Cowboys Stadium. Use it.
Why anyone in the league thinks added exposure and more revenue for the league is a bad thing is beyond me.
Although there's no time frame for any decisions, at least their talking and performing their due diligence. Castiglione went on to add, “We’re going to make some evaluations and reach the best conclusion that helps us stabilize our long-term future.”
If that indeed is true, then what needs to happen next should be obvious.
