Last week, the Texas athletic department announced a 7-person athletic advisory committee to help decide who the next Athletic Director at Texas will be. Â So what’s in store for the new Texas AD?
The future of the Big 12.
I know people in Lubbock, Norman or in Lawrence will disagree but make no mistake: The Big 12 runs through Austin. Texas might be the southernmost member but it is the king of the hill in the Big 12 Conference. Whatever Texas wants, Texas usually gets. Schools like Nebraska, Missouri and Texas A&M couldn’t stand that fact so they left. Now, the new Texas AD will determine the future of the Big 12.
Will the new Texas AD support a 10 team conference? While it even looks good to get a share of the Big 12 title, the prestige takes a hit. When you only have two powers in a conference (I’ll let you decide who those are), you need both of them playing at a high level or the perception will be that the conference is down. No one looks at 6th ranked Baylor and thinks “Boy the Big 12 must be tough.” No, they think it’s down compared to what it has been in year’s past. Why? Because Texas and Oklahoma are down. When prestige is down, recruits look to conferences with more power and prestige.
Or, will the new Texas AD support a move to a 12 team conference? Â TV money isn’t guaranteed to last forever. Would the new Texas AD support adding two more teams, preferably one with a rich tradition of excellence, to get a Big 12 championship game? From what I understand, conferences don’t have to create divisions to have a conference championship game. You could create a scenario where the top 2 teams in the conference square off against each other.
While the options are limited, there are some good programs out there with big markets. Central Florida is a very solid program in the American Athletic conference. They beat Louisville and Penn State and were within a touchdown of beating South Carolina. Central Florida could play in the Big 12. Â BYU? They are practically begging to be in a power conference. If I were a Texas fan, I would not like the prospect of playing BYU in a conference… but they do offer some value. You also have Cincinnati, Houston, and Boise State to potentially invite to the Big 12. Florida State might be a long shot after they committed to the ACC with the Grant of Rights. However, there are other viable options around the country willing to join the Big 12.
The Big 12 could be on it’s last leg. The Big 1o, ACC and SEC are at 14 and are ready to swoop in and take some Big 12 teams. The Pac 12 could see itself expanding as well. If these 4 conferences all have the goal of moving to 16 teams, then all 10 members in the Big 12 would suffice in getting these 4 conferences to 16. Would the new Texas AD want to kill off the Big 12 and go to the Pac 12 or SEC?
This is a huge decision for not only the University of Texas but the landscape of college football in the United States.
Why? Because what starts at Texas changes the world.
