Monday, October 17, 2016

Big 12 has tabled expansion talks — for now

Oklahoma President David Boren, left, and Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby announced that the conference will not expand. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Oklahoma President David Boren, left, and Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby announced that the conference will not expand. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
In news that shouldn’t come as a surprise, the Big 12 announced Monday that it has decided not to expand. For now, at least.
After the conference’s board of directors met on Sunday and Monday, the league will stick with its current 10 members, commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Oklahoma president David Boren confirmed in a press conference.
“We decided after very thorough discussion that we would remain at 10 members,” Boren said. “We committed ourselves to that proposition and each other. And along with that decision to remain at 10 members at this time, there were a very, very strong series of commitments and comments made by every single member of the board of our strong commitment to the Big 12, and to the strength and the stability of this conference.”
Back in July, the Big 12 gave commissioner Bob Bowlsby permission to pursue expansion candidates, and the process was reportedly whittled down to 11 candidates: Air Force, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Colorado State, UConn, Houston, Rice, SMU, South Florida and Tulane. Bowlsby said the league would consider adding two or even four new members.
Boren said Monday however there were never discussions on individual schools potentially joining the conference. The decision to stick with 10 members, he said, was unanimous from the 10 league presidents.
“We had no discussion of individual schools in the sense of taking votes on individual schools or trying to send support for individual schools,” Boren said. “We’ve gone through a very thoughtful process in the last year or so in terms of looking at options to strengthen the conference.”
Bowlsby said after an “extensive data analysis process,” he recommended bringing the process “to closure” and not “kicking the can down the road” any longer.
“This was really not a decision not to expand. This was an endorsement and a reinvestment in the strength of the 10 that we have,” Bowlsby said.
Still, Boren said repeatedly throughout the press conference that the door on expansion was not closed. It is just “off the table at this time.”
The idea of expansion dates back to last year, when Boren expressed that the 10-member league was “psychologically disadvantaged” in the College Football Playoff era compared to other Power Five conferences.
Schools like Houston, BYU and Cincinnati were considered favorites to potentially earn an invitation. Houston even received a public endorsement from the University of Texas, but other schools expressed hesitancy about adding the Cougars, who have jumped into the college football spotlight with Tom Herman as head coach over the past two seasons. BYU, with its football history and strong fanbase also had a perceived leg up, but concerns about the school’s honor code with respect to the LGBTQ community became a black cloud of sorts over BYU’s candidacy.
Both Houston and BYU, in addition to the bevy of other schools passed over by the Big 12, issued statements in response to the news.
“Over the last few months, BYU has learned a lot about its strengths as an institution and as an athletic department,” BYU’s statement read. “Through our in-depth review we have reinforced valuable relationships and have been reminded how strong we are as a university. BYU strives to run its athletic program like a P5 institution. Our national fan base and broadcast ratings, along with the many historical and recent successes of our teams, attest we certainly belong. We believe BYU can significantly contribute to the athletic and academic excellence of a P5 conference.”
Added Houston athletic director Hunter Yurachek:
“Today’s news is not just about the University of Houston and the Big 12 Conference, it’s about the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics. It does not, and will not, deter our mission of building champions for life. Our goals, which were in place long before expansion conversation began, will not change. As a progressive Tier One institution that places a competitive emphasis on both academics and athletics, the University of Houston will continue to operate in the national spotlight in one of the nation’s premier athletic conferences and dynamic cities.”
Tilman Fertitta, the chairman of the Houston System Board of Regents, was a bit more blunt.
 
Bowlsby said the talks with interested schools were “respectful,” and that the league did not view those schools as “chess pieces on a board.”
Another part of the expansion equation was the league’s television partnerships. Both ESPN and Fox were reportedly not in favor of the Big 12 adding new members because of a clause that would distribute additional revenue to members if expansion were to come to fruition.
SI.com reported last week that discussions with those TV partners, including a buyout of the contract’s pro rata clause, made expansion unlikely. Bowlsby said the league was in constant contact with the TV networks because of the re-introduction of a Big 12 championship game in 2017. He declined to offer specifics about any contract talks.
Bowlsby said the title game “enhances revenue” and gives the Big 12 a “chance to compete at the highest possible level.”
So for now, the Big 12 will stick with 10 teams. Could the league potentially reopen expansion talks down the road? Sure, it’s the Big 12, after all. If it has proven anything throughout this process, it is that it is hard to predict.
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