Does Gonzaga and UConn joining the Big 12 make it a "Super Conference"? The latest on conference realignment rumors and college basketball
The Big 12 is losing two of its biggest brands, Texas and Oklahoma, to the SEC. But it’s not going down without a fight.
The conference is adding four new members next season: Cincinnati, Houston, UCF and BYU. And it’s not stopping there. It’s also pursuing two of the most storied programs in college basketball history: Gonzaga and UConn.
The conference wants to make a statement: It’s still a power conference and the best place to play basketball. But it won’t be easy. Some hurdles and complications could derail this ambitious plan.
Here are some of the issues that the conference has to deal with:
The Pac-12 is also courting Gonzaga, hoping to lure the Zags away from their cozy home in the West Coast Conference. The Pac-12 is also waiting for a new TV contract that could change its fortunes and potentially poach some schools from the Big 12.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark on expansion:
"We had a great discussion about expansion and we have a plan. We have an appetite to be a national conference and we believe in the upside of basketball."
The Big 12 knows that football is king and needs to find strong football schools to replace Texas and Oklahoma. But those are hard to come by. UConn has a football team, but it’s not very good or profitable. Gonzaga doesn’t have a football team, which means it would join the conference as a basketball-only member.
Gonzaga and UConn could make Big 12 a "Super Conference" in college basketball
The Big 12 is serious about adding Gonzaga and UConn to its roster, as it believes they would boost its basketball reputation and revenue. The conference commissioner, Brett Yormark, said he wants to make the conference “the No. 1 basketball conference in America” and is open to all options.
“We’re going to consider all options,” Yormark said. “We do see the upside in basketball for all the right reasons. We think it is undervalued and there is a chance for us to double down as the No. 1 basketball conference in America, but football is the driver. We all know that.”
Gonzaga and UConn have not said anything publicly about their interest in joining the Big 12, but they have shown signs of discontent with their current situations.
Their expansion plans are still fluid, and nothing is official until announcements are made. But if Gonzaga and UConn do join the conference, it would make it a “super conference” in college basketball, with at least six teams capable of competing for national titles every year. It would also make the conference more attractive for future TV deals and expansion candidates.
By adding Gonzaga and UConn, the conference could cement its place as a basketball powerhouse and a force to be reckoned with in the changing landscape of college athletics.