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The Big 12 finds itself in somewhat of an awkward position as new conference commissioner Brett Yormark presides over his first Big 12 meetings.
With the era of the “super conference” on the horizon, the Big 12 is anticipating the loss of two absolute behemoths, as Texas and Oklahoma both prepare to leave for the SEC in 2025, if not sooner.
Both schools are still technically part of the Big 12 until they leave, though, which puts Yormark in a strange position.
It’s like a couple staying together to enjoy a nice candlelight dinner even though they know a messy divorce is on the horizon.
Texas and Oklahoma are “playing house” with the Big 12 for now, which is undoubtedly awkward.
At the very least the Big 12 has Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, though, who joked that Yormark shouldn’t let the two defectors into this year’s meetings.
“It’s interesting. We go to conference meetings, and OU and Texas are in there. They’re still in the conference. But I’m guessing when they leave, they’re scratching down things that can help them when they’re in the SEC,” Gundy joked, according to ESPN’s Dave Wilson. “So it is an unusual situation. I think there’s a business side of it that nowadays people say, ‘It is what it is.’ Which 10 years ago, they might not even let them in meetings.
“The new commissioner, I mean, honestly, if I was him, I wouldn’t let OU and Texas in any meetings.”
With the SEC loading up with Oklahoma and Texas and the Big Ten swooping up USC and UCLA from the Pac-12, it will be interesting to see how conferences like the Big 12 respond.
If “super conferences” are on the way, they’re going to have to quickly do some poaching of their own and bolster their benches in order to stay relevant, especially with the Big Ten and SEC playing for keeps.
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