Big 12 realignment could be hamstrung by conference leadership

The Utah Utes are still adjusting to joining the Big 12 and its new world. Yesterday, talk about the Big 12 growing and changing started again.

However, could the leadership of the various schools in the conference could slam the breaks on expansion? Is it possible that the very tip-top of the conference isn’t staying in lockstep with the guys and gals who will have to sign off on UCONN joining the group?

At least one analyst believes there is at least a small chance that the Utah Utes won’t have a new Big 12 rival simply because the Huskies aren’t as attractive as some might think. Nicole Auerbach threw some cold water on the growth of one of the best power conferences.

Big 12 expansion could get put on hold

“On the Big 12’s latest run at UConn — which is serious but also not certain to receive enough support from Big 12 presidents, per source — a question I keep coming back to is: What’s different this time? Why would UConn want to make the jump now?”

Auerbach raises two reasons why this expansion might not happen. The first is that the Big 12 presidents don't guarantee that they want to add UCONN. The fact that all of the talk of this merger has placed the football team as not coming until 2031 underlines this.

Football revenues almost always drive conference expansion. If the school has a good basketball team, like Utah, Arizona and Colorado do now, it’s just a bonus.

But none of the Pac-12 schools that came over did so because of their basketball programs. UCONN is very different. It adds nothing as far as football goes. 

It also doesn’t add a ton of viewership, mainly because UCONN is so bad. Basketball-wise, they’d certainly add some viewers. But not enough.

The second part of why this thing implodes is more interesting. Would UCONN really leave a conference that they can dominate, and that is pretty good on its own? For a Big 12 that doesn’t even like them enough to allow them to bring football right away?

It’s a good question. Things are going to move fast. I have to believe we’ll find out if the Big 12 is growing again by this time next week at the latest.