The Lunch: Big 12 takes condescending, embarrassing journey to non-expansion

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Big 12’s journey to non-expansion became a raffle in which nobody won the sports car. A pageant where the host ogled swimsuits only to crown himself.

Today’s Gold & Blue Lunch Report asks the question: How exclusive does the Big 12 consider itself to stand pat when it’s clearly the weakest of the Power 5?

BYU would have added value in football and basketball (forgetting the anti-religious factions so fond of labelling the school’s honor code “toxic”). Houston could be the next TCU in terms of a big-market school earning its stripes on the field.

Yet neither school was enticing enough to make the cut. And the real shame is that they were enticed to perform a show-and-tell when ultimately no newcomer was getting in.

Whereas the Big Ten and ACC grew bigger and richer through stealth maneuvering, the Big 12 staged an open casting call. How such a public and intense process netted zero results is embarrassing.

When Journey needed to replace Steve Perry, the band found a dude from the Philippines who sounded perfect. Yet the Big 12 can’t find a decent addition from the 20 applicants lined up at the gate?

It’s easy to blame David Boren for talking too much, but dysfunction existed long before he took a stab at psychoanalyzing the league. Texas still brings massive ego and massive resources. Oklahoma’s iconic brand generated $134 million last year. Both schools possess the leverage to bounce and instantly make any other conference better.

That makes the rest of the Big 12 subservient. Never mind Monday’s refrain about 10 presidents and chancellors being harmonious in their decision not to expand. At some point during the process at least half of those people favored adding teams, but without an eight-team supermajority, everyone joined in lockstep at the end.

When the Big 12 expansion carnival shut down, having led hopefuls on a 15-month tilt-a-whirl, everyone was left dizzy and asking “What was the point?”





More Sports

High School Sports
Class A Girls Basketball All-State List
Cameron's Ashlynn Van Tassell chosen captain, joined by teammate Kenzie Clutter on firs team.
March 19, 2024 - 1:12 am
High School Sports
Odds and ends: Free-throw shooting, experience major factors in Charleston; shot clock discussion surfaces again
A look back at some key figures and memorable soundbites over the course of two state tournaments that featured 56 games in 10 days.
March 18, 2024 - 5:53 pm
WVU Sports
3 Guys Before The Game - Searching For Mr. Right (Episode 539)
What factors will determine how long the search lasts for WVU's new basketball coach?
March 18, 2024 - 3:05 pm
Sports
Charleston's Osborne, Fairmont State's Anderson first recipients of MetroNews Joe Retton MEC Coaches of the Year
The Golden Eagles men's squad and Falcons' women's team garnered Mountain East Conference regular season and tournament titles, while both squads surpassed the 25-win mark for the season.
March 18, 2024 - 12:00 pm