Mike Gundy Thinks the Big 12 Will Get to 16 Teams
Each and every single day the landscape of college athletics is changing. From TV deals to conference realignment, every day brings something new.
However, sometimes change isn’t always good. That appears to be the case for Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy. “I am more of a traditionalist when it comes to college football.” Gundy said at Big 12 Media Days. “This (college athletics) is a big business. The traditions we all embraced in college athletics are gone. People are more interested in financially stability in the future than traditions.”
Mike Gundy is exactly right. We better cherish the current traditions of college football because they may not last much longer. But can anything be done to stop it? According to Mike Gundy the answer is no.
“The people who are unhappy with the changes aren’t the ones paying the bills.” Gundy said. Despite the hard truth, Mike has a soft spot for the fans of college football saying, “I have big concerns about the interest of the fans. At some point maybe people stop watching. I am concerned about the fans but it’s all about money.”
As far as the Big 12 goes, Mike had plenty to say about his school’s conference. “I think the Big 12 will gather more teams. I think we will get up to 16 schools in this conference.” When asked about why 16 schools, Mike responded with, “The more schools a conference has the less likely they are to go away.”
I just hope new Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark feels like same way as Mike Gundy. There have been talks over the last couple of weeks that the Big 12 wants to add Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah. But once Texas and Oklahoma leave the conference will go back to 12 schools.
As to the other four Mike Gundy would like to add? Gundy replied with “I am not really sure.”
Whether the Big 12 goes to 12, 14 or even 16 schools, I agree with Mike Gundy. The Big 12 needs to expand so the conference does have some stability for the future. And of course, stability likely means more money for the schools in the Big 12.
