Big 12 ‘Quietly’ Trying to Lure Minnesota From Big Ten: Report
Could the Big 12 really steal a team from the Big Ten?
Admittedly, it seems highly unlikely, but in the world of conference realignment, anything is possible.
Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that the Big 12 Conference is said to be quietly seeking the Minnesota Golden Gophers, but Minnesota can’t afford the revenue loss of a new Big Ten Network deal, which, with the expansion of USC and UCLA in two years, could be worth nearly $100 million a year.
Minnesota is one of the founding members of the Big Ten dating back to 1896, which also might make it a tough sell. However more importantly, walking away from the Big Ten’s massive revenue-sharing opportunities would be crazy for the Gophers at this point in time.
But, if true, new Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark deserves credit for helping the Big 12 think outside the box, while also showing the conference how to act like an alpha dog in the world of conference realignment, rather than simply being reactionary.
Pete Mundo discussed more of this on the Heartland College Sports YouTube page. Make sure you subscribe to the page with plenty more video content coming as the season approaches!
