It’s the time of year when the die-hard college football fan starts thinking about the long summer ahead and day-dreaming for college football fall Saturdays. Don’t worry, they will be here before we all know it. But it’s also a good time of year to reflect on the past.
And while the Big 12 is in the best place it’s been in a long time with continuity and 16 teams that are all on the same page, for arguably the first time since the league’s inception nearly 30 years ago, there’s no doubt there are times when I miss the old Big 12 teams.
And with five teams having left the league over the last 15 years (Colorado left and of course returned), here’s how I would rank the five teams from the ones I miss the least, to the ones I miss the most.
5. Texas Longhorns
Does anyone really miss Texas? The Big 12 nearly imploded on multiple occasions thanks to the arrogance of UT. Granted, visiting stadiums were always packed when the Longhorns came to town, which was great for local businesses, but other than that, there isn’t much to miss. I guess Big 12 teams will miss getting their wins over Texas, considering UT lost at least five games in seven of their final 14 teams in the Big 12 Conference from 2010 to 2023. But that’s about it.
4. Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies were always a slightly less annoying, but also less masculine, and less successful version of the Longhorns. Texas A&M had some solid Big 12 ties with their old Southwest Conference partners, and it would be fun to see them back playing TCU and Houston, who didn’t make it to the Big 12 initially, but are now back in the league. Otherwise, it’s good riddance to a program that was one of the first to bolt nearly 15 years ago because they were fed up with Texas. And now they’re stuck with them anyway in the SEC. Enjoy!
3. Missouri Tigers
Missouri was a natural fit in the Big 12 and still has very little culturally in common with the SEC. They had the Border War with Kansas, the old Big 12 North, which was fun, even if it wasn’t always as competitive as the South division. The Universities were great regional and cultural fits together. Instead, Missouri gave that up for a bigger paycheck, but very few drivable games for their fans, and no real rivalries. Both sides lost on this one, and I do miss having the Tigers around.
2. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Oh, Nebraska. No one has suffered more without the Big 12 than the Huskers. Nebraska had a blue blood football program that has been dormant since leaving the Big 12. Maybe they would have had a set back no matter what, but their move to the Big Ten did not do them any favors. And I sure miss their Big 12 North battles, along with their classics in the Oklahoma rivalry. Nebraska was an original Big 6 team going back to 1928 with Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State. They won, but had likability and respect. They’ve seemingly lost both, and the Big 12 lost when losing them as well.
1. Oklahoma
The Sooners. Another original Big 6 team. Of course OU is only one year removed from the Big 12, but this was the team that was the face of the conference for decades, and hung in for the betterment of the conference for years after the initial round of realignment. I’ll forever believe that it was Texas who initiated the Big 12 departure, basically holding OU hostage and saying, “Come with us or get left behind.” It was an understandable concern for the Sooners, given the SEC money, but in hindsight, staying top dog in the Big 12 would not have been a bad option for OU given the current college football landscape. OU is as Big 12 as it gets, and I miss them, miss Bedlam, and miss what they brought to the conference.
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