Big 12 Media Day Cancelled Again, Maybe so the Board can Meet and Decide on Football Schedule

The communication is lacking across college football, but the stories are leaking out and the season looks like a go, if not a late go. The Big 12 is the last to fall in line, but they will.

STILLWATER -- All of the doors and windows are shut and locked as college football has gone into zoom conferences to decide on how they will conduct their season and it is the Big 12 Conference's turn to finish. Phone calls to the Big 12 office weren't being answered and the conference sent out an email again postponing their virtual football media day scheduled for Monday.

🚨 Update on #Big12FB Virtual Media Day presented by @Academy Sports + Outdoors 🚨

➡️ https://t.co/JfNyf2q2hM pic.twitter.com/wgTdlCrTtZ

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) July 30, 2020

“There continues to be a lot more questions than answers about what the football season will look like,” said Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “A media day is intended to talk football and the prospects for the season. Part of that discussion is who you will be playing and when. With the on-going consideration of scheduling models by our Board of Directors, this is the best course of action at this time. “

The word came out on Thursday afternoon (July 30) that the Southeastern Conference (SEC) is going to play a 10-game season with conference games only. The league will play their conference slate as previously scheduled (eight games) and add two more games from the other division. That means the SEC kind of stuck their nose up at the ACC, which the day before announced a 10-conference game plus one schedule that would allow for the rivalry games between schools in those two leagues such as Georgia-Georgia Tech, Clemson-South Carolina, Florida-Florida State, and Kentucky-Louisville. 

NEWS | @SEC establishes new football start date of September 26 and Conference-only football competition.https://t.co/UhFFOfQ2lK

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) July 30, 2020

Previously, the Big Ten started the domino effect when they announced they were going to a conference only schedule for this season and later that day the Pac-12 followed suit and announced the same. The expected target date for the start of those seasons is Sept. 5 for the Big Ten in a report today in the Chicago Tribune, which also states the conference will build in three-to-five open dates. The Pac-12 has listed Sept. 19 for their start date for football. The ACC mentioned Sept. 12 when they made their decision. The SEC has tagged Sept. 26, the latest start announced so far for their league.

We know from speaking with various sources that the Big 12 has looked at four-to-five models ranging from the regular 12-game schedule to a nine-game conference only schedule. The decision according to our sources is down to the nine-game schedule and the nine conference games plus one model. 

Pokes Report was told there is no chance that the Big 12 would play 10 conference games to even up with other leagues and just have two conference teams play each other twice. That is not an option. The people we spoke with felt the decision makers, were close, but the nine conference games plus one is the slight favorite. 

Our discussions with Oklahoma State officials allowed us to come to a conclusion that they would favor the nine plus one and playing now longterm scheduling buddy Tulsa on Sept. 12 in Stillwater. Deputy athletic director Chad Weiberg negotiated a long term deal with the University of Tulsa that really gives Oklahoma State a lot of flexibility and stability in the area of scheduling.  

With three of the Power Five conferences down to conference only games that would mean the Big 12 would need to feast on Group of Five opponents, FCS teams, or create some sort of scheduling alliance with the ACC, although with 14 members and bringing in Notre Dame this season as a full-time participant the Big 12 could not satisfy all the ACC schools. 

We asked but did not get an answer at either the conference level as to whether the Big 12 would perhaps schedule a meeting for Friday to go ahead and put a conclusion on the football season question among the Power Five conferences. Later after this story was published Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis, in a text message, wrote to us that no meeting had been called or moved up at this time. As of now, the Big 12 has a conference board of directors meeting scheduled for Monday. The same day that the Big 12 football coaches were going to meet with the media.