Report: Big 12 'Resumes' Talks with Gonzaga
The Big 12 Conference is done expanding, right? Not so fast, my friend.
In an interview with the Arizona Republic back in the summer, Commissioner Brett Yormark said that the league was done adding members.
"Right now we're done [adding]," Yormark said. And that's the two key words right there, "right now."
"We had a vision. We had a strategy and effectively we've been able to execute it. Initially, I wasn't sure if we'd go to 14 or 16. I think 16 was kind of a dream scenario, candidly. So from our perspective, our focus now is to integrate the four incoming schools as quickly as we can. Get them comfortable. We feel really good about our future and what our membership composition looks like when you look at it in terms of where we were and where we are and where we're going."
Rumors have floated around for quite a while about the Big 12's interest in adding Gonzaga to what is already a premiere basketball conference. Now, those talks are picking back up, according to Seth Davis of CBS Sports and The Messenger.
"The renewed push is being spearheaded by Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, who presented his case for Gonzaga’s inclusion during last week’s Big 12 meetings in Dallas. Yormark made the pitch during separate sessions with the league’s athletic directors and presidents. He augmented his case with a presentation deck that laid out the data and strategy behind the potential move."
Davis also mentioned in the report that the "best-case scenario" would be for Gonzaga to join the league for the 2024-25 season which is also when Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah officially enter the conference.
Adam Zagoria of Forbes.com confirmed the ongoing negotiations and noted that a source informed him the Big 12 wants to go "all-in" on basketball.
“The reason why [they’re talking to Gonzaga] is they see Oklahoma and Texas running away with their football league this year and we’re not having a great year anywhere else football-wise.
“So this would be their statement of going all-in on the best basketball league by far by adding what’s left out there. And just go all-in on basketball.”
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