The overtures have been made: Missouri wants to make the city of Kansas City (and the Missouri fans and alum inside of it) very happy. If they stay in the Big 12, everything remains rosy and rivalries remain intact. If they leave to the SEC, however, feathers are bound to get ruffled and that’s what the university seemed to want to avoid in yesterday’s press conference after the Board of Curators met to give Brady Deaton, the Chancellor of Missouri, the power to make any conference move he desires.
If the Tigers move to the Southeastern Conference, then some provisions were made yesterday for the Tigers to stay local, so to speak. They said they were committed to playing a longtime rival at Arrowhead Stadium with their football program and that they also desire a basketball tournament around the holidays. In other words,“I’m in love with someone else, but you still matter to me.”
If Kansas City can decide they can still be friends with the University of Missouri, does that mean that there’s no ill will. Or does it mean that things will at least blow over? While the University of Kansas has been a bit more neutral in its expressions toward Missouri (i.e. Bill Self saying he could basically care less about Missouri if they decide to go), the city itself has made several dramatic overtures. Local politicians and business leaders have made it known they desire Missouri to stay in the Big 12. How will they take it if they leave?
It will be interesting to see whether or not KC is apathetic toward the move if and when it’s taken. It’s easy to look at this as “what happens in college athletics today” and leave it at that. However, it’s also easy to see how loyalty and emotions come into play in these matters and how fans might be charged about the affair. Either way, Missouri will know exactly where they stand if they’re able to leave at least one foot in the door like they desire to.