It’s impossible to tell just who is responsible for what in the middle of so many rumors, but it’s clear the Big 12 has life after Dan Beebe after all. In fact, Chuck Neinas might be the best thing to hit the Big 12 in a long time. With rumors of Missouri staying put in the Big 12 despite some reported overtures or interest from the SEC, now even bigger news comes with the addition of Brigham Young University that some sportswriters wondered about from the beginning.
Rumors are swirling that a late night decision was made yesterday for BYU to officially say yes to the Big 12 and bring in a potent football and basketball member as well as a solid academic institution into the once failing conference. Instead of falling apart, it seems the conference is retooling, and while BYU doesn’t offset completely the loss of Texas A&M to the SEC, it does reverse the momentum by the team’s exit.
Nothing is set in stone at this point, but there’s a lot of smoke around the decision — the same as when Texas A&M wasn’t officially with the SEC and then backed off for about a week to avoid any legal ramifications. While some of the rumors are conference realignment and switching turn into nothing of substance, this is one that many have already called and will likely soon confirm. We will keep you posted when any official word is made on either side.