by Matt Fischer
Did the Big XII really not see this coming? They’ve been slow to react to the ever changing world of college athletics for years now. First it was the Big Ten and SEC coming and plucking team (Nebraska, Missouri and Texas A&M) out of their league and dropping them from 12 to 9…eliminating their conference championship game. Then they only add one team to get a total of 10 in the Big XII. Maybe being left out of the College Football Playoff with two teams deserving of a spot will be the wake up call they need.
For the past few weeks, the biggest debate has been should Baylor or TCU make the college football playoff. We got our answer today as the committee bypassed both and chose Ohio State as the fourth team in the playoff. In listening to Jeff Long on ESPN’s show announcing the College Football Playoff, it seems it was a combination of the Big XII giving the committee “co-champions” and Ohio State’s impressive 59-0 win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game that pushed the Buckeyes past both Big XII contenders Baylor and TCU.
So Big XII get it together! You must go to 12 teams immediately! Your narrative of “we play everyone in our conference so we have a true conference champion” is meaningless to everyone who matters. The 12 member committee values a true conference champion and that comes from having a decisive championship game like the other power five conferences.
Here must be the plan going forward for the Big XII conference in college football:
1. Add 2 teams to get to 12. I would immeditately send invitations to Memphis and Cincinnati. These will help in football in adding big markets and will also help you in the other sport that matters at the collegiate level, men’s basketball.
2. With the addition of the Memphis Tigers and Cincinnati Bearcats, you will have 12. Then split the league into North and South divisions like this:
| NORTH | SOUTH |
| Cincinnati | Baylor |
| Iowa State | Oklahoma |
| Kansas | Oklahoma State |
| Kansas State | TCU |
| Memphis | Texas |
| West Virginia | Texas Tech |
3. Schedule nine conference games and a conference championship for the North champ to play the South champ. I’m sure Cowboys stadium would love to host the Big XII Championship game in 2015.
These steps have to be taken. You’ve sit and watched from the sidelines for too long now Big XII. Get out there and make a move so you’re not left on the sidelines again. These moves will excite the fan bases at your current schools and get the conference.