Alert the message boards and warm the keyboards because we have a Thamel-bomb that could rock the college athletics realignment world. This time impacting the college basketball landscape. Thamel and ESPN just dropped the juicy news that Gonzaga could join the Big 12 for basketball.
“Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark met with Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford at the Hyatt in Frisco, Texas, while the Zags were in the Dallas area to play Tennessee in a scrimmage, according to sources.
The move backs up Yormark's promises of the Big 12 to be aggressive and "open for business," and could also end up shifting the landscape of college basketball.
Sources indicate that Gonzaga has been exploring its conference options, as it has emerged as one of the premier basketball programs in the entire country. Both the Pac-12 and Big East have been engaged with Gonzaga, according to sources, but the extent of those conversations are uncertain.”
HOLY SH**. Just when you thought BYU could avoid being smacked around by Gonzaga on an annual basis and get smacked around by Baylor and Kansas instead THIS happens.
In reality this sounds like an awesome idea for the Big 12. What looked to be the strongest basketball conference in the country with the previous two National Champions - Kansas and Baylor - along with Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Houston and Texas Tech could cement themselves as the premier basketball conference in the country if they add Gonzaga.
BYU’s conference schedule for hoops would be like the Murderer’s Row Yankees, the 2007 Patriots and 2019 LSU Tigers week-in and week-out. Honestly, it sounds awesome. The chance to see the best college basketball teams outside of Duke and North Carolina coming to Provo every year. Just imagine how crazy those BYU vs. Gonzaga games at the Marriott Center were every year. Now we could get games like that every week.
The Big 12 sent seven teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and six in 2022. The Cougars may need to see that number jump to eight or nine each season if they want a shot at the NCAA Tournament if Gonzaga joins the conference.
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