College Football Shakeup
Quick switch: TCU bolts for the Big 12, leaving the Big East for dead — andgiving UT's visions new life
TCU has been offered — and is ready to accept — entrance into the Big 12 Conference.
Just last spring, the Horned Frogs committed to leaving the Mountain West and joining the Big East Conference. A lot has changed since then. The Big East lost a couple of its premier football schools in Syracuse and Pittsburgh (now going to the Atlantic Coast Conference), and that makes the Big East a lot less appetizing to TCU, where football is king. Not to mention, Big 12 opponents are a whole lot closer — meaning lower travel costs and higher fan engagement.
"We're proud that TCU has been invited to join the Big 12," University of Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said in a statement. "Their commitment to academics and success on the field make them an excellent fit. With a solid budget and strong financial support, they have been proactive at improving facilities. Their close proximity to all conference institutions makes for a comfortable travel situation."
TCU has a long relationship with UT specifically. The Frogs were an original member of the old Southwest Conference with Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor. Many observers did not believe TCU would be on the Big 12 radar, mainly because the Horned Frogs reside in Texas. This despite the fact the university has a high quality football team, extraordinary academic standards and the ability to give the Big 12 greater access to a Top 10 television market in Dallas/Fort Worth.
All of the Big 12's presidents and chancellors have agreed to take on TCU, voting unanimously to authorize the negotiations with TCU, according to multiple outlets. Adding TCU is crucial to the Big 12 in the wake of Texas A&M's bolt for the SEC (starting play next year) and Missouri's flirtation with the SEC. The worry that Texas' Longhorn Network could end up killing the Big 12 could be quelled by this addition.
On the other side, this could be a death blow for the already staggering Big East.
“It’s one of the most disappointing things I’ve seen in 35 years in the game to see this thing break up like this,” Big East Louisville's basketball coach Rick Pitino told the New York Times.
