By Tyler White | Sports Writer
The most exciting news for the Big 12 in recent years has been the addition of new teams to the conference. Despite the loss of Texas and Oklahoma, a massive introduction of eight other teams makes up for it. However, the question is, how has conference realignment affected Big 12 sports, big and small?
The impact is easily seen with college football. From the standpoint of conference strength, it’s unfortunate to lose Texas and Oklahoma, as they finished in the AP poll at No. 3 and No. 15, respectively. However, there’s a lot to be optimistic about in both the remaining teams and the newcomers.
Kansas (No. 23), Kansas State (No. 18) and Oklahoma State (No. 16) all had strong season performances, and they look to be next in line to take the Big 12 championship. Newcomer Arizona (No. 11) had a massive resurgence in its football program, even managing an impressive bowl win over Oklahoma in a battle between the new and the old conference members. Additionally, Utah managed a solid effort in the Pac-12 with some quality wins, and the storyline behind Colorado and Coach Prime is something to look forward to moving into the new season.
Similarly, the impact of the Big 12 changes can be seen in basketball. This season, the Big 12 is by far the most competitive conference, with eight teams sitting inside the men’s AP Top 25 Poll. Additionally, four teams sit inside the women’s top 25, with Kansas State being the hottest team at No. 2.
Newcomer Arizona (No. 11) is sure to make a strong impact in men’s basketball, adding to the ever-growing conference play that never guarantees a winner. On the women’s side, Colorado (No. 6) and Utah (No. 20) have shown impressive outings this year and will only add to the competition.
But what about other sports? How do the Big 12 changes affect smaller teams? The most obvious impact is that since there are more teams, it will be harder for squads to make it to conference championships, but it goes much further than just that.
Looking at track and field in particular — since it’s a more individualistic sport — more schools means more competition to achieve spots for nationals. With the addition of athletes in different events, what was once a top-15 performance might now be just inside the top 30.
Head track and field coach Michael Ford said some of the events in which Baylor was once in the top 20 are now lower, because the additional schools are taking spots. However, he said it’s an opportunity to push athletes to excel and strive for better performances.
“It’ll balance out, but I think it’s going to be harder, because now you [have] more teams,” Ford said. “And so those eight spots and nine spots that you’re trying to get to finals are going to be a little tougher.”
The same can be said for the futures of a lot of smaller sports. With golf, the increase in schools means a greater pool of competitors who can succeed at nationals. The margin of error becomes just that much smaller.
I think this increase in competition is something that will make Big 12 sports all the more memorable over the next several years. Though it will be a tough adjustment for many teams to accommodate the higher competition levels, the quality of performances across the conference will be something to appreciate over time.
