Oklahoma State AD Chad Weiberg indicated that the “alignment between the existing Big 12 schools” and the three new additions -- Arizona, Arizona State and Utah -- is an “important aspect” of why those schools were granted membership into the conference, according to Jenni Carlson of the OKLAHOMAN. Weiberg paraphrased Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark’s general stance by saying, “We want people that are going to fit, to align with our board of directors, with the athletic directors. So I think that there was a comfort level with those schools and their fit with our conference.” Carlson notes the Big 12 was “solidifying itself with three more Power Five schools,” as the league now hits all time zones in the continental U.S. However, Weiberg noted that he “senses a camaraderie with Arizona, Arizona State and Utah because they see intercollegiate athletics the same way OSU and other Big 12 schools do.” Weiberg: “It’s just the role that intercollegiate athletics plays on the campus, the importance that the institution places on that and the belief in what college athletics is about” (OKLAHOMAN, 8/10).
SEC LYING IN THE WEEDS? SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey earlier this week during an interview with ESPN’s Paul Finebaum said the league was comfortable where it stood amid the latest college realignment, but Sankey “didn’t say the SEC is closed for business.” USA TODAY's Blake Toppmeyer wrote Sankey actually “left the door open to additional growth.” The SEC “isn’t going to napalm the ACC, but if that conference’s fissures lead to fracture, the SEC won’t be a spectator while the Big Ten invades the South.” The league operates on “stealth growth,” and while Sankey “might not be a recruiter, but he’s an opportunist.” He made sure that Texas and Oklahoma landed in the SEC when they “wanted out of the Big 12.” North Carolina, Florida State and Clemson “remain ACC brands that mesh with the SEC’s culture and geographical footprint.” Toppmeyer: “If the ACC cracks despite Sankey’s wishes, I think the SEC would pounce” (USA TODAY, 8/10).
