On Friday, the Big 12 Conference presidents, chancellors, and representatives voted to accept BYU and Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF into their conference. The individual boards of these universities will formally accept the acceptance before the end of the day. Although the Big 12's football-related concerns were the main motivation, the decisions will have an impact on other Big 12 sports. Men's and womens basketball are the most affected. The shifting tides of expansion will also have a downstream impact on the composition and power of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and West Coast Conference.
What does the Houston Final Four addition mean for the Big 12's men's basketball profile, which is one of college basketball’s most powerful leagues? Can the additions of men's and ladies' hoops help to mitigate the upcoming loss of Texas, Oklahoma and other states to the SEC
The ESPN college basketball reporting team, Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf, discussed the impact of the Big 12, the fallout of the other affected leagues, as well as the changing landscape of men's basketball and women's basketball after conference realignment took a dramatic turn.
What impact will the addition of UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, and BYU have on the Big 12 men's basketball league? What does the Big 12 look like in terms of national strength when combined with the expected departure of Texas, Oklahoma, and BYU?
With the additions, the Big 12 bolstered its basketball standing. The league is ranked No.1 by KenPom six times and No.2 by ESPN six times since 2014. KenPom has ranked the league No. 1 six times, and No. 2 twice. 2 twice. Oklahoma and Texas are now out of the top-25, but Houston is still one of the most consistent teams in the country and was just in the Final Four last spring under Kelvin Sampson.
BYU won at least 20 games in 15 out of 16 seasons. This gives it a better chance to keep Mark Pope its head coach for many more years. Mick Cronin was a fixture in the NCAA tournament under Cincinnati and Wes Miller will help them to get back to their best. UCF has had its moments but its athletic focus remains on football. Its status as a "sleeping giant in basketball" has diminished.
It is difficult to say that the league has seen a net improvement in basketball without Texas and Oklahoma. However, with the additions, especially considering Houston's recent success, I don't believe there will be any drop-off. -- Jeff Borzello
What does the Big 12 have to offer women's hoops?
Big 12 women's basketball will lose Oklahoma and Texas, which will be a difficult loss. However, the additions to the league give it something that can help it rebound from such a devastating loss.
BYU is the Big 12's most successful women’s program. The Cougars have been to 14 NCAA tournaments and reached the Sweet 16 twice (2002, 2014). As a No. They defeated No. They defeated No. 3 seed. Jeff Judkins is the current coach of the Cougars, and has only lost one season since 2001.
BYU won the West Coast Conference's most recent title in the 2019 league tournament. The WCC regular-season title it held was in 2016. BYU has a long tradition of women's sports success. The Cougars' women’s volleyball team reached the final four three consecutive times (1993-2014 and 2018).
UCF was tied with South Florida for first place in the American Athletic Conference's last season. Houston came in third. Houston and UCF, like BYU, should both be part of a major conference. This was the sixth appearance in the NCAA tournament for the Knights. Houston defeated Arizona State in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament consolation match. The Cougars last NCAA tournament was in 2011.
Cincinnati's women's hoops team has had a difficult time making an impact, having last reached the NCAA tournament in 2003. Michelle Clark-Heard, Cincinnati's coach, had previous success at Western Kentucky. She won 24 and 22 games her first two seasons with Cincinnati. The Bearcats finished last season at 8-16. However, the move to the Big 12 may allow Clark-Heard to build on the success of Cincinnati from 2018 to '20. This included a WNIT appearance. -- Mechelle Voepel
Penny Hardaway's Memphis and the AAC's marquee programs are now in place, but can the league keep them happy. AP Photo/Mark Humphrey
How will men's basketball affect the American Athletic Conference? The conference is expected to lose three programs, including a Houston 2021 Final Four participant. The WCC loses BYU, one of its three top programs.
The biggest ripple effect is Memphis and Gonzaga's weakening leagues. There's a time when both schools (the anchors of their conferences) should look elsewhere. Even if the destinations they might choose are not obvious.
We have seen other leagues and teams make preemptive moves to control their futures by realignment. Since 2018, Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF have combined six NCAA tournament berths. Their locations are important too. The three schools are located in large metropolitan areas that have a population of more than 2 million. A league that can't find three similar programs is concerned about the diminished footprint. Three good coaches will be lost to the AAC, including Kelvin Sampson, who will be one the Big 12's top leaders upon his arrival.
It's difficult to see how Memphis will be happy with all this chaos. This must be the goal, as a league that placed seventh in KenPom rankings could end up outside the top 10. Emoni Bates' Memphis team and a strong football program could be discussing ways to find better pastures than preserving an insecure conference. Under Penny Hardaway, Memphis hasn’t made it to the NCAA tournament and will now lose three chances for conference wins. This is not good.
BYU was a significant addition to the WCC. Its talent, its support in Provo and its legitimacy are all important. Saint Mary's, BYU, and Gonzaga were the most successful years of the WCC. The WCC has been a multi-bid league in seven out of nine tournaments. Without BYU, the chances of multiple schools reaching the postseason are greatly diminished.
BYU's exit accelerates the discussion about Gonzaga's future. What is the limit on how long a top-ranked basketball program can remain in WCC? Gonzaga will continue to be a formidable team in any way. Their future is uncertain. A school that has Gonzaga's basketball reputation could find a home within a larger conference. It might not believe it can do so without BYU. -- Myron Medcalf
American was already suffering from UConn's loss in women's hoops. How much will this move further weaken it?
Let's just say UConn fans are grateful that the Huskies left for the Big East. They can now breathe a sigh again. The Huskies are not facing a huge challenge in the Big East's current form; they were unbeaten in league play last season. UConn's Big East is still a good choice geographically. It's unlikely that it will ever reach the same heights as the Big East on the women's side but it is better than the American.
Jose Fernandez has made South Florida a great program. UCF and the Bulls finished at 12-2 in the American standings last season. USF won the league tournament championship match over the Knights. USF won its seventh NCAA tournament appearance, all coached by Fernandez. It lost to No. No. 1 seed NC State.
While it is possible to speculate that South Florida will continue as America's best women's hoops team in the future, it is not going to be a league that attracts national attention like the Bulls. -- Mechelle Voepel
Are there any new rivalries that fans should be excited about? What are the major rivalries that could be lost by these planned moves?
Houston is the program that jumps out immediately as one that could spark new rivalries. On the recruiting trail, the Cougars have already faced off against Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech. There is clearly a regional component that can lead to rivalries. BYU and UCF may struggle from a rivalry perspective, simply because of their location. However, Cincinnati's proximity with former coach Bob Huggins, West Virginia, and West Virginia should make these early matchups interesting.
We lost Bedlam, as we mentioned in the announcements by OU and Texas. Oklahoma State and Oklahoma State were in-state rivals in basketball and football, but they are still in the mix. Texas will bring its rivalry against Oklahoma to the SEC where it will also renew its rivalries with Texas A&M, Arkansas and Mississippi. This season's Texas vs. Texas Tech game should be exciting, considering Chris Beard's recent move from Lubbock into Austin. -- Jeff Borzello
Houston could be a challenger to the Big 12's other Texas programs. This would be especially true for Baylor. It will take some time. It will take some work. -- Mechelle Voepel
