The race to become a Big 12 Conference expansion member is on, and in full force. The University of Houston, the University of Memphis, the University of Central Florida, and Colorado State University all have been trying to find their way in the conference, according to ESPN’s Jake Trotter.
The documents that ESPN obtained show that West Virginia president Gordon Gee has been heavily involved in the process, and is one of three Big 12 presidents in charge of exploring potential suitors. Gee flew out to Houston in late November to explore the campus, along with speaking with Houston officials, including head coach Tom Herman.
Gee and Herman both have Ohio State ties, with Gee being the school’s president from 2007-2013, and Herman serving as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2012-14.
Memphis made their big push in February according to ESPN. The school’s president, David Rudd, wrote a letter to Gee, and copied Oklahoma president David Boren and Baylor president Ken Starr on it. In the letter, Rudd told the committee that Memphis would make a $500 million investment in academic and athletic infrastructure over the next five years. Rudd even got FedEx involved, getting a letter from chairman Fred Smith, who said they will be behind the Tigers’ Big 12 hopes.
The push from FedEx on Memphis’ behalf was pretty big, according to ESPN:
“We strongly support the university’s efforts to become a member of an expanded Big 12 athletic conference,” Smith wrote to Rudd in a letter dated Feb. 23. “In support of [Memphis’] Big 12 aspirations, we have researched college conference sponsorships and are prepared to become a major Big 12 sponsor of football and basketball.”
Smith also wrote that FedEx would be prepared to sponsor a Big 12 championship game.
“We believe the University of Memphis and the Big 12 are a great fit and hope our support will contribute to the University of Memphis becoming a member of this storied athletic conference in the near future,” Smith wrote.
Along with the two aforementioned schools, ESPN’s documents showed that Colorado State and Central Florida also reached out to Gee about expansion. Colorado State is already making no secrets about their Big 12 ambitions according to the Denver Post:
CSU athletic director Joe Parker feels the institution he serves deserves to be considered.
“Knowing the conference, I think it is a big part of it, just the sense of place and how the institution feels,” said Parker, who has worked in the Big 12. “I think Colorado State to me feels like it could be a strong contender. I think when you look at the academic acumen, the research acumen, the institution matches well with schools have built that type of work on their campus. I think we’re proud of our athletic performance as well.
“The best way to characterize it is we’re proud of who we are, we are excited about the trajectory of athletics on our campus, we’re excited about what athletics contributes to the life of the institution. There’s been no better community that I’ve ever been associated with as far as the combination of campus and community.”
In regards to UCF, Gee wrote to the school’s president in October, assuring him that his university was in serious consideration for Big 12 expansion. He gave Colorado State similar sentiments, saying the committee would take “careful notice” of his institution.
The Big 12 certainly seems set on expanding, and it will be interesting to see moving forward who is able to present the best case to the committee.
[ESPN]
