Texas A&M’s decision to leave the Big 12 Conference once and for all comes as no surprise. For decades, the Aggies have been stuck under the shadow of their arch-rival Texas, so it was only a matter of time until they bolted for greener pastures. It was always a matter of when, not if.
But now that they’ve turned in their proverbial two-weeks notice, the conference they leave behind sits uncomfortably on the cusp of chaos. And now, the future of the Big 12 rests largely on Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton’s shoulders.
Deaton currently presides as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Big 12, and as such holds an important voice regarding the future of the conference. Although Deaton insisted the chancellors and board would work to keep the conference strong, he wouldn’t specify whether the conference would expand.
Of course, it’s very early in the process. But the fact is, Deaton must quickly make a decision for both the Big 12 and Missouri. Either find a way to keep the conference together, or cut your losses and focus on finding your school a new home. Without big programs like Nebraska and Texas A&M in the conference, and with Texas bringing in an enormous slice of the pie with its new Longhorn Network, there’s no way for the other schools to compete for money. Nobody gets a fair share of revenue, so nobody wins.
If adding another school like SMU is the way to keep the conference strong, then make it happen. But Missouri doesn’t stand to benefit by staying on board a sinking ship, and as chancellor it’s Mr. Deaton’s responsibility to put his school in the best position to succeed.
That might sound like an oversimplification of a very complicated process. But after two years of uncertainty and flirtations with other conferences, we just want a conclusion for our school. It’s up to Deaton to figure out which conclusion is the right one for both the conference and Missouri, and it’d be best to figure it out sooner rather than later.