Report: Big 12 pursuing Duke to join the conference

Duke has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) since the conference’s founding in 1953. Despite their long ties to the conference, another conference apparently is trying to poach them.

Former Salt Lake City-based radio host Tim Montemayor reported on “The Monty Show” Monday that the Big 12 is pursuing Duke.

“Well-placed sources told us that the Big 12 is being aggressive with ACC basketball membership and has their eyes solely set on Duke to pair with Gonzaga,” Montemayor said.

The Big 12 has been trying to persuade Gonzaga’s basketball team to leave the West Coast Conference to join their conference but has been unsuccessful so far. Montemayor says the Big 12 would love to add both Duke and Gonzaga to strengthen themselves as a premier basketball conference.

Montemayor added that Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is trying to forge relationships now in case the ACC falls apart.

“He is targeting potential free agency after the ACC melts down,” Montemayor said of Yormark.

The ACC is being sued by Clemson and Florida State over the conference’s exit fees and grant of rights. The schools likely would want to leave to join one of the other conferences. Though the ACC gave Stanford and Cal a life raft from the Pac-12, the conference won’t be in the best position — especially in football — if Clemson and FSU are able to leave. That would create the sort of unstable situation Yormark apparently would want to pounce on.

You can listen to Montemayor’s remarks around the 14-minute mark.