The Big 12 is on the verge of expanding and returning to 12 teams, and Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy sounds ready and willing to embrace the challenge.
Gundy talked at length about the reported Big 12 expansion plans on Monday, admitting that he didn’t have a lot of information on the proposed additions. He did, however, have a lot to say about the four schools rumored to be joining the conference.
Gundy pointed out that the television markets for Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF are clearly large enough to support Big 12 membership, and that they have been winning programs recently. Perhaps his most notable praise came for BYU, which he said is clearly a Power 5 school at heart.
“Coast to coast, people see BYU as a Power Five team,” Gundy said, via Eli Lederman of the Tulsa World. “That logo. You would too, right? If you see that logo, people don’t really know that they’re an independent. People think that they’re tied into a Power Five conference.”
Gundy’s comments would likely be echoed by his colleagues as the conference seeks to remain nationally relevant. That will matter to those already there who want to keep playing relevant games at their current schools. Gundy certainly seems to fit that description.
