With Oklahoma and Texas officially declaring their intention to exit the Big 12, the other eight conference teams are left in the lurch. What does the Collegian sports desk think will happen to Kansas State and the rest of the Leftover Eight?
First thing’s first — the remaining eight Big 12 teams, plus any combination of BYU, American, Mountain West or C-USA teams, is NOT a power conference and will not bring the TV contracts K-State and Co. need to continue operating at the level they have been. Poaching top-level Group of Five teams is not the worst possible outcome (that would be winding up in the Mountain West), but it is not desirable.
The ideal situation is that the Pac-12 recognizes the value of Kansas State and Oklahoma State as the 29th and 30th most valuable programs in the country and the Kansas legislature does something to get itself removed from California’s state-funded travel ban.
Obtaining an invitation from the Pac-12 should be K-State’s main goal as an athletics department and a university during this process.
