K-State Q&A: Thoughts on Stanford opener, Big 12 expansion, weird alliances and more
It’s time for another K-State Q&A.
We have lots of great topics to cover this week, so let’s dive right into your questions. Thanks, as always, for providing them.
Both “alliances” are a little strange, to be sure. But The Alliance among the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 takes the cake.
I mean, what even is it?
I watched every second of the news conference that Kevin Warren, Jim Phillips and George Kliavkoff held to announce their partnership and I still don’t know what they plan to do. Or why they are doing this.
Part of me wanted Lyle Lanley to burst in the door and say “Y’know, three conferences with an alliance is like a mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows how he got it and danged if he knows how to use it!”
Maybe they plan to build a monorail?
That’s a Simpsons reference, by the way. Educate yourself!
As far as I can tell, they want to combine their powers for political clout and have more say in what happens with playoff expansion. Beyond that, it was a total nothing burger. Spare me with promises of a scheduling alliance that may or may not take place in 2045.
Their alliance would make a great skit on Saturday Night Live.
Oklahoma and Texas are bitter rivals from different states, so I understand why you think it’s weird that they are working together to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC. But at least their intentions are obvious. They are joining the nation’s most powerful conference.
The ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 are just holding hands and signing Kumbaya.
They did seem to put the SEC up on a pedestal and throw the Big 12 in the trash can, though. Maybe that was their goal?
Oklahoma should be able to keep winning at a high level. It might not be so easy for the Sooners to go 11-1 and win a conference championship every season in the SEC like it has been in the Big 12, but they should be one of the top four teams right away.
Can they sustain that success over the long haul? It will depend on how they recruit. Oklahoma brings in more five-star players than anyone else in the Big 12, but that won’t be the case in the SEC.
Texas will probably struggle to adjust at first. I mean, the Longhorns haven’t won a Big 12 championship since the Mack Brown days. There’s no reason to expect that to change immediately in a stronger conference.
But this could be a good move for them in the long run.
Big 12 expansion is still a tricky subject, even though none of the other power conferences are publicly looking to add new members.
Yes, the most logical next step for the remaining Big 12 members is to work together and refortify the league through expansion of their own.
But that’s easier said than done.
No one knows how much longer Oklahoma and Texas will remain in the Big 12. No one knows what the Big 12’s media-rights contract will look like after they leave. And, deep down, every existing Big 12 member is still holding out hope it can join a better conference on its own in a few years.
I expect most schools will continue using back channels to explore other conference options, even as they work on Big 12 expansion.
The good news is a sense of stability is beginning to form. I talked to a few sources on Thursday who were happy the Pac-12 voted against expansion, because it meant the Big 12 has a future.
It shouldn’t be difficult for the Big 12 to poach teams such as Cincinnati, Houston and UCF from the AAC. They would all have to pay $10 million and provide 27 months notice to leave their current league, but they will do it because there is more money and prestige in the Big 12.
BYU would also be an easy add, because it isn’t currently in a conference. The Cougars would bring some baggage, but maybe the Big 12 looks past all that this time around.
I mentioned Houston earlier. I love those Cougars in the Big 12. But Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech might not go for it. The Big 12 has always hated the idea of adding Houston.
Big 12 expansion isn’t going to be a seamless transition, is what I’m getting at.
You mention adding schools while Oklahoma and Texas are still in the conference.
I am in favor of that idea if it can be executed. Adding any two teams and promising them home games against OU and/or Texas would be a major selling point for them to come aboard now. But I have absolutely no idea how that would affect the Big 12’s TV contract.
The expansion clause you mention may have been eliminated when ESPN promised to pay through the nose for a Big 12 championship game and agreed to launch Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Remember, that’s the route Big 12 leaders went instead of expanding five years ago.
But if everything can get ironed out, here’s what I would recommend:
1. Add two schools now while Oklahoma and Texas are still in the Big 12.
2. Promise invitations to two more schools, but only after OU and UT enter the SEC.
In that scenario, the Big 12 would work from a position of strength during expansion and be ready to go as a refortified 12-team conference the moment its flagship programs bolt.
Yes, Skylar Thompson and Noah Johnson, who are both “super seniors,” have both said they think this is the closest K-State football team they have been a part of.
They have also said this is the most fun preseason camp they have ever gone through.
“There are no egos” Thompson said earlier this month. “Everyone just wants to win.”
I think going through all the headaches of COVID-19 last year helped bring this group together.
Of course, it’s easy to be happy when you’re undefeated. The real answer to your question will come after the Wildcats lose their first game. Will disgruntled players flee to the transfer portal like last year? Or will they stay together and win the following week.
I’m expecting the latter, but we won’t know for sure until this group hits some adversity.
Last time I asked about this I was told to expect around 30,000 fans at AT&T Stadium for Kansas State’s opening game against Stanford.
And the Wildcats will be bringing most of the fans. I will be surprised if Stanford has even 1,000 supporters inside the dome.
So the venue will probably feel a bit cavernous, given that it can seat as many 80,000. But I think filling nearly half the place with purple will still be viewed as a positive from K-State’s perspective.
Because it is technically a K-State home game, recruits are allowed to attend in an unofficial capacity. I’m not sure if that means they will have sideline access before kickoff or what exactly those unofficial visits will look like. But they are allowed.
I mean, KenTacoHut nailed it right out of the gates.
Fried chicken + tacos + pizza is a true triumvirate of tastes.
But I’ve always thought In-N-Out Burger would be the perfect fast-food restaurant to combine with two different restaurants. I like In-N-Out, but their menu is way too small. They sell two food items. You either want them or you don’t. Why not combine with Chick-fi-A, which has a bit of the same problem by not offering burgers? Throw Qdoba into the mix, too. Why not?
In-N-Out, Chick-fil-A and Qdoba. Now that’s an alliance!
I can’t speak for other interview sessions, but reporters pass around microphones before every question at K-State football press conferences. I just checked out archived video of Chris Klieman’s last meeting with media and you can hear all of our questions.
You should be able to hear everything if you watch the K-State press conferences on Facebook or the K-State website.
Well, the K-State women’s soccer team was picked to finish last in the preseason Big 12 poll and I have no reason to dispute that.
The Wildcats opened the season with an embarrassing home loss to Weber State and then only beat Omaha 1-0. Maybe they will improve as the season goes along and surprise some people, but I’m not expecting much from Mike Dibbini’s team right now.
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 12:32 PM with the headline "K-State Q&A: Thoughts on Stanford opener, Big 12 expansion, weird alliances and more."