Former Big 12 coaches Bill Snyder, Bob Stoops weigh in on conference’s realignment

The Big 12 is generating headlines less than five weeks before the football season begins, but it’s for a reason that can’t make eight member schools happy.

Texas and Oklahoma have let the Big 12 know they will be leaving the conference in 2025, and have requested an invitation to join the Southeastern Conference.

That leaves Kansas, K-State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech and West Virginia pondering what the future holds for the conference.

A decade ago, the conference’s future seemed in question as the Pac-12 reached out to a half-dozen Big 12 teams. The conference weathered that storm, and that’s why former Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder believes the Big 12 will persevere again.

“The Big 12 came thru this before and will again. Keep the faith,” Snyder wrote on Twitter. “(Big 12 commissioner) Bob Bowlsby and school Presidents are good leaders-negative talk won’t help.”

Snyder wasn’t the only former Big 12 coach to share thoughts on the conference realignment. Former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops believes moving to the Southeastern Conference is the right move.

Stoops, who was an assistant coach at Kansas State from 1989-95, penned an essay for The Oklahoman about the Sooners leaving the Big 12.

This is part of what Stoops wrote: “Let’s set the record straight: OU’s move to the SEC is what’s best for Oklahoma. The reality is that conferences are now more important than ever and, with limited spots, the strongest conferences would not accept OU if we were to require OSU to join as well. By joining the SEC, we ensure the state’s flagship university will be represented nationally while protecting our rich football history for many years to come. To move forward in any other manner would be to the detriment of OU and the state of Oklahoma.

“The advantages are many — greater financial opportunities, better exposure, stronger recruiting and increased competition. Playing in front of full, huge stadiums will be attractive to our players, recruits, and our supportive fans. OU will be competing at the highest level of college football, which is exactly where we should be.”