‘More concern in 2011’: Bill Self likes Big 12’s move to add BYU, UCF, Cincy, Houston

Conference realignment in 2011 and 2012 — which included Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri and Texas A&M leaving the Big 12 and TCU and West Virginia gaining admission to the league — proved more worrisome to Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self than the current realignment madness of 2021.

This past summer is the one in which Texas and Oklahoma announced plans to leave for the SEC, the Big 12 countering by adding Cincinnati, Central Florida, BYU and Houston.

“I think there was more concern in 2011, maybe because it was new, maybe because I was more involved,” said 19th-year KU coach Self. “In 2011 I felt like I was in the know. This time I didn’t. I kind of felt like this time somehow it’d work out, it’d be figured out,” Self added.

Asked about realignment by reporters at last Wednesday’s Big 12 men’s basketball Media Day at T-Mobile Center, Self praised Big 12 administrators and school presidents for adding four programs quickly after losing Texas and OU.

“I think the league did a great job,” Self said. “Obviously we’re disappointed in what we lose (but) I think we added value. I don’t know that we could have done better in the situation. I think we did great. We added value in both basketball and football. I feel good about our league. The only thing that would be worrisome to me now about the league would just be from a revenue standpoint, but as far as quality, we’re good. We’re good,” Self added.

Self has no idea what the Big 12 might expect in its next TV contract to be negotiated without traditional football powers OU and Texas in the league.

“I am not involved in that at all. I have no idea,” Self said.

Realignment was not the topic of discussion when Self met with three Big 12 officials on July 21, the day in which media reports indicated OU and Texas were planning on exiting the conference.

“I was with Bob Bowlsby (Big 12 commissioner), Tim Weiser (deputy commissioner) and John Williams (executive associate commissioner). They came to my office that day,” Self said of the three individuals who happened to be in Lawrence to visit with KU’s new football coaching staff.

“They were there for football. They came by the office to say hi. We sat down for 30 minutes, shot the breeze. They leave, (later) that day we find out about the league situation and I tested positive for COVID right after they left. I was calling them saying, ‘Hey, sorry guys I may have exposed you.’ They said, ‘That’s the least of our worries.’ That all happened within three hours,” Self related.

Self did note that, “I know it was disappointing to find out probably the way we found out, to feel jolted like that (hearing through media reports that OU and Texas were exiting for SEC).”

Self wasn’t the only Big 12 men’s basketball coach asked about realignment at Media Day.

Bob Huggins knows Cincinnati

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins is an expert on Cincinnati. He coached the Bearcats from 1992 to 2005.

“It’s a great place to go. It’s a great town, for one. Shoemaker Center (now known as renovated Fifth Third Arena, which seats 13,200) is really a good place to play. They have a great fan base. I think they will certainly fit into what we have going here now,” Huggins said of UC, adding, “It’s a basketball town. They’re making it a football town now, but it’s a basketball town.”

Scott Drew says additions have ‘tradition’

Baylor coach Scott Drew, whose Bears joined the Big 12 in 1996 with Texas, Texas Tech and Texas A&M, said the conference is adding “four schools with tradition. When you join the Big 12, I think they’re just going to get stronger. Basketball-wise, BYU has great fan support, a great following, has been very successful on the court.

“Houston, coach (Kelvin) Sampson, I know him from when we first got into the Big 12 (when Sampson was at Oklahoma). He is a great coach. He’s done a tremendous job with that (Houston) program. They were a Final Four team last year.

“Cincinnati, great tradition and history. Obviously doing really well in football this year,” Drew noted. “That’s another school that coach Huggins helped bring them to where they’re at today. Then Central Florida, coach (Johnny) Dawkins does a great job. That program is just going to continue to get better and better.

“It’s exciting for the Big 12. We’re back to 12 teams again,” Drew continued. “But I know this is my 19th season in the Big 12, there’s a lot of pride and accomplishment just what we’ve accomplished as far as programs being as consistent since 2014 as we’ve been. To me the next step, again, would be just to get three teams (to Final Four in same year). We’ve had two teams in the Final Four together. To have three teams. ... again, the nation can see just what great basketball the Big 12 has.”

Jamie Dixon likes four additions, too

TCU coach Jamie Dixon said, “I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s a great thing,” when asked about the four schools joining the Big 12.

“As far as adding the teams, BYU included of those four teams, we’ve certainly got four great programs, both basketball and football. I think there’s no way we could have done any better and BYU is a big part of that. They’re ranked in football. They’ll always be good in basketball. It’s a tough place to play. I’ve been there many times. Haven’t won there many times,” Dixon stated.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity. Like I said, we landed on our feet real well. BYU is a big part of that.”

Weber’s SIU team played BYU

Kansas State coach Bruce Weber knows all about BYU.

“Unbelievable environment. I was at Southern Illinois, we were in the NIT, played a late-night game on a Monday night. Just great atmosphere,” Weber said.

“Obviously we ended up losing that game, but they’ve been very, very successful. Basketball, football, top 20,” Weber added of the BYU Cougars.

“For expansion, again, I mentioned earlier, I’m happy for our league. I’m happy for K-State, all the teams that stayed together, then adding teams, we’re back to 12. In my tenure here in the Big 12, every year in the spring we have meetings. We always ask the commissioner, ‘Are we going to expand?’ Everybody felt we were at a pretty good place, winning and money-wise. Obviously things change. We had to figure it out. Now we’re back to 12. We had to get media markets. We had to get population base for TV for the future. I think we accomplished that,” Weber noted, adding, “You look at the success of BYU in football right now, Cincinnati, Houston, Central Florida. On paper it looks like it’s pretty good. I don’t know if we’re going to be stronger, but basketball, football, I think we got great additions. I think the future is bright for the Big 12.”