The future of Kansas basketball and the Big 12 Conference has been uncertain for a matter of days. Now, conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby is shaking up the debate with some findings of his own.
Bowlsby has claimed he has “documented evidence” that confirms ESPN has engaged in efforts to steer current Big 12 members away from the conference to allow Oklahoma and Texas to leave without exit fees.
Before these statements emerged, Bowlsby and the Big 12 sent a cease and desist letter to ESPN. These are the signs of a conference fighting for survival, during what has been a thunderstorm of a week for both Bowlsby and the remaining eight members of the conference.
The road will only get rockier from here, as the SEC vote on Oklahoma and Texas’ admittance is set to push through without any hiccups.
Simply put, there’s very little light at the end of the tunnel for the Big 12.
Bowlsby: "It causes me to further suspect they (ESPN) had their hands all over the Texas and Oklahoma move to the SEC. They were was deceptive as you can possibly be. There are right and wrong ways to these things. They sought to deceive us from the very beginning."
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 28, 2021
Jumping ship
Running parallel to the avalanche, Kansas-Big Ten talks are emerging more and more each day, as it seems continuously likely it’ll be the new home for the Jayhawks in due time.
The battle between Bowlsby and ESPN will make for an ugly scene, one that current conferences aren’t going to put up with for long. If the accusations are true, there’s going to be a legal mess on our hands.
Conference repair doesn’t seem to be on the agenda at the moment, as holding together what’s left should be the primary objective when looking to salvage this conference.
If you’re one of the other remaining Big 12 members though, it’s hard to believe your Power Five status will last long after all of this. With only a matter of time to realign, there’s a slim to none chance the conference pulls off a blockbuster movie.
Considering the options at these school’s disposal, the grass is much greener outside the Big 12 right now.