UConn, Gonzaga won’t join Big 12 after ‘dream’ realignment comes true: Brett Yormark

The Large 12 has added a variety of colleges as a part of the large shakeup in faculty sports activities, however Gonzaga and UConn is not going to be becoming a member of the convention. 

Large 12 commissioner Brett Yormark advised “The Marchand & Ourand Sports Media Podcast” that conversations with the 2 basketball powerhouses had occurred.

Nonetheless, they ended after the convention’s “dream situation” got here to fruition when it added Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado in a raid of the Pac-12 final week. 

“I did have conversations with UConn and Gonzaga, and sadly, issues didn’t work out, solely as a result of the dream situation unfolded for us, so these conversations are now not,” Yormark stated through the look on the podcast. “I’m a giant admirer of each of these packages.

“They’re unbelievable for all the correct causes, however I’m targeted on the transition of these 4 [schools] proper now.”

There had been murmurs that each colleges had been attainable marks for the Large 12 after Colorado moved to the convention.

Had it not been for the additions of the previous Pac-12 colleges, UConn and Gonzaga would have probably been sturdy suits for Yormark’s future plans for the Large 12. 

Whereas talking with the podcast, Yormark talked about that basketball had been “undervalued” within the ongoing convention growth dialog, with soccer dominating the pondering. 

The Large 12 is already the most effective basketball conferences within the NCAA and had completed first in KenPom’s convention rankings in eight of the previous 10 seasons.

Arizona and Houston’s transfer to the Large 12 ought to assist hold that standing. 

“We’re the deepest convention, I feel, in America in relation to soccer, however arguably, we’re the No. 1 convention in basketball, and I’m enthusiastic about that,” he stated.

The commissioner did specific some regret over how the Large 12 took 4 colleges from the Pac-12, which is now down to simply 4 colleges itself. 

He stated he has spoken with Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff about what transpired. 

“I nonetheless have a bit little bit of a knot in my abdomen,” Yormark stated. “I by no means need my acquire to be anybody else’s loss. On the heels of not simply Colorado however of all 4 Nook colleges coming, I texted [Kliavkoff], reached out to him. … He and I spoke final week and, successfully, I stated, ‘I’m sorry it got here all the way down to this and I’m sorry I put you in a tricky place, however this was one thing we needed to do. 

“And I’m sorry that my acquire is your loss.’ And we had a really collegial dialog. [Kliavkoff] was unbelievable.”