Bill Snyder 'not sure' Nebraska is 'pleased' with its move to Big Ten
Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder said earlier this week that two former Big 12 schools “wish” they could return to the conference.
Snyder didn’t offer specifics, of course, but schools like Colorado and Nebraska quickly came to mind. When he visited ESPN later in the week, Snyder pointed to the Huskers.
“When push comes to shove, I don’t want to speak for anybody, but I’m not so sure they’re pleased with the decision they made,” Snyder said of Nebraska per ESPN.com.
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Nebraska made the decision to leave the Big 12 for the greener ($$$) pastures of the Big Ten in 2010 (officially joining in 2011), effectively putting an end to its long-standing series with KSU. Snyder, who is entering his 26th season at the helm for the Wildcats, says he misses the rivalry and that the two schools “should be” playing one another.
The Huskers haven’t been able to return to the national prominence they held in the Big 12 during their tenure in the Big Ten, but the overall steadiness of Big Ten membership is something any university would like. The Big 12 is on shaky ground right now in comparison to other Power 5 leagues. The league’s impending expansion is evidence of that.
And for the record, Colorado athletic director Rick George made it clear that CU is quite comfortable in the Pac-12.
“I can’t see any reason that we would want to go back to the Big 12 at this point,” George said per the Boulder Daily Camera. “We have not even had a discussion about that.”
Like Nebraska, Colorado officially joined its new league in 2011. Missouri and Texas A&M also left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012. The Big 12 later added TCU and West Virginia to reach its current 10-member status.
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For Colorado, George said the Pac-12 is a more natural fit for its alumni base.
“One of the biggest advantages from an athletic standpoint is the way we’re connected with our recruiting areas and with our alumni in California, Arizona, Oregon and Washington,” George said. “We have so many alumni on the West Coast, it really connects us. From that standpoint, it’s really important.”
The Big 12 has plenty of options to sort through and commissioner Bob Bowlsby said earlier this week that the league would consider adding two or possibly four new members. Houston, BYU, Cincinnati, Memphis, UCF, UConn, Colorado State and others are among the candidates.
An ESPN poll showed that Big 12 coaches favor BYU and Houston.
For more Kansas State news, visit GoPowerCat.com.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
