Chad Weiberg and Mike Gundy Talk Big 12 New Members and 16-Team Conference

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State athletics director Chad Weiberg was added to the schedule for Cowboys Football Media Day. Less than 24 hours after finding out the Big 12 was up to 16 and now had four former Pac-12 schools in it’s membership. Lots of smiles and celebrations as the Big 12 joins the top conferences that enjoy strength in numbers. 

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Tylan Wallace catches a touchdown pass in the 52-36 OSU win at Oregon State.

However, I threw out a question with the intent of sobering the situation. In 2019 we opened the season at Oregon State. Corvallis, Ore. is off the beaten path and the Beavers are overshadowed by their neighbors a little over an hour away in the University of Oregon Ducks. We saw that Oregon State was starting a $100-million stadium and football facilities project then that is now completed, right as the conference they play in has crumbled with the orange and black Beavers, coached by a successful alum quarterback in Jonathan Smith, sound familiar?

“Believe me, we’ve all thought about that very thing,” answered Weighberg. “You don’t have to go back very far, just a couple of years ago and there was a lot of uncertainty among our membership in the Big 12. I know the thought prcoess they (oregon State) are going through, the conversations they are having, and I have great sympathy for them.”

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Mike Gundy shakes hands with Jonathan Smith after the game at Oregon State.

Weiberg was quick to credit Boone Pickens, all other significant donors, the Oklahoma State fan base, and Mike Gundy and his football teams. It is because of the decisions OSU made when they did, the successful run starting when it did, that Weiberg and the Cowboys can join the rest of the Big 12 in welcoming in the new members.

"We're excited to welcome Arizona, Arizona State and Utah into the conference,” Weiberg stated of the three teams. Oklahoma State has played Arizona State and Arizona several times. Utah only once when the national champion 1945 Oklahoma A&M Aggies beat the Utes 46-6. 

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Weiberg talks expanded Big 12 and welcomes the new members.

“Appreciate Colorado preceding that with their acceptance into the conference,” continued Weiberg. “I think it's going to be a great 16-team league and the future is very bright for the Big 12. I really appreciate, I think as we all do, the leadership of the board of directors, presidents and chancellors they had in this. Obviously Commissioner Yormark, who I think did a fantastic job with his leadership. We're very, very excited about where the conference is headed and the future of the league moving forward.” 

"They're good additions,” head football coach Mike Gundy concurred. “We talked about this a little bit the other day, Arizona and Arizona State have the same Board of Regents anyway, so I don't know anything about it, but I don't know how they could be in that meeting and think it's good for one but not for the other. And then obviously Utah is a very good program. I think they're very well coached and they play over their head and win games that people think they shouldn't win and have done it consistently. (Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham) has been there the same amount of time I have.

Utah Athletics

Utah has a big-time program and stadium in Rice-Eccles.

Utah is a very good program. Over the last decade, 10 years, Oklahoma State is 89-40 overall. Utah under Kyle Whittingham is 83-42. Pretty close, and Utah plays football the way we do in the Big 12, physical and tough.

“I know there's a lot of graphics that come out on wins and bowl wins and a lot of different things and years in bowls because people text them to my phone, and it seems like Utah is always in that list of 10 or 12 or 15 teams,” Gundy added. “So, they're bringing in a really good team and they're one of those teams that - and I think Oklahoma State is this way - if you polled coaches anonymously across the country teams that you would really not want to play, because it's hard enough to play and beat them and you might not get the credibility that you think you're going to get from the exposure based on history. Utah is one of those teams."

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Gundy talks to the media on Media Day.

Both Weiberg and Gundy said that scheduling hasn’t been discussed, but it will be an important issue.

“Clearly it's a dynamic time and it's going to continue to be a dynamic time, so I think the more that you can be on the same page as you work through those types of decisions you have to make with them, the better you're going to be able to move and quicker you'll be able to react to what's going on.," Weiberg said.

Gundy pointed out you schedule because you want to create competitive balance for everybody, but you want to create rivalries and good games for telelvision. Nothing will change, just more teams and more travel.

In the meantime, Weiberg pointed out that there is something that comes up first.

“I'm excited about this year as well,” said the athletics director going into his third season in that role. “So in the meantime, we'll kick off this football season and I'm looking forward to seeing what Cowboy football has to offer this year."