Editorial: CSU should fill void left by CU in Big 12

Colorado State University president Tony Frank has the right idea in pursuing membership in the Big 12 athletic conference. Such a move would generate far greater resources for the university’s football program, and greater exposure overall.

CSU is believed to be in consideration for expansion of the Big 12, which currently includes 10 members. The University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Nebraska withdrew from the Big 12 in 2011, with CU joining the Pac 12 and Nebraska joining the Big Ten conference. The University of Missouri and Texas A&M also left, with TCU and West Virginia joining.

CSU is a founding member of the Mountain West conference — formed in 1999 —  but the Big 12 represents one of the major sports conferences for collegiate athletics. The Fort Collins Coloradoan reported that Frank sent a brochure to the Big 12 last summer extolling CSU’s virtues.

Why the interest? Money, for one. The Coloradoan reports that CSU received $3.38 million from the Mountain West Conference in 2015-2016, while Big 12 schools received $31.2 million each from ESPN and Fox Sports.

Fortunately for CSU, the Big 12 is considering expansion, perhaps to as many as 14 teams, with invitations possible this fall. Analysts say CSU definitely is in the running, along with Brigham Young University. Other possibilities include Boise State, New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV.

CSU presents both opportunities and drawbacks for the Big 12. On one hand, its inclusion would get the conference back in the Colorado market, where many Big 12 alumni reside. One negative is that CSU’s new stadium — although currently under construction — would be the smallest in the Big 12, with capacity of 41,000.

But just as it made sense for CU to leave the Big 12 in favor of the Pac 12, it makes sense for CSU to step up a notch and join the Big 12. Greater resources would enable CSU to field a more-competitive team, and the higher profile should spur alumni and business interests in Fort Collins and beyond to jump on the bandwagon through donations and sponsorships.

CU has made progress in the quality of the team put on the field since joining the Pac 12. It might take CSU a few years to be competitive with most Big 12 teams, but the opportunity is too great to ignore.

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