When Texas governor and A&M alum Rick Perry was in Iowa recently, he didn’t do much to answer questions asked about A&M’s role in destabilizing the Big 12 Conference. But, as the Boston Globe points out, he may have to:
To fans of other Big 12 schools like Baylor, Texas Tech, and Iowa State, the fear now that the departure of Aggies will cause the Big 12 to implode — and that when the dust settles, their teams may wind up in a second-tier conference. …
Perhaps the most vulnerable member of the Big 12 if it breaks up is Iowa State. … Further, Iowa State’s fan base is concentrated in the more conservative western third of the state, where, incidentally, there are also a disproportionate number of GOP caucusgoers. …
In these vast stretches of rural Iowa, Iowa State sports, be it football, basketball, or wrestling, is the only show in town. But while Western Iowa may be devoted to Iowa State, it’s not exactly considered a promising market or exciting television for the rapacious athletic conferences that will feed off the remnants of the Big 12.
The Globe is a little off on its perceptions. I think at best, western Iowa is divided into thirds between the Huskers, Hawkeyes, and Cyclones, and the Omaha media market plays into that. And I don’t think there’s anywhere, even Ames, where Iowa State is the only show in town; you can’t drive too far on any Iowa road without seeing a Hawkeye flag flying.
Maybe Iowa State’s presence in a BCS conference should replace ethanol subsidies as the alleged litmus test for Republican candidates. But maybe instability will stay in the background as long as there aren’t any other…
University of Oklahoma president David Boren says multiple conferences have shown interest in the Sooners recently and he expects to decide whether to leave the Big 12 or not within the next three weeks.