Brown believes West Virginia, Big 12 has opportunities
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West Virginia head coach Neal Brown acknowledges that conference realignment decisions are above his paygrade, but he can’t help but see opportunities for the Big 12.
The league, which will add Cincinnati, BYU, Central Florida and Houston in 2023 before losing Texas and Oklahoma in 2025, has moved to a position of strength after barely surviving last season’s upheaval.
The Pac-12 which is dealing with a similar blindside to the one experienced by the Big 12 a season ago has left the league in a precarious situation.
Both USC and UCLA will be exiting the league to join the Big 10 in 2024 similar in a move that mirrors the decision of Texas and Oklahoma last season to join the SEC.
However, the move isn’t likely to be the last.
“The one change in college football over the next three or five years is there is going to be constant change. This isn’t it,” Brown said. “USC and UCLA for the traditionalists that really caught you off guard, but for those that are in the business I don’t think it necessarily did.”
It remains unclear what the next steps will be for either the Big 12 or other leagues but Brown believes that is has opened up an opportunity for the conference that wasn’t there before.
“For us in the Big 12 I think it’s a great opportunity,” he said.
Brown has great confidence in new commissioner Brett Yormark and how he will lead the league moving forward which makes him excited about the direction of the conference as a whole.
But regardless, Brown believes that West Virginia has always found a way to end up alright in these situations. That’s because over the past 75-years, the football program has played in multiple leagues and even been an independent but still has managed to find success on the field.
“West Virginia football has always been successful and always figured out a way to make it work,” he said. “From a long-term perspective, I have great faith that West Virginia is going to be just fine. In the short term I like the direction and think we have some unique opportunities.”
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