Sonny Dykes Calls Out Missouri and Texas A&M in Realignment Comments
Big 12 Football media days kicked off from Arlington, Texas on Tuesday from AT&T Stadium, and naturally, conference realignment was a topic throughout the day.
And when it came to Sonny Dykes, TCU’s head coach who usually isn’t one to start firing off the hot takes against former foes, he went to town as Oklahoma and Texas are heading out the door after the 2023-24 athletic year.
According to Melissa Triebwasser from Frogs Insider, Dykes pointed out that those who have previously left the Big 12 Conference haven’t had some of the success they experienced as members of the league, saying, “Missouri was playing in a lot of Big 12 championships… haven’t seen that much in the SEC. A&M was a competitive program, not as often now. I don’t know about you but UCLA and Rutgers feels like a natural rivalry to me.”
Dykes went on to note, “Every school has to do what they feel best for them. ‘We went 4-8 last year but we made a lot of money’… every school has to decide what matters to them.”
It’s hard to argue with Dykes’ point that Missouri, Texas A&M, along with Nebraska, who he did not mention, along with others (Colorado) do not secretly miss the Big 12 where they have more rivalries, fuller stadiums, and in some cases, more success on the field.
Yes, the big checks are nice, and as long as they keep clearing, that helps fund the ever-growing athletic budgets. However, for the true fan, has conference realignment really been a big win? And how will Oklahoma and Texas fans ultimately feel in five years?
There’s no way of knowing right now, but if things don’t work out on the field like both expect, they can’t say Sonny Dykes didn’t warn them.
