KU’s Self speaks his mind on conference realignment

By KEN DAVIS

There is frustration in Bill Self’s voice. He is not in panic mode. There’s just an uncertainty about the future of college athletics that leaves him concerned and a bit perplexed.

It’s the feeling of not knowing what is next.

 Three months have passed since Self coached the Kansas Jayhawks to the 2022 NCAA national championship in men’s basketball. Since then, there have been parades, banquets, celebrations, the pride of watching former KU star Andrew Wiggins win an NBA championship, and the joy of witnessing tournament stars Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.

 Now Self has welcomed a new freshman class to Lawrence, Kan., and the Jayhawks are in their second summer session of practices in preparation for a new season ahead.

 That is his primary focus, but there is the distraction of conference realignment again. The recent announcement that UCLA and USC will leave the Pac-12 and defect to the Big Ten has raised questions for administrators and coaches in all the Power Five conferences. Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports has reported that the Big 12 is “involved in deep discussions to add multiple Pac-12 programs.” Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are specifically on the list.

 “Everybody that’s left, anybody that’s not in the SEC or the Big Ten, all have concerns,” Self said Wednesday in a phone interview. “The Pac-12, the Big 12, and the ACC. I think we’re in as good a shape as anybody. But I think it would be naïve to think that the ACC isn’t scrambling, and the Pac 12 isn’t scrambling. The Big 12 is scrambling.  What’s the next best move?”

Asked how he felt about the landscape ahead, Self said, “I really don’t know how I feel.”

 Self, entering his 20^th season at Kansas, understands football and television revenue are the factors that decide realignment. And it is a given that financial debt forces universities such as UCLA to make decisions they wouldn’t have made years ago.

“I was not shocked, but definitely surprised, at the most recent move,” Self said. “In the short term, it certainly looks attractive financially. No question about that. But that’s a lot of travel in a time where we’re all so worried about student-athlete welfare and education and all that stuff. That’s putting a lot of kids in a situation that they’re going to spend a lot of time away from the classroom.”

 The Pac-12 released a statement Monday that it would immediately begin negotiations on its next TV contract.  The conference’s current deal expires in 2024 and it appears the Pac-12 will try to move forward its 10 remaining members. But Big 12 sources told Dodd that “everything is on the table” and the league must be aggressive.

 That is the Big 12 stance after Texas and Oklahoma announced last year that they will join the SEC. Losing those traditional football powerhouses led the Big 12 to expand to 12 members by the 2023 football season by adding BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF. The Big 12 could expand its national footprint by taking on members of the Pac-12.

 How would Self and Kansas view the addition of four Pac-12 teams – or perhaps more?

 “I don’t know,” he said. “But I would think that means they’re coming to the Big 12 and we aren’t going anywhere. That’s got to be positive. I think that we’re in a better spot that some but obviously not in the best spot. Who knows how that will be in a year, or two years, from now.

 “I like where we’re at but I know the television revenue is what draws so much of it or is what’s behind it, especially all the football. I don’t believe we’re in a terrible place but I don’t think we’re in a place we’re going to end up either. Obviously, everybody’s anxious about how it could all play out.”

 Winning a fourth NCAA championship, and the second under Self, solidifies KU’s position as a blue-blood basketball program. Kansas is the kingpin of the Big 12 in basketball terms. And the Big 12 has won the last two national championships with Baylor winning in 2021. But basketball doesn’t call the shots and the short-term realignment goals likely do not translate to the long-term implications.

 “I have no idea [about the long term],” Salf said. “Does anybody know what it is? Are the football people going to break off and do their own deal? I have no idea. I do think if forces everyone’s hand to be ready whenever your name is called or that opportunity creates itself.

 “The reality is, that in a perfect world, everyone would love to keep their natural rivalries. Everybody would love to play relatively locally. There are so many positives about all those things but the way the landscape has shifted, it’s about eyeballs. It’s about how many will turn on the TV to watch your respective team to participate or the metropolitan area you can bring with it. That’s important. Then you have all the academic considerations and do you fit the profile of the other schools?

 “I do think Kansas is in a favorable position. We have a lot to offer and I think our league is in a favorable position compared to some. We’ve got to make the most of it. I can’t believe that you are going to base those decisions on teams. You should be basing those decisions on universities and programs.”

 Self said that is what puts pressure on every program and every coach, not just Kansas football and second-year coach Lance Leipold. Since KU’s historic season when it won the 2008 Orange Bowl under coach Mark Mangino, the Jayhawks have been a cellar dweller in Big 12 football.

But the hiring of Leipold has given football some momentum. Despite a 2-10 record (1-8 Big 12) last season, the Jayhawks made national headlines with a 57-56 overtime win at Texas last November and followed that with two highly competitive losses, 31-28 at TCU and 34-28 to West Virginia, to close the season. Leipold has had recruiting success, has generated excitement around the program heading into 2022, and some have wondered if he can produce results the way Bill Snyder did at Kansas State.

 “Leagues aren’t thinking short term or five years and how good a program is going to be.” Self said. “They’re thinking long term. We did finish in the top five in America [in football] in 2008. I know that’s been 14 years ago, but it’s been shown it can be done here.

 “It will come back. It’s been a while obviously but when people think of Kansas football and league opportunities, I can’t believe they’re thinking strictly what it’s been like here in recent memory. They’re going to be thinking about potential and what commitment the school has to the future. We’ve been down but Lance is doing a good job. With the [transfer] portal you can get back quicker than you used to.”