New Mexico has joined the list of schools clamoring for Big 12 basketball attention. What are their chances?
In late July, the University of New Mexico submitted a letter to commissioner Bob Bowlsby extolling the virtues of his school with the hopes of entering the Big 12 if and when expansion happens.
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The Lobos are a long shot based on their putrid football program, but we will break down the reasons why they could ultimately get a nod.
As I mentioned several weeks ago, UNM would be a good sports school for Big 12 expansion if one looks more closely at their basketball program.
They went just 17-15 last year, prompting the coach’s son, Cullen Neal, to transfer in light of death threats. The fans are clearly disappointed, but head coach Craig Neal kept the Lobos around .500 and sports a 59-38 record in his first three seasons in Albuquerque.
It will be interesting to see how their four incoming freshman contribute to the program’s success; one or two more season’s of average play in New Mexico’s famed “Pit” might just make the coaching seat too hot to handle.
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The school’s location occupies what could be a unique situation for the Big 12. Albuquerque sits just around five hours away from the Texas Tech, making travel a non-issue for the vast majority of Big 12 members outside West Virginia.
The city is in a top 50 television market, which would give the conference a fourth big market after Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and Austin. New Mexico would also be great if the Big 12 decides to moves west towards Colorado State and BYU as opposed to east with Cincinnati/Memphis.
It is also a perfectly fine academic institution with top 100 ratings in the capabilities of its medical, law, and engineering schools. It would appear to line up great next to research institutions like Iowa State, Texas, and Kansas, and improve the academic standing of a conference that took a decent hit when Nebraska, Texas A&M, Missouri, and Colorado fled for more money.
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New Mexico is the state’s flagship university, as opposed to land-grants or other types of institutions, which could potentially help separate it from other competitors.
These factors are all certainly worthy of consideration and will probably be examined carefully alongside other worthy programs.
The non-sports areas that hold UNM back are a media presence far outstripped by Cincinnati or Houston, and they do not have the same sort of backing that Memphis does with FedEx.
The school also lies over 1,600 miles away from Morgantown, WV, meaning that unless the conference wants to continue stranding the Mountaineers on their eastern-most island, geography will likely be a huge determining factor.
Personally, I continue to advocate the idea of New Mexico joining the Big 12. It gives the conference a good travel partner for the vast majority of its schools (sorry WVU), is a fine academic institution, puts the conference in closer proximity with a rival conference in the Pac 12, and has as intimidating of a basketball arena as you can find in America.
If I was moving the conference west, UNM, along with CSU and BYU would be knock-outs. At the very least, the Big 12 could roll the dice on a wild-card pick that could add a new dimension as college athletics continues to evolve.
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However, I fear that a lack of overwhelming positives with regards to geography, media exposure, financial backing, and competitive football will keep the Lobos from being the newest member of the Big 12. Too many other programs out east have more traction and resources at their current disposal right now, unless something drastic changes.