Big 12 Basketball: Could Arkansas State join Power Five conference?

The Big 12 basketball conference will apparently hold a teleconference with upwards of 17 teams with regards to expansion. Arkansas State was among those listed.

The Big 12 expansion saga continues to get more insane. We already highlighted multiple schools several weeks ago, but more have entered the fray since that initial rundown.

The Arkansas State Red Wolves are one of the newest programs lobbying for a spot at the table.

This would be a major risk for the Big 12, but that doesn’t mean Arkansas State doesn’t have the right to ask for a new home in a bigger conference.

In its current Sun Belt Conference, the Red Wolves are very successful. However, does that really mean they deserve a slot in the Big 12?

The school is just 107 years old, having celebrated its centennial in 2009. The public institution of nearly 14,000 (main campus) students is located in Jonesboro, Arkansas. It has grown in standing in recent years and is now the 61st best school in the American South.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe is the University’s most notable alumni to date. ASU isn’t as academically prestigious as many of the other expansion competitors, but they are clearly trying to improve their overall standing.

More from Busting Brackets

Geographically, Jonesboro lags behind cities like Memphis, Cincinnati, New Orleans, or even Albuquerque. At just over 120,000 people, it is the fifth-largest city in Arkansas and boasts a media footprint outside the top 100. This fact alone might keep ASU from getting an invite.

On the basketball floor, the Red Wolves were solid from 2009-2013, only finishing worse than second once during that stretch. However, head coach John Brady stumbled the past two years and resigned, leading the school to hire former Baylor assistant Grant McCasland.

The new head coach gets his best scorer back, but getting ASU to a respectable level might be tough – this is a team that has made just one NCAA Tournament. The Red Wolves have been fun to watch in recent years, but they would be far behind the rest of the Big 12 in ability.

Personally, I think Arkansas State deserves major respect for even trying to enter the conversation. They are actively trying to compete with more famous programs from all across the nation. Their competitors boast better facilities, more media accessibility, and more impressive credentials across the board. And yet, ASU still feels that they offer something that these other schools don’t have.

Next: Is Creighton poised for a breakout season

I put the Red Wolves at the far bottom of the list alongside New Mexico and East Carolina as colleges least likely to get an invitation. But the aggressive stance from Arkansas State and other schools is pleasant to see.

Home/Big 12