Yorkmark said the possibility of adding UConn and Gonzaga only lapsed because the Big 12 was able to carry out its ideal expansion plans.
The Big 12 was very transparent over the past year about its interest in expanding, and it was clear throughout that it hoped to add Power 5 programs. Gonzaga and UConn were schools that Yormark looked at and liked — remember, he believes that basketball is under-valued in general — but they were always Plan B, behind Power 5 additions.
As for Gonzaga, there is no arguing that the Zags were very much interested in moving. And the school still would love to find a landing spot for its premiere basketball team. The West Coast Conference has done what it can to recognize the disparity between Mark Few’s program and everyone else. Four years ago the league reworked its NCAA Tournament share payout to reward teams that win games beyond the first round a larger slice of the pie — an obvious nod to Gonzaga’s success.
But losing BYU is another blow to the conference’s overall competitiveness, and the Zags would love to move. Without football, they just aren’t easy to move. The Big East, ironically, would be the most logical spot. As a Catholic, basketball-first school, Gonzaga is an ideal match … except for location.
“I still have a little bit of a knot in my stomach,” Yormark said. “I never want my gain to be anyone else’s loss. … On the heels of not Colorado but of all ‘four corner’ schools coming, I texted George, reached out to him. … He and I spoke last week and, effectively, I said, ‘I’m sorry it came down to this and I’m sorry I put you in a tough position, but this was something we had to do.’ … And we had a very collegial conversation. George was fantastic.
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