Oh, What A Knight!
Every March, the T-Mobile Center plays host to the Big XII Men’s Basketball Tournament which annually attracts approximately 75,000 college basketball fans to the city.
Published September 10, 2021
I am proud to be a UCF Knight.
Having received both my Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and Masters of Sports Business Management (MSBM) from the University of Central Florida, I am a proud alum and a die-hard fan of Knight athletics. I am forever grateful for the two years I spent in Orlando.
As my readers also know, I am proud to live and work in Kansas City. There is no other city that I would rather call home.
This combination puts me in a unique position when it comes to the largest story in college athletics - the pending expansion of the Big XII Conference.
Earlier today, the Big XII formally extended invitations to Brigham Young University (BYU), the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Houston to join the conference for all sports as early as the 2023 season.
Throughout this entire process, I have been on the edge of my seat, anxious. This is about more than the future of my graduate Alma Mater, this is about the future of our city.
Regardless of whether or not you are a fan of a Big XII school, or one of the new member schools, or not; whether you are a sports fan, or not; this story should be important to all of Kansas City. Our city’s fortunes are greatly tied to what happens in the Big XII.
Given the unique crossroads that I occupy, it may be prudent to have a conversation surrounding the state of the Big XII, what UCF brings to the table, how this impacts our city, and my thoughts on all of this as a proud Knight who calls Kansas City home.
The State of the Big XII
From its inception, the defining characteristic of the Big XII has been a delayed reaction to shifts in the landscape of college athletics and associated media.
In the mid-90s, the conference was formed in response to the media deals that had been secured by Notre Dame, the Big Ten, the Pac-10, and the recently expanded SEC. In order to remain viable, the Big 8 merged with four member schools of the Southwestern Conference (Texas, Baylor, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech) to form a new conference.
A decade ago, I was among the doomsayers who were forecasting the pending demise of the Big XII following the departure of Nebraska to the Big Ten, Colorado to the Pac-12, and the SEC’s acquisition of Texas A&M and Missouri. However, the conference extended invitations to West Virginia and TCU and has limped on since.
Over the past decade, there has been ample reason for the Big XII to expand and, at minimum, get back to having 12 member schools. After both 11-1 TCU and 11-1 Baylor were excluded from the initial College Football Playoff in 2014, due to the lack of a championship game, it seemed like it may happen. However, once the NCAA waived the requirement for a minimum of 12 teams in order to have a conference championship game for football, any hope for conference expansion faded. Far be it from the Big XII to be proactive and consider the future.
Then, this past summer, the two flagship football universities of the Big XII, the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma, issued a joint statement stating that they would not be renewing their media deals after they expire in 2025. Effectively, this was a statement of intent by both programs to leave the conference.
At the end of July, regents from both universities accepted invitations to join the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
And now, the Big XII finds itself in familiar territory as it looks to continue their not-so-proud tradition of being “a day late and a dollar short”.
On multiple occasions, the Big XII could have, and should have, expanded over the past decade. Now, with Oklahoma and Texas set to leave for greener pastures, the conference found itself with its back against the wall and no choice but to seek out new members.
For each of these four schools, the Big XII Conference brings money and opportunity that propels the schools forward. For the conference, these are top-notch programs in attractive television markets that could ensure the survival of the Big XII. They immediately improve the men’s basketball reputation of a conference that is already considered one of the best in that sport. For football, which drives everything, these are four programs that definitely bolster the football prowess of what would have been left of the conference after Texas and Oklahoma depart.
There are countless reasons why the Big XII chose to tap these four programs, and they are all excellent choices. However, I choose only to speak for a program that is near and dear to my heart, whose ascension I have mostly witnessed firsthand.
An Unprecedented Rise
“Welcome to the big leagues!”
With today’s announcement of the invitation of UCF to the Big XII Conference becoming official, that is the message a friend, and proud Iowa State alum, sent to me. “Welcome to the big leagues”. As a Knights fan, I appreciate the welcome and the sentiment. Sadly, it’s an inaccurate statement. FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision - AKA what most people consider to be NCAA Division I football) has always been propped up by a caste system and “good old boy network” designed to restrict half of the programs at that level from truly competing. It is these politics and their proliferation that caused my friend to choose the words he did.
However, if he truly wanted to welcome UCF Football to the “big leagues”, he’s 25 years too late.
In 1996, the University of Central Florida began competing in FBS Football. In doing so, UCF had accomplished what no program has ever done in the history of the NCAA, they competed at all levels of NCAA Football. UCF is the only college football program to have ever participated in NCAA Division III, NCAA Division II, FCS (Football Championship Subdivision - formerly NCAA Division IAA), and FBS football. Even more incredible, UCF began playing football in 1979 which means they completed the journey from Division III to FBS in 17 short years!
Only two years after UCF joined the top division of college football, the school had their first ever Top 10 Heisman finalist (Daunte Culpepper). In 1999, Daunte Culpepper would be drafted 11th overall by the Minnesota Vikings, marking the first time a Knight was taken in the First Round.
In 2000, UCF marched into Bryant-Denny Stadium on the University of Alabama’s homecoming and defeated the Crimson Tide 40 - 38.
In 2005, UCF became the first college football program in the State of Florida to construct an indoor practice facility. In 2007, running back Kevin Smith fell 62 yards shy of breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record (2,628) for FBS football. Smith became the second Knight to receive Heisman votes. That same year, UCF moved from the Citrus Bowl into their brand new on-campus stadium.
As unbelievable as UCF’s first decade in FBS was, most of the program’s rise has actually come in the 12 years since I first enrolled at the university. That’s why it has been so special for me as an alum - I remember where I was during the big moments.
I was in the student section for Homecoming 2009 when UCF defeated Case Keenum and the #15 Houston Cougars to secure the school’s first ever win over a ranked opponent.
When UCF won the first bowl game in program history, I had just graduated and was moving to Massachusetts for my new job. I remember watching the 2010 Liberty Bowl from a hotel room in Richmond, Virginia. The Knights defense kept Aaron Murray, A.J. Green, and the Georgia Bulldogs out of the endzone all night. Liberty Bowl MVP Latavius Murray scored a touchdown in the 4th quarter and UCF defeated Georgia 10 - 6. UCF finished that season ranked in the Top 25 at #20, another first.
I remember when we moved from Conference USA to the newly formed American Athletic Conference in 2013. On Friday, October 18, 2013, I was in the Budweiser Brew House at Children’s Mercy Park after Sporting Kansas City defeated DC United 1 - 0. I was watching the UCF Knights face off against the #8 Louisville Cardinals led by Teddy Bridgewater. When Blake Bortles completed that game-winning touchdown pass to Jeff Godfrey with 00:23 left on the clock, I screamed! I didn’t care who heard me. Oh, what a night that was!
I remember watching the 2014 Fiesta Bowl from my couch that season as the UCF Knights (+16.5) became the biggest underdog victor in BCS (Bowl Championship Series) history after defeating the Baylor Bears 52 - 42. As has been a recurring theme for the Knights the past decade, UCF succeeded in spite of everyone doubting them.
I remember calling my friend Jessie after Breshad Perriman reeled in that Hail Mary against ECU to secure a share of the conference title.
Of course I remember when UCF went winless in 2015 and how painful that was. It only made it all the sweeter when the University of Central Florida became a college football National Champion just two years later!
After an epic double overtime win against Darrell Henderson and the #16 Memphis Tigers in the 2017 American Athletic Conference Championship, the undefeated UCF Knights were invited to the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl to face the Auburn Tigers. I remember all the build-up as “UCF could not hope to compete with an SEC program”. As the Knights had shown Alabama and Georgia in the past, they were up to the task. McKenzie Milton and Shaquem Griffin led the Knights to a 34-27 win over the #7 Tigers. With that win, UCF finished 13 - 0 and made history.
Never before had a program recorded a winless season and then turned around two years later and gone unbeaten. Never, during the College Football “Playoff” era had a team gone undefeated. One week later, an NCAA Major Selector* named the Knights the #1 team in the nation and UCF staked their rightful claim to a title.
21 years after joining FBS, the University of Central Florida Knights were college football National Champions^. Never had a program risen so quickly.
The University of Central Florida Knights defeated the #7 Auburn Tigers 34-27 in the 2017 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. A week later, the Colley Matrix named the undefeated Knights the #1 team in the nation and UCF claimed an NCAA-recognized National Championship in FBS College Football. IMAGE COURTESY OF: Getty Images
Since that moment, the special moments have continued to come as the school has jumped to prominence. Gone are the days of ESPN calling the school “C. Florida” as UCF is now a household name.
With the Big XII Conference left to either expand or die, UCF was too obvious of a choice. With 61,456 students, the University of Central Florida has the largest undergraduate enrollment in the nation. Orlando, Florida is the 17th largest television market in the nation and in the new Big XII will be the third largest TV market in the conference. UCF resides in the largest market in the nation without an NFL team. UCF also provides the Big XII a foothold into, arguably, the best high school sports state in the country for recruiting purposes and gives them a presence in what might be the best college football state in the nation.
With four conference titles, three New Year’s Six bowl appearances, two New Year’s Six Bowl wins, and a National Championship since 2013, the football pedigree is definitely there. In a conference renowned for men’s basketball, the hope is that a program on the rise, that just won their first ever NCAA Tournament game in 2019, can meet that challenge as well.
However, there is reason to feel like, UCF has been here before. A decade ago, as the Big East was falling apart, UCF accepted an invitation to join with the remaining schools of that conference and form the American Athletic Conference. While for one year, UCF benefited from the automatic BCS bid that was a holdover of the Big East’s place in the “Power 6”, that dissipated in just one year. There is reason to be fearful that current members of the Big XII could be picked off or that regardless of what happens, FBS Football will shift from a “Power 5” to a “Power 4”.
Regardless, this is a big day for UCF and this is a big day for the Big XII.
What UCF has accomplished in such a short time is truly remarkable. While the Big XII is long overdue in recognizing the value of UCF, it could no longer ignore what the Knights have to offer. Similarly, BYU, Cincinnati, and Houston could not be ignored.
All four of these schools have rich athletic traditions, national brand recognition, and attractive television markets that made them obvious conference invitees. Cincinnati football just played in the Peach Bowl and is currently ranked in the Top 10 in football. BYU just had the #2 overall draft pick in the NFL Draft. The University of Houston is fresh off an appearance in the NCAA Men’s Final Four.
Welcome to the big leagues? The addition of these four schools makes the Big XII a big league. The loss of Oklahoma and Texas cannot be overlooked but to pretend like these schools don’t bring a lot more to the table than some of the remaining Big XII members is simply obtuse. These four schools ensure the Big XII stays a “big league”.
In the time since I graduated high school, UCF has gone from the Mid-American Conference, to Conference USA, to helping establish the American Athletic Conference, and now they are joining BYU, Cincinnati, and Houston in the Big XII.
Perhaps this meteoric rise is more appropriate for UCF than any other school.
After all, when the school was founded as Florida Technological University in 1963, it was founded for the reason of supporting the growing NASA space program. The school’s motto that reflects this purpose, “Reach For The Stars”, seemingly extends beyond the students and describes UCF’s football program as well. Interestingly, the 50 yard line of UCF’s football stadium, “The Bounce House”, is at the exact same latitude as the launch pad at Cape Canaveral. It seems fitting for a football program that blasted off from humble origins and in the matter of mere decades, has arrived at the zenith of the national stage.
What Today Means for Kansas City
In 1996, the University of Central Florida was making the jump to FBS. That same year, the Big XII Conference began play for the first time. While the conference has been declared dead multiple times over the past 25 years, the Big XII has always done just enough to survive. With today’s announcement it seems that the Big XII has done exactly that once again - staved off elimination.
That sound you heard this morning when the announcement broke was likely a collective sigh of relief across the city.
As the Big XII crystalizes in its cocoon, Kansas City is left to helplessly wait on the sidelines. We sit in anticipation hoping that the conference that emerges has a sustainable future. As a city, we fully understand the relationship between the viability of the Big XII and KC’s prosperity.
Every March, Kansas City welcomes approximately 75,000 college basketball fans as the T-Mobile Center plays host to the Big XII Men’s Basketball Tournament and Municipal Auditorium host the Big XII Women’s Basketball Tournament. These events combine to transform the Kansas City Power & Light District into the biggest party in the Midwest that weekend as capacity crowds fill our downtown arena.
The excitement that accompanies this time of year, jolts our city out of hibernation as we begin to see the promise of spring on the horizon. Downtown Kansas City is never quite as alive as it is during tournament time.
This electricity and buzz in our city translates to an estimated economic impact of just under $15 million for Kansas City. It has often been rumored, though never substantiated, that the tournament singlehandedly makes the businesses in KCP&L viable. Once again, these rumors, while widespread, have never been confirmed or proven, to my knowledge. However, the pure existence and widespread nature of these rumors shows just how much this tournament means to the city.
When Oklahoma and Texas announced their upcoming departure, there were concerns (once again) that the most attractive members of the remaining conference would be picked off. There were a lot of rumors that the Big Ten would target both Kansas members and possibly Iowa State. These three schools are not only the three largest fanbases in attendance every March, but they are the primary reason that Kansas City landed the tournament to begin with.
And while basketball has the largest impact, it extends beyond one sport. Kansas City has also hosted conference tournaments for other Big XII athletics, such as soccer, over the past decade.
Since it is unlikely that Kansas City would be able to attract the conference basketball tournament of any new conference that the Kansas schools may join, or secure an annual event that would bring a similar economic impact, the continued survival of the Big XII, and Kansas and Kansas State’s place in that conference, is of the utmost importance to our city.
In a weird way, the departure of Oklahoma and Texas may actually help Kansas City should the Big XII continue to push forward. Any time the tournament bid has come up, it seems that Oklahoma City has been the biggest challenger. With Oklahoma gone, that may make them less of one and strengthen KC’s hold on the tourney.
It has been reported that BYU is scheduled to join the Big XII in 2023 with the other three expected to join the following year. There is an opportunity here for Kansas City to welcome the fanbases of these four new schools and to have large-scale exposure in parts of the country where we previously did not.
Currently, the Big XII is committed to hosting the tournament in Kansas City through 2025. Here’s hoping we can keep that party going for many years to come!
Every March, downtown Kansas City comes alive as 75,000 college basketball fans descend upon the city.
What’s Next?
Frankly, that is a bit of a loaded question as it seems that once again, the Big XII is a day late and a dollar short. Time and time again, the conference has staved off elimination. While it seems they have done so once again, this is not a sustainable model. As both a Kansas Citian and now a fan of a Big XII member, I am still concerned.
The conference should have added at least four schools five years ago. Hopefully they have done so before it was too late. But now, with the SEC set to expand into a 16 team “super conference”, it seems naïve and shortsighted for the Big XII to be content with only a dozen teams. It continues to feel like the Big XII is always five to ten years behind the curve.
It should not be enough for the Big XII to survive, Kansas City needs this conference to flourish.
The conference has hinted that expansion may not be over. This would be most welcome news but based on past behavior, it is difficult to believe. The hallmark of the Big XII has always been its reactiveness. I cannot recall a single instance of the conference being proactive. If they decided to do so now, it would be a welcome change.
I hope that for the sake of the conference, and this city, the Big XII will make an immediate push to invite at least two more members. The Big XII should want to “keep up with the Joneses”, so to speak, and be a 14 team conference after Texas and Oklahoma leave. Having a minimum of 14 teams is the only hope the Big XII has of remaining on the same level as the SEC, ACC, Pac-12, and Big Ten. You would think the conference would want to be pro-active in acquiring the best available programs.
So who would be next?
The obvious omission from this round of invitations was the University of Memphis. Many fans of the American schools (Cincinnati, Houston, & UCF) were surprised to see Memphis left out in the cold. There are a number of Big XII fans yammering for their inclusion as well. Memphis would not only improve the football and basketball acumen of the conference, but it offers so much more.
Memphis has a passionate fanbase that brings with it very substantial alumni dollars, they are a large television market (#51), would give the conference in-roads to the State of Tennessee for recruiting purposes, and would help to geographically bridge the gap with schools like West Virginia, Cincinnati, and UCF. Memphis has shown on the field and on the court over the past decade that they belong with these schools.
As for the 14th school in the Big XII, there are a number of candidates - Boise State, Colorado State, Southern Methodist University (SMU), Tulane, and Tulsa among them - but my vote would actually be for UCF’s biggest rival, the University of South Florida (USF).
I recognize this is an unpopular choice. Over the past decade, USF has not had nearly the athletic prowess in revenue sports of the other invitees. However, what this former Big East program brings to the Big XII would be invaluable. First of all, it would allow the conference to double down on the State of Florida. From a recruiting perspective, there would be a lot of value for a school like Oklahoma State or KU to be able to recruit in Florida and tell those athletes that they will get to play in the Sunshine State every year. With two Florida schools, the Big XII would be able to guarantee that happens in football.
USF also brings with it the 13th largest television market (Tampa/St. Petersburg) and helps to bridge the geographic gap with UCF. That proximity makes USF the largest rival of UCF. Every year on Black Friday, their rivalry football game, The War on I-4, is broadcast nationally. That showcase could prove to be a valuable feather in the Big XII’s cap.
Regardless of if the conference expands further or not, we can only hope that the addition of these four schools is enough to solidify the conference and their place in Kansas City.
As a UCF fan, I do have very valid concerns about the competency of Big XII leadership. From a pure leadership perspective, the fledgling American actually feels more viable. However, I also am ready to move on from that conference as a UCF fan. In spite of being the best college football program in the conference’s young history, Commissioner Mike Aresco, and by extension the conference, never supported UCF. In 2017, when UCF garnered over a quarter of a billion dollars in free media exposure for the school and the conference, AAC leadership was as quiet as a church mouse. While I have my misgivings about Big XII leadership, the timing for this move seems right.
As an alum proud of what my graduate Alma Mater has done to challenge the politics of college football, I fear what the move of Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF to a supposed “power conference” does to the campaign to create a path to compete for all FBS programs. Even should the Big XII maintain its “power status”, I will never stop believing in what the likes of UCF and Boise State have accomplished in exposing a broken sport. I will never believe that a team is better or lesser just because of the “power” designation. Teams prove their worth on the field and on the court. Sports should be the closest thing we have to meritocracy. I hope that the progress made by premier “Group of Five” programs is not halted with this move.
Those concerns noted, I am far more excited than I am worried about today’s announcement. The future of UCF, the Big XII, and Kansas City seems bright!
Over the past 12 years, I can tell you exactly where I was for all the big moments in UCF athletic history. This morning when the invitation was extended, I was at my desk as a co-worker from K-State and another one from Iowa State welcomed me to the fold.
With the coming ability to drive to Lawrence, Manhattan, Ames, and Stillwater for UCF events, I hope to be in those places as I make memories of future big moments.
I have a feeling I will always remember this moment. Right now. Just hours after UCF accepted an invitation into the Big XII. Oh what a night this is for a fanbase who has watched the meteoric rise of their beloved football team. What a night this is for those in Kansas City who were worried about the future of the Big XII. What a night this is for me is firmly planted in both of those camps.
I cannot wait for 2024 when the Big XII Tournament takes over downtown Kansas City and my Alma Mater is a part of the festivities. I cannot wait for a horde of black, gold, and anthracite to take over this city. I cannot wait for 2030 and 2040 when this will still be the case.
I cannot wait for the next round of UCF big moments to transpire in my backyard.
Charge On Kansas City!
Those Pesky Endnotes That I Often Insist On
*While the NCAA sanctions a playoff and championship for the FCS, Division II, and Division III levels of college football, there is no NCAA championship game, trophy, or postseason for FBS football. Have you ever wondered why the College Football “Playoff” (CFP) trophy looks different from the National Championship trophy that is identical among all other NCAA competitions? It is because the NCAA actually employs a number of Major Selectors to determine the National Champion. While the CFP is the most prominent of Major Selectors in the current era, there are actually over 40. A #1 finish in any of these polls grants that school the right to claim a national championship. This is how shared National Champions have occurred in the sport in the past and could continue to do so in the future.
^ It is largely agreed upon that the University of Alabama, a school that failed to even qualify for its conference’s championship game and failed to be the best college football team in their own state that year, were the consensus National Champions for FBS Football after defeating the University of Georgia in the College Football “Playoff” Championship Game. However, after that game UCF did finish #1 in the Colley Matrix, a computer poll, which is an NCAA Major Selector. As the only undefeated team in the nation, UCF claimed the title awarded to them. The NCAA Record Books for FBS Football list both the University of Alabama and the University of Central Florida as National Champions for the 2017 season. This was the first time since LSU and USC both claimed a National Championship in 2003 that FBS Football had a shared national title.
Big XII fans, weigh in! Which school are you most excited about joining your conference? Should the Big XII pursue 2 more teams? Who do you want to see in the Big XII? Does this keep the tournament in KC? Let me hear it!
