The University of Utah officially joined the Big 12 conference on August 2, 2024 and those who closely follow college sports knew it was a bad marriage from Day 1.
Utah clearly didn’t want to be in the Big 12.
As Big 12 fans became increasingly familiar with how the university and its supporters operated, the feelings quickly became mutual.
After the Utes soul-crushing loss to BYU on Saturday, Utah’s athletic director Mark Harlan blamed Big 12 officials for the defeat then publicly stated what most of us already knew to be true:
“This game was absolutely stolen from us. We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight I am not.”
If Utah’s athletic director isn’t excited about being in the Big 12, they should do what’s probably best for the Utes and for their new conference as a whole, and that’s leave the Big 12 for whatever greener pastures they think are out there.
The Bad Marriage
When former basketball star Kris Humphries married Kim Kardashian back in 2011 most celebrity observers knew the relationship probably wouldn’t last.
Kardashian filed for divorce 72 days later stating, “Things didn’t work out as planned.”
The same could be said for Utah in the Big 12 in about the same amount of time.
It was no secret that after the Pac-12’s ignominious death that Utah’s leadership, including Harlan and football coach Kyle Whittingham, believed Utah was destined for a conference superior to the Big 12. Almost immediately after joining their new conference Whittingham said that Utah’s inclusion in the Big 12 was “far from permanent” and that he thought “in two-to-three, maybe five years at the outside, everything’s gonna change again.” What Whittingham was really saying without saying it was he believed Utah was destined for bigger and better things, most likely a Big 10 invite.
Utah was seemingly drawing up divorce papers before the ink on the wedding certificate was dry.
The Utes and their fans thought Utah was superior to the Big 12 and would “run the conference” in football. Things haven’t exactly worked out as they anticipated. Kyle Whittingham’s squad has a 1-5 record in the conference they deigned to join and thought they would immediately dominate.
As Mark Harlan stated, Utah and its fans aren’t excited to be in the Big 12.
Putting aside the extensive legal entanglements of exiting a conference, if Utah believes it deserves the privilege of being in the Big 10, then it’s in the school’s best interest and that of the Big 12 as a whole for the Utes to pull a Kim Kardashian and dissolve the union with their new conference.
Utah should leave the Big 12.
Following BYU’s example
What Utah is facing today as they pine for the Big 10 is similar to what BYU encountered back in 2010.
Back then Utah and Colorado announced they would join the Pac-12 and Utah’s departure from the Mountain West destabilized the conference it shared with BYU. In response, BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe took the dramatic step of going independent in football and joining the lowly West Coast Conference for other sports.
BYU knew that remaining in a diminished Mountain West conference would by extension diminish their brand and long-term prospects of joining a power conference, which was always the school’s ultimate goal. The Cougars took a massive gamble by betting on themselves and going independent in football to prepare for a power conference invite rather than toiling away in a lesser conference.
If Utah truly believes it should be in the Big 10, which forms something of a “Power Two” with the SEC, then the Utes may have options. They could follow BYU’s example by going independent and showing the Big 10 the value of the school as a standalone entity. BYU proved their value, and they got invited to the Big 12. Utah can take the same calculated risk.
If independence isn’t appealing, the Utes could pursue their football national championship ambitions by joining the Mountain West and trying to elbow out Boise State every year for the College Football Playoff spot granted to a non-power conference champion.
Another option is rejoining and helping to rebuild the Pac-12. Sure, Utah’s president Taylor Randall played a key role in killing the once proud conference, but the Pac-12 will always have Utah’s heart. Utah fans love the Pac-12. The “conference of champions” granted Utah status in a power conference and elevated the Utes very successful football program. Utah would undoubtedly be the jewel of the rebuilding conference, and sometimes it’s nice to be the big fish in a small pond.
But independence, the Mountain West, and the new Pac-12 all carry risks. Utah could take one of those three paths and the Big 10 may or may not ever come calling. BYU knew that risk years ago and had enough confidence in the power of the BYU brand to ultimately land the school in the conference it always aspired to join. Do the Utes have the same conviction about the power of the Utah brand to get into the Big 10?
It’s patently obvious the Utes are miserable in the Big 12.
Unfortunately, Utah is now spreading that misery to the 15 other teams that proudly call the Big 12 home.
It’s time for Utah to do themselves and everyone else a favor and leave the Big 12.