Mike Gundy strongly assesses the current state of the Big 12

The last couple of years have been challenging for the Big 12. Two name-brand programs, Texas and Oklahoma, announced their intentions to leave in the Summer of 2021. Since then, the conference has added UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, and BYU. Then, in 2022, Bob Bowlsby announced he was stepping down as commissioner, eventually being replaced by Brett Yormark. Now, the Big 12 is renegotiating its media deal early, potentially trying to incentivize PAC-12 schools to jump ship. Through it all, Mike Gundy has watched on as Oklahoma State’s head coach.

At times, Mike Gundy has been very vocal about these changes to the conference, saying that Oklahoma and Texas, “Took the money and ran.” While speaking to SportsCenter, Gundy dove back in on changes that are occurring to the Big 12, assessing the state of the conference.

“Well, we’re really healthy,” Mike Gundy said. “And I’ve said this from day 1. I think, now, we have the most aggressive, innovative commissioner in all of college football.”

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“He gets it, he’s a deal maker, he understands, he listens. Highly intelligent. [I’m] very, very impressed with him, and he’s gonna be the leader. You know, we’re all gonna follow his lead. We’ve got presidents in this conference that understand the business side of college athletics but also the student-athlete, which is very important.”

For Mike Gundy, his belief in the future of the conference starts with leadership. He clearly trusts the leadership that’s in place there. However, he also sees a bright future because of conference realignment and who is joining the conference soon.

“We’re bringing in four teams that have been tremendously successful over the past few years. And that’s what it comes down to, we all know this, it’s a demand for television. That’s the market. That’s the financial advantage. These teams that are coming in are bringing a great geography. From a geography standpoint, they’re bringing in a really good television market. Bringing in winning programs, bringing in head coaches that are recognized across the country,” Mike Gundy explained.

“And it’s gonna make this league stronger than ever, in my opinion, over the next three or four years.”

Why Mike Gundy stayed at Oklahoma State

Despite being an Oklahoma State alumnus, Mike Gundy has never shied away from looking at new jobs. In the past, he has shown interest in jobs like Tennessee, which he interviewed for. Along with other college jobs, Gundy has also had an interest in the NFL in the past.

“I had really good interviews with the family, with the Bucs. They never actually offered me the job, so I didn’t get to that point. I thought it was really close, but that’s neither here nor there. In the end, I just feel committed to Oklahoma State,” Mike Gundy said.

“I’ve been here forever, it’s just kind of a part of me. So from that standpoint, I just love the people here. It’s really who I am. There’s times we play the underdog role. I just get a kick out of seeing former players come back and be a part of homecoming. I’ve got guys coming back now who have multiple children, and we’re getting close to and actually have started recruiting players of mine — my players’ kids now that are of age to be recruited.”