The Univ. of Missouri Board of Curators yesterday "unanimously authorized MU Chancellor Brady Deaton to look at membership in another conference," according to Mike DeArmond of the K.C. STAR. Deaton also announced he has resigned his position as Chair of the Big 12 BOD to "avoid any perceived or actual conflict of interest" and "in order to focus more fully on MU’s best interests." He added he will work with other MU officials "to expeditiously examine what may be the best conference affiliation for our university." MU last month reportedly “had an unofficial offer to join the Southeastern Conference, pending resolution of the Big 12’s future without Texas A&M and with other schools exploring a move that could dissolve the conference.” There was “no immediate reaction from SEC officials about Missouri” yesterday, but Tennessee AD Dave Hart last week said that he “anticipated expansion to a 14th team ‘in short order.’” SEC ADs are “scheduled to meet today.” Meanwhile, the Big Ten “has made statements that it is happy with its current membership.” Deaton “would not name the SEC as Missouri’s prime option.” He also said that “it was ‘almost impossible’ to give a time frame for when Missouri’s selection and/or acceptance of another conference might come to fruition.” Interim Missouri system President Steve Owens suggested that MU “was faced with an implied ultimatum from the Big 12, much like the one then-commissioner Dan Beebe gave to Nebraska and Missouri more than a year ago when those two schools were speculated to have been looking at other conferences.” Interim Big 12 Commissioner Chuck Neinas has said that the Big 12 “would remain a viable conference even if Missouri left.” DeArmond notes there is “now a question whether the ground beneath the conference will begin to move again” (K.C. STAR, 10/5). In St. Louis, Vahe Gregorian reports Neinas has “scheduled a trip to Columbia for this week to meet with Mizzou administrators.” Deaton said, "We certainly are not ruling out continuing in the Big 12" (ST. LOUIS POST- DISPATCH, 10/5).
A BIGGER EAST: In Boston, Mark Blaudschun reports the Big East yesterday “made preliminary moves to expand to 10 teams in football and 17 teams in basketball.” Sources said that the Big East “is focusing on Southern Methodist, Central Florida, Navy, and Temple as the primary targets for football." Air Force is “also being considered, but is a remote possibility.” Temple becomes “a strong option if Navy chooses to remain as an independent in football.” Another possibility would be “to add Villanova, which is a member of the Big East in all other sports, but the school’s administration would have to OK the jump from the championship subdivision to the bowl subdivision.” The basketball part “is more complicated because the non-football members such as Providence, Seton Hall, Georgetown, and St. John’s have watched nervously as football controls the fate of the conference” (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/5).
