There have been a lot of questions raised after the close of Texas A&M and Missouri's final Big 12 Conference Championship meet about what would become of the smallest major conference in the country.
First and foremost, be reminded that the Big 12′s two new additions, West Virginia and TCU, both have men's and women's swim teams, so despite rumors that have been flying, Texas is not technically alone.
But as for a question of competitiveness and whether or not the Big 12 would seek to expand with additional members. Big 12 spokesperson Bob Burda says not.
“The West Virginia and TCU swim programs will replace the loss of A&M and Missouri in the Big 12,” Burda said of the issue. ” No other changes are expected.”
For the Texas men, this means that their cake-walk through Big 12′s will continue, and really get a touch easier. Though both programs could very well improve, TCU and West Virginia are not presently even at the level of A&M and Missouri. This means a probability of clean-sweeps of Big 12 titles with more of this year's “unrested Big 12′s” attitude.
As for the women, the battles that we've seen the past few years with Texas A&M will be nonexistant in the new conference. This provides a huge advantage for the Texas women. The conference championship has been a huge goal for both of the major Texas programs in terms of recruiting credibility. Now, that honor will go to the Texas women every year, regardless of rest. That's going to be great for them, because many high school recruits relate “Big 12 swimming” to “Big 12 football,” without realizing how relatively shallow the pool is.
Big 12 Swim Teams Beginning in 2012-2013:
Women
Texas
TCU
Kansas
West Virginia
Iowa State
Men
Texas
TCU
West Virginia