Difficult to accept, but the University of Louisville’s conference future may lie in the hands of one David Boren, the president of the University of Oklahoma.

Boren, oddly enough, is one of the advocates of increasing the Big 12’s conference membership to 12 programs by adding three schools. But in the same breath he adds, “If we were to rush out and get less than top flight members I think that would be a mistake.”

If we are to take him literally, that means that Boren is less than enamored with some of the schools among the leading candidates, which include Brigham Young, TCU, Air Force, Louisville, West Virginia and Cincinnati. The followers of the schools not selected will justifiably be offended by Boren’s ill-timed and badly-phrased declaration.

Boren, a former Oklahoma governor and three-term U.S. Senator, is used to having his way. A recent exception was the failed effort to get OU and Oklahoma State into the PAC 12 conference. He was president at OU when former U of L football coach Howard Schnellenberger resigned after his first season.

He told John Hoover of the Tulsa World that he prefers BYU, TCU or Air Force to get to 10, or all three for 12.  We are left to assume that Boren lumps U of L, WVU and Cincinnati among the less than “top flight.”

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By Charlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.

4 thoughts on “Oklahoma’s David Boren not encouraging”
  1. Thanks for the encouragement Rich!!

    I hope that UofL has the chance to join the athletically and academically accomplished schools of the Big XII soon. See you in Norman.

  2. No problem. And hopefully we end up in a league together very soon. Good luck with the rest of the season.

    Boomer Sooner

  3. I don’t think that’s quite on the mark. The UofL, WVU, and or Cincy would be fine additions to the Big 12 and I think those three would be regarded as “top flight.” Boren’s comments are actually evidence of that — as he mentions Air Force as an option.

    The schools people around here have in mind as unpalatable options are more like SMU and Houston, who have been publicly vocal in their desire to join the conference.

    We (Big 12 lifers) pretty much assume that we will get to 10 or 12 with some combination of BYU,AFA, TCU, UL, UC, or WVU. Everyone has different opinions and preferences, though (I prefer BYU, UL, WVU). But we also get indignant when we here SMU jostling for a spot in our league.

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