What Kansas joining Big Ten would mean for Penn State Basketball
By Evan Smith
Conference realignment rumors are running wild, and there’s a chance Kansas could join Penn State in the Big Ten as part of the fallout
With rumors of Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC, speculation is swirling that the Big Ten Conference could pick from the Big 12 carcass, and one name could change the landscape of the Big Ten Conference basketball for Penn State Basketball and the rest of the conference.
The rumor is the Kansas Jayhawks would join the Big Ten, which geographically makes sense.
The Big Ten already houses Iowa and Nebraska and this potential addition would increase the conference’s footprint in the midwest … essentially giving them over half the country (from New Jersey to Kansas).
What would the addition of the Jaywaks mean for Penn State Football? Well, umm … it wouldn’t?
Kansas Football stinks.
Their stadium seats less than 50,000 fans, and their last successful season was 2007, when they were co-divisional champs. This is a school with little football history and would likely battle with Rutgers and Maryland for the basement of the conference.
Basketball, on the other hand, is a completely different story.
Adding Kansas to the Big Ten would certainly impact Penn State Basketball
The Jayhawk men’s basketball program, currently led by Bill Self, has won three NCAA Tournament Championships along with another six runner-up’s.
Kansas won 14 consecutive confefence titles from 2005 to 2018. And they are the active leader in consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (31). Kansas would immediately become a power player in the conference, competing with MSU, Purdue etc. for conference championships. With the current B1G conference scheduling, Penn State Basketball would play Kansas at least once a year and have a home and home about every other year.
While it’s always nice to have an opportunity for a quality win, this conference is already brutally difficult enough and likely would mean another ‘L’ on the Nittany Lions schedule.
With no Wrestling or Hockey teams to speak of, the only other well decorated athletic program Kansas has is their Track and Field / Cross Country teams. The Jayhawks won three indoor and four outdoor Track and Field National Championships and another in Cross Country.
Other Jawhawk programs include Women’s Volleyball, Baseball, Softball, Golf, Women’s Rowing, Women’s Tennis and Women’s Swimming and Diving.