Josh Pate sounded optimistic about Kansas's chances to take a step up in the "Power 2" of the SEC and the Big Ten -- and given KU's AAU accreditation, the B1G looms as a much larger possibility for the Jayhawks.
“Everybody’s talking about conference realignment,” Pate said on his "Late Kick" program. “Everyone is talking about where Florida State, Clemson, or North Carolina could go. Hey, I wouldn’t just look over Kansas. I wouldn’t just completely overlook what they’re doing in Lawrence. That’s multiple sports, but I’m talking about football. I’m not talking about what they were, but I’m talking about what they are and what they could and probably will be down the road.
“You do not inject $400 million, mid-nine figures into your athletics to just stand pat. You don’t do that. For everybody talking about conference realignment and looking at the flashy object over here, don’t forget to look over there as well.”
I mean, if Mizzou is part of the "Southeastern" Conference, Kansas is only marginally more of a stretch. The Heartland is already in the SEC. But KU is perhaps the most realistic option to get acceptance into the B1G from the Big 12.
Big Ten to have a school from Texas by the 2026 season
There's no guarantee that either the Jayhawks or the K-State Wildcats will get admission into the Big Ten, but it's rumored that the B1G will have a school from the Lone Star State by the 2026 season.
"Received an e-mail 10 minutes ago from our Chicago B1G source, that said 'The B1G will definitely have a Texas school by 2026,'" Greg Swaim prefaced before saying, "As we reported months ago, TAMU and the B10 have been having serious third party talks for over six months."
What we know definitively is that TCU won't get a B1G invite. It sounds like Texas A&M will, though.