Second, by Texas Tech accepting a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. Now with political correctness, they find themselves in other jobs at the end of the season. The biggest downfall of the new conference is the effect it has had on rivalries. The expanded conference has diminished the significance of old Big Eight rivalries. Southern Division teams face members of the Northern Division once per year, which means that only every other season do the Cyclones play the Longhorns, Aggies, Red Raiders or Bears in Hilton.
Fans have a hard time getting involved in rivalries when they see teams infrequently.
According to a recent survey, they also have no idea what an Aggie is. It is also hard to build rivalries when schools are located far away from each other. Ask Texas Christian fans how many road trips they've taken to watch their team play the Hawaii Rainbows. And while Iowans may be able to find Texas on a map, few Texans can return the favor. Adding four teams to the league did not strengthen the conference in men's basketball.