Aug. 29, 2012

Dalton Pool, Texas Media Relations

AUSTIN, Texas — Bob Bowlsby, who was named the Big 12’s fourth full-time commissioner on May 4, 2012, visited The University of Texas on Tuesday to tour the campus, meet with administrators and address the media.

UT was Bowlsby’s sixth stop on his tour. He plans to visit all 10 Big 12 campuses in the next couple of weeks. 

UT President Bill Powers introduced Bowslby and stated that even though the Big 12 has been through some changes recently he is confident that the conference is now stronger than ever moving forward.

“I have never in my six-and-a-half years here seen the conference in as strong of a position as it is now,” Powers said. “I attribute that to the leadership of the Chancellors and Presidents, who are absolutely solid and behind the conference, and a great group of Athletic Directors. We have a tremendous future ahead of this conference … and we owe a great deal of that confidence about the future to having an absolutely first-rate commissioner in Bob Bowlsby.”

Bowlsby reiterated Powers’ thoughts about the strength and stability of the conference moving forward.

“One of the things that has been really impressive about the tour is just the extent of the energy and the extent of the optimism within our conference,” Bowlsby said. “I feel very good about where we are, and I am impressed with President Powers’ comments about the optimism in the league. We have some tremendous opportunities, and we are going along the process of capitalizing on those opportunities. I think our best days are ahead.”

Bowlsby was also excited about football season opening up this weekend, as well as about the new additions TCU and West Virginia, who both won their conference titles last year before joining the Big 12 this year.

“It is an unusual thing for us to start a college football season where we have actually three defending champions -- the Mountain West Champion, the Big East Champion and also the Big 12 Champion,” Bowlsby said. “So I am very excited about getting started this coming weekend, and as noted in the polls, we are well represented in the Top 25. I think that will continue going forward and I think we have a number of institutions that have football teams with chances of competing at the very highest levels as the season goes on.”

Bowlsby also discussed the newly formed Champions Bowl. Starting with the 2014 season the Big 12 and SEC champions will play each year unless one or both champions are in the four-team National Championship playoff. If that's the case, a second choice from the conference(s) is picked. 

“The Champions Bowl I believe is going to be a great thing for our conference,” Bowlsby said. “I think it is going to put us in a position, in a time slot, and give us prominence on the national level that the SEC and Big 12 have enjoyed apart the past but will enjoy even more together as we compete each year in that annual New Year’s Day bowl game.”