Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz criticizes conference realignment

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - With dramatic amounts of movement surrounding the NCAA with conference realignment occurring, many reactions have arisen from the moves surrounding the Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and more.

The SEC is set to add Oklahoma and Texas, the Big Ten will gain Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington from the Pac-12, the Big 12 will take in BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.

When questioned about the change of the NCAA landscape, Missouri football head coach Eli Drinkwitz had additional thoughts.

“I thought the transfer window—I thought the portal was closed. Oh, that’s just for the student-athletes. The adults in the room get to do whatever they want, apparently,” Drinkwitz said.

“Did we count the cost for the student-athletes involved in the decision? I’m not talking about a financial cost, I’m talking about did we count the cost for the student-athletes involved in this decision. What cost is it to those student-athletes?”

The head coach made an emphasis on it is not just a decision applying to football, but athletes across all of college athletics.

“We’re talking about a football decision but what about softball and baseball who have to travel cross-country?” Drinkwitz said. “Did we ask about the cost of them?” Do we know what the number one cause of mental health is: it’s lack of rest and sleep. Traveling in those baseball, softball games...they travel commercial, they get done playing at four, they gotta go to the airport, they come back. It’s three of four in the morning, they gotta go to class? I mean did we ask any of them?”

“I don’t worry at all about the game, the game is gonna be strong, football’s gonna be fine, we’ll all figure it out, but did we consider the people we are entrusted with? Did we consider the student-athlete?” Drinkwitz questioned.

In November, head coach Eli Drinkwitz signed a two-year contract extension with the Tigers.

Rumors of realignment continue to circle across the college landscape, with the most recent including the ACC concerning Stanford and California out of the Pac-12.

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