Kelly Lyell

kellylyell@coloradoan.com

CSU’s formal pitch to join the Big 12 Conference was short and simple.

Tony Frank, Colorado State University’s chancellor and president, sent a brief letter July 25 to Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby and a Kansas City, Missouri-based consultant, expressing the university’s interest in joining the conference.

“Based on the recent decision of the Big 12 Conference presidents to consider conference expansion, Colorado State University wishes to express its strong interest in being considered as an expansion candidate,” the letter read. “We believe our university has a great deal to offer a leading athletic conference.

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“We appreciate the opportunity to tell our story so you may get to know us better as we work with you throughout your process. We look forward to hearing from you regarding next steps, as well as any other information we may provide.”

The letter, obtained Wednesday through an open-records request, closed with another sentence providing Bowlsby and consultant Kevin Sweeney with the email addresses and phone numbers of Frank and Michael Nosler, the CSU system’s general counsel, and their availability to answer questions or provide additional information as needed.

Frank had sent two four-page brochures full of facts and figures promoting CSU’s candidacy to the three presidents in the Big 12’s composition committee last summer. It included information on CSU’s strong academic programs, fundraising success, commitment to athletics and location in a fast-growing region just an hour’s drive from Denver.

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The July 25 letter was the only form of written or emailed correspondence between Frank, CSU athletic director Joe Parker and other school representatives with the presidents or ADs of the 10 schools in the Big 12 or the conference office since Bowlsby’s announcement July 19, school officials said in responding to the open-records request.

The Big 12 plans to hold conference calls with 20 schools that have expressed interest in joining the conference since the July 19 announcement, ESPN.com reported. It’s not clear when those calls will take place, but they most likely will be completed before the Big 12 presidents meet again Oct. 17 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

CSU is believed to be one of the leading candidates, along with BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and Connecticut. Others include Air Force, Boise State, New Mexico, UNLV and San Diego State — all members of the Mountain West, like CSU — as well as Arkansas State, Central Florida, East Carolina, Memphis, Northern Illinois, Rice, SMU, South Florida, Temple and Tulane.

Presidents of eight of the 10 Big 12 schools would have to vote in favor of adding any new members, according to the conference’s bylaws.

Follow reporter Kelly Lyell at twitter.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news.

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