Records suggest no communication between CSU, Big 12

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

CSU's exodus from the Mountain West to a Power 5 conference appears to be further away than some have hoped.

Formal digital communication between Colorado State University and the Big 12 doesn't exist.

Earlier this week I intended to write a column looking at the pros and cons of schools the Big 12 could consider should it choose to expand: CSU, Boise State, Brigham Young, Houston, and the most likely candidate, Cincinnati. In preparing to do so, I contacted CSU's public relations office to ask the question I have regularly since December 10, 2014.

"Has CSU had any communication with conferences other than the Mountain West about membership?"

CSU said it doesn't comment on speculation. That prompted me to file an open records request Wednesday morning to see if there has been any digital communication to or from the Big 12 office and CSU.

That request was returned Friday morning, informing me what I was looking for doesn't exist.

Keep in mind that this does not include phone calls, but if there was momentum here, this would be the realm it in which it resided.

I realize this will be disappointing news to many of you. A "CSU to Big 12" Facebook group was created last week and already has more than 2,600 followers on the page. And it's all Ram fans are talking about on Twitter and the message boards, prompted by University of Oklahoma president David Boren's comments to my friend Ryan Aber at The Oklahoman on June 24, reiterating the Big 12 should expand from 10 to 12 teams.

My thoughts on the subject remain unchanged from when I wrote about the necessity of the Big 12's expansion in December. CSU as an athletic program is swiftly moving in the right direction thanks to what CSU President Tony Frank and former athletic director Jack Graham started and current AD Joe Parker is continuing. But the Denver TV market still doesn't have enough penetration of Rams fans.

There's still time to build a wider audience in Denver, because formal communication between CSU and the Big 12 hasn't yet begun.

For insight and analysis on athletics around Northern Colorado and the Mountain West, follow sports columnist Matt L. Stephens at twitter.com/mattstephens and facebook.com/stephensreporting.