ESPN, citing sources, is reporting that 17 schools have contacted the Big 12 Conference about potential expansion of the current 10-team league, with sources indicating that the most likely scenarios for the Big 12, currently, are staying at 10 teams, or adding two for a total of 12. The addition of four schools, to expand to 14, is becoming “less and less likely”.
Among the 17 schools ready to present their case for inclusion to the Big 12 are Cincinnati, Houston, BYU, South Florida, Central Florida, Connecticut, Memphis, Colorado State, Boise State, Tulane, Temple, East Carolina, SMU, and New Mexico. Video conferences with Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby are in the works.
The league has publicly stated they would like to make a decision on expansion by a Board of Directors meeting scheduled for October.
The Big 12 has been the most unstable of the Power 5 conferences, losing Colorado to the Pac-12 and Nebraska to the Big 10 in 2011. One year later, both Missouri and Texas A&M bolted for the Southeastern Conference. Shortly thereafter, the Big 12 found some stability with the additions of Texas Christian University and West Virginia University, joining with remaining members Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, and Baylor.
