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Big 12 narrows its list of expansion candidates

By VF Castro

Jul 20, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Omni Dallas. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 20, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Omni Dallas. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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With an official vote coming in October, the Big 12 Conference has officially named its list of narrowed expansion candidates.

Throughout the summer, there has been much speculation on exactly what schools were on the Big 12’s expansion list.

Just two weeks ago, I posted an article on how that 30-team prospect expansion list raised concerns both politically, and beneficially in terms of opening recruiting lanes throughout the country.

And while those concerns remain, the Big 12 released its shortlist of expansion candidates and it doesn’t feature any surprises.

  1. Cincinnati
  2. Houston
  3. Memphis
  4. UConn
  5. USF
  6. UCF
  7. BYU
  8. Air Force
  9. Colorado State
  10. Temple
  11. SMU

Hardly any surprises in this group of schools still in the running. All along, Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis, BYU and the best schools from the AAC were viewed as the most likely candidates to join the Big 12. And that is exactly where we’re at now.

UNLV and East Carolina were among the teams that didn’t make the expansion shortlist.

Before 2011, the Big 12 was a 12 member conference, but reduced in size to 10 when Nebraska left for the Big Ten, and Colorado went to the Pac-12. In 2012 when Missouri and Texas A&M left for the SEC, the conference responded by adding TCU and West Virginia.

There have been ongoing talks that this round could expand the conference to 12 teams, with more expansion in the future depending on how other conferences are dismantling or aligning. Expect the details of expansion to remain a mystery until the board of directors meet for its annual meeting on October 17.

While the teams joining the Big 12 remain a mystery, we do know the Big 12 Championship Game will return. The hope is adding the conference championship game will help the league’s standing in the eyes of the College Football Playoff committee.

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