Big 12 Football: Top 5 expansion candidates for the conference

The Big 12 already counts four teams in the state of Texas among its members. Why would it want to go after a fifth at a time when conferences are looking to expand their geographic footprints?

One compelling reason is that conferences are looking to expand their geographic footprint into specific regions. Situated at the intersection between the eastern and western halves of the country, Texas schools are coveted by every league hoping to grow. Every quality school that the Big 12 locks up in the Lone Star State is one that isn’t joining one of its rival conferences.

And make no mistake, Houston definitely fits the bill as a quality school. The Cougars have gone 13-1 twice in the past seven years, and played in the Peach Bowl in 2015 after winning the American Athletic Conference. They have also gone bowling each of the past five seasons and have been among the best recruiting teams among Group of Five schools.

After losing Texas A&M, the Big 12 could shore up its position in the southern part of Texas by bringing the Cougars on board. Houston would help skew the Big 12 more toward its SWC roots than its Big 8 roots. It would also give the conference a quality team that has been consistent despite losing several coaches over time.