Big 12 Football: 5 way-too-early storylines for 2020 season
By John Scimeca
4. Will any realignment buzz come back?
It’s a fun task to muse about for Big 12 fans: if you could add two teams to the conference, as was discussed in earnest several years ago by conference leaders, which two would be the best additions?
Those talks died down and the Big 12 decided to stand pat at just 10 teams. Sure, there are benefits to splitting media rights revenue among a smaller group of members, and there are justifiable fears that dilution would cause more harm than good.
Can the Big 12 definitively claim that it’s the third-best football conference in the land, behind the SEC and Big Ten? Is the league truly stronger than the Pac-12? Could its top teams actually compete with Clemson and Independent/quasi-ACC member Notre Dame?
Some fun candidates to ponder: adding Boise State and BYU to add a Western flair to the league that’s been missing since Colorado departed — and especially after recent news that the Broncos are mulling their options after the Mountain West’s latest media rights deal.
Adding Cincinnati and Houston would add two other competitive football programs that are in talent-rich areas (in addition to providing a geographical rival for West Virginia). Adding South Florida and Central Florida would do the same, although it would be a bit more awkward of a fit for regional tie-ins.