Big 12 Football: 3 schools the conference needs to consider adding

If Big 12 football could expand and add teams, which three make the most sense? It may never happen, but it’s about time it lives up to its name and more.

My grandmother once told me, “The grass might be greener on the other side, but it still needs to be cut.” The teams that bolted in 2011 and 2012 — Missouri, Texas A&M, Nebraska and Colorado — have had marginal success since they left.

Missouri does have a couple of SEC East titles under its belt though they’ve been a marginal team since Gary Pinkel retired. Texas A&M hasn’t been able to replicate the success of “Manzielmaina” in 2012. Nebraska has not been the force it was predicted to become in the Big Ten West. Colorado was bad at the end of their run in the Big 12 and they aren’t any better.

If the Big 12 is to add three new members to its 10-team conference, two of those should be returning members. There needs to be a “homecoming” of sorts for the Big 12.

The benefit of a 13-team league is they could continue their round-robin format and add a conference game. A return would bring back some old regional rivalries every season as well as help recruiting.

This might not give the Oklahoma Sooners a challenger to the throne — the Sooners have won 11 conference titles since the Big 12 was formed — but it would make the Big 12 lots of fun.

Here are three teams that the Big 12 should consider adding immediately.