In addition to adding potential candidates to the 10-team league, Boren said the board of directors also examined the creation of a conference television network, a decision that comes on the heels of the Atlantic Coast Conference deciding on a soon-to-be launched ACC network in the upcoming years. The Power Five conferences (SEC, Big 12, ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12) have a considerable financial advantage over those on the outside, including the American Athletic Conference.
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While the Big 12 presidents met across town in Las Colinas, West Virginia football coach Dana Holgorsen sat at a table mid-afternoon Tuesday in the downtown Omni Hotel and talked about the big college football news from the day before.
Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Board Chair David Boren announced Tuesday that the Big 12 Board of Directors has unanimously approved a motion that will allow Bowlsby to begin reaching out to potential candidates for conference expansion. Some have already expressed interest, like Cincinnati, who’s been more than open to joining the new conference. The Cougars rank second in the state of Texas in wins over the past 10 years with 88, trailing only TCU’s 100. Each chose his top two candidates among schools not now in a Power 5 program. Boren added that anywhere from two to four teams could be added. “So we’ve got to move the ball a little bit more, score a little bit more points if we want to be in contention to win it”.
Both Boren and Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby described Baylor as being “very forthcoming” in its presentation of the Pepper Hamilton findings.
At one point, when explaining why he kept some of Briles’ assistants even though some had to be aware of the assaults and the attempted coverups he said he had heard of no bad doing by them and added, “We don’t have a culture of bad behavior at Baylor University”.
It’s easy to understand schools have not been shy about courting the Big 12.
If four teams are invited to the Big 12, the AAC or the MWC could end up losing one or two members each. A network that played a large role in schools leaving the conference for greener pastures elsewhere, which all led to the Big 12 being in this current state. The announcement on Tuesday did not say the 10-member Big 12 is committed to expansion, but it is obvious where this is headed. “We are assured of the university’s commitment to keep the conference apprised going forward”. “I did All-American Committee, I did the Rules Committee, I did top 25 voting, all those things I did for coach Teaff and with coach Teaff, and he called that night when Art had been let go and asked if I would come and help”.
According to ESPN’s Jake Trotter, Bowlsby said it’s “conceivable” the Big 12 could vote by September on specific expansion candidates. “There were some kids that were probably project kids that needed to develop, so I think we can, in this recruiting class coming up, we can replace them”.
The Big 12 has been the smallest of the Power 5 conferences since 2012.
Does the Big 12 need to expand?
STRONG KNOWS: In his opening statement, Texas coach Charlie Strong immediately talked about the Longhorns having to “elevate this program” this season.
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“The expectations here are always high, which they should be, and why would you want it any other way”, Strong said. “We’ll be looking for other advantages to see how it works”.
