This is major news, sparked in part by the revelation on Monday that the ACC will be launching its own network, leaving the Big 12 as the only Power 5 school without some type of television network. And we have…I think there are certainly those among our board to go back to Brian’s question that have felt that the image of the Big 12 and the other members of the Big 12 have been sullied as a result of this incident.
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In a teleconference with reporters, OU president David Boren announced that commissioner Bob Bowlsby has been cleared to explore possible expansion for the conference, and credited the recent interest from schools to join the Big 12.
The Big 12’s ten university presidents met at the Four Seasons hotel in Dallas, about 15 miles away from the Omni Hotel where Big 12 Media Days was taking place.
Boren’s comments also implied that the conference will be shopping around for the best offer, or more plainly, the school willing to make the most financial concessions for entry into the club.
The Big 12 was down to 8 teams in 2012 after the departures of Missouri, Texas A&M, Colorado and Nebraska for the SEC, Pac-12, and Big 10 respectively.
The next few months will be very interesting to watch as potential additions jockey for position, looking to enter the Power-5 Conference VIP list. And which schools are willing to accept less money for the longest period of time could help determine whether an institution gets an invite from the Big 12. According to SI.com, the leading candidates are BYU, Cincinnati and CT.
So despite the overwhelming opinion that conference expansion had stalled due to the lack of interest in a network from its broadcast partners, it is now likely the conference will be growing after all.
Nobody does, with 10 teams that would continue a complete round-robin. “In other words, if the Big 12 adds four schools, ESPN and Fox are contractually obligated to increase their total payouts by 40[percent]”, Wolken wrote Tuesday. The league would most likely add the new schools by the 2018 academic year.
Boren, the chair of the Big 12’s board of directors, said the league is “very seriously concerned about all those categories” when sizing up the best expansion fit. “The idea of them playing (in the Big 12) in 2017 is probably not realistic”.
Who will the Big 12 add?
Boren said the board also directed commissioner Bob Bowlsby to evaluate universities that have shown interest in joining the Big 12, which include Houston, Colorado State and Cincinnati.
Just when you thought Big 12 Conference expansion talk was dead, it came back to life late Tuesday afternoon. It also gives Big 12 leaders plenty of time to change their minds again. “For right now, we’re extremely proud to be in the American Athletic Conference”. Although Big 12 bylaws don’t specifically address the Baylor situation, the conference could potentially ban the Bears from postseason play or impose other sanctions.
Now, the competition for one of possibly four spots in an expanded Big 12 moves to the next level.
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“I would say that we are looking for members that will grow over time as we grow”, Bowlsby said, “that will bring stability to the conference and that have a high top end, will benefit from an affiliation with the schools that are now in our conference”. Whether it’s the Big 12, ACC or Big 10 it needs to come relatively soon.
