Bowlsby has a list of schools who have already started lobbying to join the Big 12 over the past few months.
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The Big 12 Board of Directors today was given an update by Baylor representatives on the university’s investigation of sexual assaults on its campus. I would like a good, round number of 12.
Possibilities for Big 12 expansion potentially could include Houston, Cincinnati, BYU, Memphis, Central Florida, South Florida, Connecticut, Boise State, Colorado State and Tulane.
The Big 12 held a conference Tuesday that many expected to provide a solid answer on the idea of expanding.
The league’s 10 presidents met on Tuesday in Dallas away from the Omni Hotel and, on a teleconference afterward, Oklahoma president David Boren said, “There was continued interest expressed in expansion”. News could come quick, too. The board authorized commissioner Bob Bowlsby to starting looking at possible expansion candidates. “We like to have a good time and the game of football and Jim, allows us to do that”.
But it’s hard to come up with a scenario where ISU’s path through the league is harder than what it is now.
“What we heard is if we don’t go to a championship game, we’re at a disadvantage”, he said then.
Well, we may never know.
Bowlsby told reporters on Monday that the league might eventually weigh whether to sanction the Bears for their misconduct. That was a money grab to the tune of just under $30 million, and expansion could be, too, at the expense of ESPN and Fox. Boren previously said 25 schools had contacted the conference about getting in.
No one singled out any schools as favorites in the expansion debate, but Boren did say all prospective schools will be evaluated on six factors: strength of their athletic department, fan base, media market, reputation, integrity and academic standing.
A bang-up presentation by Big 12 television consultants Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures and Navigate Research changed hearts and minds in a conference that had indicated expansion was all but dead.
For now, Boren and Bowlsby reiterated, the league is only exploring the interest of schools who previously expressed an interest.
The Big 12 won’t give full shares to new members upon arrival. The Aztecs would need the league to take two other Western schools to help with divisions and travel, but this is probably the only scenario where San Diego State would be considered for the Big 12 in football. “They will benefit with an affiliation with the schools now in our conference”. It’s a nice position to be in.
After a meeting of the Big 12 university presidents and chancellors on Tuesday, Oklahoma President David Boren says the conference leaders voted unanimously to take another step toward adding to the 10-member conference. Boren also said expansion by either two or four schools is possible. We have returned our proud University to the national spotlight and we aim to compete on the highest levels as we build Champions for Life. But fending off the Big East is not the same as battling the Power Five.
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The Big 12’s payout increases to $35 million next year and $43 million at the end of the football deal in 2024, according to a source.
