The Big 12 has "narrowed its list of expansion candidates to at least 12 schools," according to sources cited by McMurphy & Trotter of ESPN.com. The schools are Air Force, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Colorado State, UConn, Houston, Rice, USF, SMU, Temple and Tulane. Sources said that the schools that "did not" make the cut included Boise State, San Diego State and UNLV. Eight of the remaining candidates are members of the AAC. Sources said that as "part of the next step in the process, representatives from each school will make in-person presentations to Big 12 officials in Dallas next week." The conference has said that it "hopes to make a decision" on expansion by the Big 12's regularly scheduled BOD meeting Oct. 17. The Big 12 "trimmed its group of potential candidates by nearly one-third," as almost two dozen schools that were "interested in joining the league conducted video conferences" with Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby over the past two weeks. Sources have said it is "becoming less and less likely" that the conference would expand to 14 teams. Sources said that the "most likely scenario is the Big 12 remains at 10 teams or adds two schools for a 12-team league with two six-team divisions" (ESPN.com, 8/31).
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REMAINING BIG 12 EXPANSION CANDIDATES
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SCHOOL
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CONFERENCE
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Air Force
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Mountain West
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BYU
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Independent
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Central Florida
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AAC
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Cincinnati
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AAC
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Colorado State
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Mountain West
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UConn
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AAC
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Houston
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AAC
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Rice
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C-USA
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South Florida
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AAC
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SMU
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AAC
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Temple
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AAC
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Tulane
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AAC
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THE FRONT-RUNNERS? SI.com's Andy Staples wrote the possibility of joining the Big 12 has Houston's campus "buzzing." In the "new football stadium, in the new basketball practice facility ... in the indoor football practice facility project the regents approved" last week. Houston is "building like a power conference school." Staples: "Now it just needs the power conference" (
CAMPUSRUSH.com, 8/30). In Cincinnati, Jason Williams notes it is "no surprise" the Univ. of Cincinnati is "advancing in the Big 12's process." UC has "long been considered a favorite among the expansion candidates" (
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 9/1). Cincinnati in '15 completed an $86M expansion of Nippert Stadium that "added new luxury suites, club seats, a party deck and press box." The school also is "by far the closest expansion candidate" to the Big 12's geographic footprint (
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 9/1). In Dallas, Chuck Carlton writes while "making the cut would be a nice boost for SMU's public perception, the school is still regarded as a long shot." Sources said that Cincinnati, BYU and Houston "remain at the forefront of expansion candidates for now" (
DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/1).
STILL WITH A CHANCE: In Hartford, Paul Doyle writes UConn's Big 12 pitch is "well stated." The school "brings a strong academic profile, a demonstrated history of success throughout the athletic department." But football is "very much the engine that powers college athletics and the Big 12's focus is on enhancing the conference's football product." After "averaging about 28,224 in the 40,000-seat Rentschler Field last season, the school can send a strong message to the Big 12 by boosting attendance this season" (HARTFORD COURANT, 9/1). In Orlando, Iliana Limón Romero notes UCF President John Hitt has "long acknowledged a move to the Big 12 or any other Power 5 conference could provide a significant financial breakthrough" for the school, which makes "far less competing in the AAC" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 9/1). In Colorado, Brent Briggeman notes Air Force will "not have to convince the existing Big 12 membership that it can be competitive in sports across the board either on the field or when it comes to facilities." Air Force is "already putting money in Falcon Stadium, with two new scoreboards set to be unveiled in Saturday's opener" (Colorado Springs GAZETTE, 9/1).
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: In San Diego, Mark Zeigler writes the Big 12 was "probably a long shot for San Diego State." A source said that the "major factor eliminating SDSU ... is distance." The "closest of the Big 12's current 10 members is Texas Tech in Lubbock, which is 877 miles from San Diego" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 9/1). In Albuquerque, Geoff Grammer notes there was "little indication the Big 12 or any of its member institutions were interested" in New Mexico. There was "no other written correspondence from anyone at UNM to anyone at the Big 12 since July 1." Football and its TV contracts have been the "driving force in the recent boom of conference expansion, and it's no secret UNM has struggled on that front" (ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL, 9/1). In Las Vegas, Mark Anderson writes UNLV's chances for Big 12 expansion were "never good." UNLV President Len Jessup and AD Tina Kunzer-Murphy in a statement said that they are "working to position the university to be a strong candidate" for another Power Five conference. Kunzer-Murphy last week said that about $7M had been raised for a mutlipurpose on-campus building, which will cost up to $30M. She was "optimistic groundbreaking would occur early next year" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 9/1). Also in Las Vegas, Taylor Bern notes while UNLV "never had a realistic shot at joining the Big 12 at this time the process could prepare them for expansion down the road" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 9/1).
AMERICAN MADE: In Texas, Brett Vito notes the AAC "appears all but certain to lose at least one team." The Big 12 has "done a whole lot of work to back out and stay with its current lineup at this point." Vito: "The question ... becomes, will the AAC reload and take a team or two from C-USA?" What "happens in the next few weeks could go a long way toward determining the makeup of C-USA in a few years" (DENTON RECORD-CHRONICLE, 9/1).
WELCOME TO WICHITA: In Kansas, Paul Suellentrop noted as Wichita State explores adding a football program, WSU President John Bardo "spends work time watching the Big 12 and pondering scenarios that might benefit his school." Big 12 expansion "might open a slot in another conference for Wichita State." Barto said, "We really need to think about conference alignment and football as two separate questions. ... What we really decided is that the conference question is the question, because that affects the institution at a very high level. Then, let's get the football question after we get the conference question." Bardo said that he is "considering the FCS level more seriously now, after originally stating a strong preference for FBS." MVC members play football in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which is "widely considered the strongest FCS conference" (WICHITA EAGLE, 8/31).
