Speculations and rumors are rampant that BYU UC, and UH will be joining the Big 12 Conference. The league's Board of Directors is said to have a meeting on July 19, either to vote to add additional schools, or end the current round of expansion talks.
Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said last week, "That's up to our presidents and chancellors, but I think we have provided a lot of information, and the intention of that was to get the athletics directors and presidents to spend some time talking about the issues that are in hand, and to formulate some institutional positions," Bowlsby said. "I think they've had an opportunity, and everybody's been engaged on it," The Des Moines Register reported.
Expansion talks have been happening for quite a time now, and Bowlsby said that now is the time to act. It may take a while though to arrive to a decision, there will still be continued discussion. A month for a decision is a long shot, the report stated.
Bowlsby added, "It's more likely that there will be some continued discussion. I have indicated that I think it's about time we made some decisions one way or the other; whether that'll be on the 19th is yet to be determined. "
Frogs O' War mentioned BYU, Houston and Cincinnati are the top choices for a large followings nationally (additional contract value); large fan base that shows up in attendance for championships; close proximity to existing members; and competitive teams football and basketball teams for an exciting TV matchups.
Considering this criteria, other colleges won't be able to make the cut, which includes Memphis, Colorado State, USF, Tulane, ECU, and several more.
Fans might be wondering, if these schools can offer monetary value if they join The Big 12. There certainly is something to gain, BYU's football home games gets around US$6 million a year from ESPN; Cincinnati can offer 250k+ living alumni, not to mention that is located in the 35th largest media market in the United States; and Houston ranks number 10 in the media market in the country.
Fans can expect more news surrounding the Big 12 Conference in the next few days.
