Expansion decision day? Big 12 leaders meeting in Dallas

“Bigger is not always better”, Boren said.

Some Big 12 members have expressed public concerns about adding another Texas school. There’s always the chance, though, that Commissioner Bob Bowlsby could simply just announce that the decision for expansion will be delayed until the winter or even sometime next year.

But this is the Big 12 we’re talking about and if the conference has proven nothing else during the past few months – and, really, few years – it’s that nothing is impossible and almost everything, good and bad, is in play. But other than pure speculation there has been on indication either way whether the conference will make the move to 12 or 14 schools.

While many want to focus on the athletics side of the argument, President Frank’s pitch to the conference is centered on the academic fit between Colorado State and the Big 12.

The presidents met Sunday and Monday near the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, adjourning earlier than expected Monday afternoon. “We think we would be a wonderful long-term partner that brings value to (the Big 12)”. Texas and Oklahoma are against an extension, and Kansas is likely against it as well.

Boren also noted that an extension to the Grant-of-Rights was not discussed. After months of dragging out this whole process, if the league decides not to expand, any credibility the conference gained since surviving conference realignment in 2010 would crumble.

To expand, or not to expand? It also leaves the American Athletic Conference in limbo waiting to learn whether any of its strongest members will be leaving. The first is to do nothing.

It’ll probably turn out to be much ado about nothing.

Cincinnati and BYU appeared to be viable candidates to join the Big 12 due to their football-basketball combination, but those schools will stay in purgatory as a result of the decision.

Another part of the expansion equation was the league’s television partnerships. “I’m sure there will be a very serious discussion”.

Today’s front-burner issue is expansion. First being that there aren’t any obvious candidates to join the conference.

Schools like Houston, BYU and Cincinnati were considered favorites to potentially earn an invitation.

– CT has a national brand, but it’s for basketball.

We will not dive into the weeds on every single scenario, and these will not be in any particular order because the conference preference changes with the wind. Now that the Cougars are going to remain in the AAC indefinitely, the chances of losing coach Tom Herman remain pretty high. The Big 12 board of directors meets Mond. Now we have several folks saying that the Big 12 has decided not to expand for now, and instead will pursue more dollars from TV deals with ESPN and Fox. Other members of the Big 12 are Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech.

The Hateful Eight has only one option.

As Boren mentioned that June day in 2015, the existing contract calls for networks to fork over an extra $20-25 million per added institution.