The Big 12 is officially expanding.
It’s official. BYU, Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston will be the newest Big 12 members, beginning in 2023.
Big 12 officially extends membership invitations to Cincinnati, Houston, UCF and BYU pic.twitter.com/OApYQewqkT
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 10, 2021
The language in the Big 12’s statement makes it seem as if Texas and Oklahoma weren’t involved in the decision making or the vote, which makes sense as they are not continuing on in the conference after 2025 (or earlier).
As of right now, though, the addition of four new universities in 2023 means the Big 12 is actually, temporarily, expanding to 14. Texas and Oklahoma will have to play their new bunkmates before leaving for the SEC.
This was the best move the Big 12 could have made in the current circumstances, and while it still might not save the conference long-term, it certainly feels like a significant amount of water has been bailed out of the boat.
With this somewhat settled, TCU and Big 12 fans can turn their attention to the potential expansion of the playoffs and a potential second round of conference expansion, with their eyes keeping close watch on what the Pac-12 decides to do down the road.
So, a new era of Big 12 football begins (in two years). How are you feeling about it?
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