At the beginning of June, I listed a few possible suitors to join the Big 12 to help the conference get back up to 12 teams.
Little did I realize, Texas and Oklahoma would be informing the Big 12 of their plan to leave the conference just weeks later. The two powerhouse programs would kick off the most impactful realignment ever with their plan to join the SEC.
This announcement left the college football world in awe, and led to other conferences making similar plans in order to ensure their respective conference can remain as one of the powers. While many initially thought that Texas and Oklahoma leaving would force the other Big 12 schools to do the same, we have recently learned that likely won’t be happening either.
The Pac-12, Big Ten, and ACC recently announced that they were forming an alliance, and unfortunately for the remaining eight Big 12 teams, that means they are on the outside looking in. The Big 12 teams were hopeful to head out west and join the Pac-12, but that dream was crushed when The Athletic reported on August 26 that the Pac-12 is not interested in expanding their conference.
Realistically, this leaves the Big 12 with two plausible options remaining. Unless the Big Ten or ACC decide to open their doors, the Big 12 is now standing alone in the corner at the party hoping for someone to talk to them.
The eight teams can either stick together, and all join the AAC together, which I predicted at least five out of the eight would end up doing if they were to leave, or they can seek out new members to join and revive the what seems to be a barely afloat conference.
When I first listed five teams that could join, I included USC as an honorable mention, but them joining was mutually inclusive with Texas and Oklahoma being in the conference so now that they are gone, and the Pac-12 is looking as content as ever, that is out the window.
The Big 12 needs to add, at the very minimum, four teams to get the conference back to 12 teams, but it should likely look into adding six to eight more teams to keep up with the rest of the college football world. Personally, I believe six is much more practical for the conference, as right now it is not the most appealing destination.
Let’s take a look at the six teams that make the most sense for the Big 12 to pursue.