To that end, conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby plans to conduct video conferences with as many as 17 schools that have contacted the Big 12 for consideration to join the Power 5 conference, ESPN.com reported Friday, citing unidentified sources.
The 17 schools that will make presentations to the Big 12, the sources said: Boise State, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado State, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, New Mexico, SMU, South Florida, Temple, Tulane, UCF and UConn.
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According to ESPN’s sources, it’s “becoming less and less likely” that the conference will expand by four members to 14. That would leave two scenarios: The Big 12 would add two schools, forming a 12-member conference composed of two six-school divisions, or merely opt to stay at 10 members and, as the conference already has announced, add a football championship game starting after the 2017 season.
Multiple reports have focused on BYU, Cincinnati and Houston as the candidates drawing the most support, inside the conference or among Texas politicians who aim to have an impact on the decision.
In BYU’s case, there also have been detractors because of the Mormon-affiliated university’s treatment of the LGBT community.
The conference has said it hopes to make a decision by the regularly October meeting of the conference board of directors.
