Big 12 Passes On Expansion

The Big 12 expansion came to a halt Monday with the conference opting to stay at 10. Reportedly the decision was unanimous. So that begs the question: why bother? What was the point in all of it?

For UConn, it must have a major disappointment. The Huskies would very much like to be in a power conference and the ACC, so far, hasn't been interested (BC in particular has worked to keep UConn out).

There continue to be rumors about UConn returning to the Big East.

The AAC however is surely very happy. The Big 12 might have taken UConn, Houston and Cincinnati, which would have seriously hurt the conference.

Some of the various rejected schools had comments ranging from stoic to fairly irritated.

The Dallas News argues that expansion wouldn’t have solved the Big 12’s problems and notes that both Texas and Oklahoma are unwilling to extend their grant of rights past the current TV contracts, which end in 2025.

Meanwhile, BYU, with a fun football tradition to say the least, faces an extended period wandering in the desert, if you will.

Cincinnati mostly put on a brave face.

The Texas governor, who was pushing Houston, says that the Big 12 “owes a lot of people an apology.”

Seems reasonable.

Dennis Dodd concurs more or less, calling it a “complete waste of time.”

It may well mean the end for Houston and coach Tom Herman, and with Texas coach Charlie Strong on the hot seat, one could see a natural move soon.

On the other hand, LSU is already open and either Texas or LSU is bound to make a run at Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher.

This off-season is going to be really, really interesting, and we expect that various conferences are already making plans to lure Texas and/or Oklahoma around 2025.