None of the eight remaining Big 12 schools will be switching conferences to the Pac-12 anytime soon.
After a few weeks of speculation, Pac-12 leaders announced on Thursday that they have decided to stand pat with their current 12 members and not explore expansion candidates, such as Baylor, Kansas, K-State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
The conference released the following statement:
“Following consultation with our presidents, chancellors and athletic directors, the Pac-12 conference has made the decision to not pursue expansion of our membership at this time. This decision was made following extensive internal discussion and analysis, and is based on the current competitive strength and cohesiveness of our 12 universities. It is also grounded in our confidence in our ability as a conference to best support our student-athletes and to grow and thrive both academically and athletically.”
Though disappointing for some fans in this part of the country, a quick and public announcement from the Pac-12 on expansion may serve as good news for the Big 12.
Now, perhaps Big 12 leaders can begin working together on Plan B instead of individually focusing on exit strategies. Maybe Plan B will include expansion of their own.
What’s next for the Big 12?
That is now the question of the hour. The ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 all seem content with their current membership for the time being. The Big 12 is now on the clock to decide what its best possible future might be after Oklahoma and Texas leave for the SEC.
If the Big 12 opts for expansion, popular targets figure to be Boise State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis and UCF. But others could also be considered.
The Big 12 publicly explored its expansion options in 2016 and listened to pitches from many of the schools listed above, but ultimately decided to stick with 10 members because none of them were deemed to bring enough value to the conference.
But that was when Oklahoma and Texas were helping Big 12 schools cash in on approximately $40 million of conference revenue each year. Once they are gone, that number is expected to drop significantly, perhaps somewhere around $26 million.
Maybe the best teams from the American Athletic Conference and the Mountain West can now match that valuation and receive invitations. Of course, there is some question as to whether the Big 12 has enough power to poach schools from other conferences in its current form.
Most schools will likely view the Big 12 is a step up from the AAC or Mountain West, but those leagues currently offer more stability.
If the Big 12 goes the expansion route, it will also be interesting to see when it tries to add new members. Can it be done while Oklahoma and Texas are still in the conference? Perhaps expansion could come in waves, with two teams joining soon and two more coming aboard after the Sooners and Longhorns exit.
These are the questions Big 12 leaders must consider now that Pac-12 expansion is off the table.
