Six teams the Big 12 should now pursue to join the conference

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.

North Dakota State

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Many are throwing out teams like Colorado State or Tulane, but if the Big 12 wants instant results, they should not being going after lower tier programs that are not consistently competing in their conference. That is where North Dakota State comes in, as they have a control of the FCS level, and should they want to make the move up, they absolutely could provide some great competition. They have won eight out of the last nine FCS championships and have wins against multiple Big Ten teams, one of them being Iowa in 2016 when the Hawkeyes were ranked 13th in the nation. The Bison have also beaten Iowa State, Kansas State and Kansas. The Big 12 has long been lacking consistent competition throughout the league, and adding the FCS powerhouse can change that. The Bison have also quietly been a very solid basketball program that has made four March Madness appearances since 2009. Whether they want to leave the FCS would be the issue, as why would they want to leave the great success they have, but if the Big 12 can show they are serious, money talks.

SMU

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I still think SMU should be one of the teams that the conference pursues, as being in the heart of Dallas, geographically the move would make a great deal of sense. The Dallas area is also a great market to tap into even more, so this would be a win-win scenario for both. Of all the non-Power Five teams in Texas, SMU is easily the best team able to make the jump right now. The UTSA Road Runners had a great season, but SMU is still the most Power Five ready. They landed a commitment from four-star quarterback Preston Stone, and he is looking to build on the success that former Longhorn transfer Shane Buechele generated before heading to the NFL. SMU has already bounced back from the death penalty they were given in 1987, and they now seem like they are in a position to take a step back to their former glory.

Memphis

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While not only giving the conference an in to the southern market, Memphis is certainly a great fit for the Big 12. It has been an exciting team with Brady White at the helm. We have also seen the program produce great NFL talent such as Antonio Gibson, Kenneth Gainwell and Anthony Miller. The addition of Memphis would give the Big 12 access to the SEC country that might not be as accessible at this moment. The Big 12 also makes the most sense for Memphis as the SEC was likely their best shot at joining a power conference, and that is unlikely now. Unless someone leaves, there is no place for them. Memphis is also a very attractive city as a tourist and recruits have agreed. The program has signed eight Power Five transfers in the 2021 class. They are currently 2-1 against the Big 12 in football, and unlike the other schools on this list, would benefit the conference in other sports like basketball as they have been one of the hottest destinations since Penny Hardaway took over.

UCF

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It has been reported by Chris Torello, a Tampa Bay area reporter, that the Big 12 has recently been making efforts to lure UCF to the Big 12. This is not a bad move at all, as the program has experienced large amounts of success as of late. Since 2017, they’re 41-8 overall with three top-25 finishes, and depending on who you ask, a national championship as well. UCF has been consistently improving outside of this past COVID-19 season. With new head coach Gus Malzahn and quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the program is certainly trending upward. It would equate to a Florida pipeline for all the Big 12 schools and would allow UCF to finally get the national recognition it has been lacking and deserve. Being too far should not be a concern. West Virginia is nowhere near any of the Big 12 schools either. UCF may get a look from the ACC, but as of now it does not seem likely, so this may be their best bet to join a power conference.

Cincinnati

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One of the main concerns for the Big 12 adding teams is whether or not the teams can consistently preform at a higher level. I doubt any of these teams will have issues adjusting, and if Cincinnati continues on their current trajectory they might be one of the best teams in the conference already. To some, current success is not a factor that they are considering as apart of the prerequisite, as it is unknown when this will happen, but the Big 12 should for once not be reactionary. The conference should be working on having teams ready to join as soon as next year, as there has been reports that Texas and Oklahoma will leave before the end of their 2025 contract agreement. Cincinnati has relatively new facilities, and it would also give the conference to the Ohio market for recruiting. They should be one of the first calls the Big 12 makes.

BYU

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Although the Pac-12 not wanting to add more teams was terrible news for the remaining eight teams in the Big 12, it was fantastic news for the Big 12 conference. BYU, who is one of the most consistent non-Power Five teams in the nation, is now up for grabs. It was reported by the Athletic that the Big 12 is considering pursuing BYU to join the conference. Football wise, it would be a great move as according to the Athletic, BYU is 81-48 in the past ten years, and are one of the hottest schools out there thanks to head coach Kalani Sitake and Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. BYU is on par to the viewership level that the Big 12 is on, as outside of the Texas and Oklahoma game, BYU games roughly have the same amount of viewers as other Big 12 games. The Cougars' basketball program is also extremely consistent, but unlike the football team who is independent, BYU's basketball team is in the WCC. The Big 12 will likely want all of the programs, and that would likely be more appealing to BYU money wise. The Big 12 makes the most sense for BYU as not only does the Pac-12 not want more teams, BYU's stances on certain topics and the fact they are not a major research institution are reasons, according to the Athletic, that they will not be included in the Pac-12. BYU is also 2-2 against Big 12 teams, and they would likely be a constant thorn in the side for a few conference foes.

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