What schools should the Big 12 invite?
As far as I can tell, that question has already been answered. The ACC isn't going to give up its member institutions until the Grant of Rights is over after the 2026-2027 season and schools like UCONN and UCF no longer have relevance to the Big 12 as their value (TV sets for a network) has been removed from the equation.
Also, goodbye to Memphis, Colorado State, USF, Tulane, ECU, and others... Too little competition, too little relevance, too late to the party.
At this point, the list of things a Big 12 candidate must have is relatively easy to point to (as reported):
•Large followings nationally (additional value for contracts)
•Competitive teams on the field and on the court (compelling TV matchups)
•Large fan base's that show up to big games (I.E., championship game attendance)
•Relatively close proximity to existing member institutions to hold costs down
I could find a way to make several schools fit here... BYU, Houston, and Cincinnati all seem to fit one way or another. They also appear to miss in some areas. BYU is a bit of a hike for Big 12 schools, Houston's fan base doesn't always show up, and Cincinnati stretches the definition of the word "competitive" in football most years.
Originally Posted by Eielson
