The Big 12 can't stop talking about expansion. We've been making jokes about this since the last round of realignment was popping back in 2010, and we're still here waiting for the Big 12 to do something.
It hired a research firm to say the conference would have a very slightly better chance to make the Playoff with 12 teams and a title game, which has spurred it to ... well, keep talking and not actually do anything yet.
Here was the situation in May:
Big 12 meetings over. My takeaway: Expansion likely, decision unlikely at late May meetings, but everyone understands status quo untenable.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) May 4, 2016
"Gentlemen, our conference as currently constituted is untenable. Anyway, bye."
What's changed since then? The Big 12 said it'll probably add two or four teams, which was followed by an ESPN report that adding zero is still an option, so lots of stuff has changed.
The Big 12 might be dragging its feet as Texas and Oklahoma haggle, but I'm not.
Please just pick several of them quickly, Big 12.
Cool, this makes sense, helps out West Virginia by giving it another Eastern partner, and would mean one fewer Big 12 spot to wonder about.
It's already in Texas and already good at football. Also, it had Paul Wall, Slim Thug, and a host of other Houston luminaries welcoming new players on Signing Day. Adding UH would mean having one fewer slot to fill.
...
We've been hearing about this for years. Either get on with it or pick another team instead.
Future Memphis mayor Tony Allen played for Oklahoma State, so the city has an in with the Big 12. It's kismet, and choosing the Tigers in addition to another school would end all this.
Pretty far away from everything else in the conference, but that's never stopped realignment schemes before. The Huskies play defense, which is odd, but they play football, which means their addition could end the Big 12's realignment quest.
They're close-ish to the rest of the conference. That's fine, let's just make this happen in order to cease the discussion.
Another Texas team. Great. Cheap travel, but more importantly, a reprieve from talking about Big 12 expansion.
Everyone loves going to New Orleans. This is perfect and requires no additional justification.
what do you want
just get this over with.
Ed "Straight Arrow" Gennaro will have the boys ready to rock, I'm sure. TXST has all the accreditation required to be the 11th or 12th or 13th or 14th or 15th or 16th university in your conference, which would let everyone stop worrying about this.
Sure. Fine. Bring them back. Or Nebraska or Colorado. Whatever. Please just pick two or more teams, Big 12. We're tired.
They don't even have a football team. Give the Shockers a football team, Big 12, and then add it to your conference. I just want this to stop.