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It’s happening.
Multiple reports have surfaced that BYU, UCF, Houston and Cincinnati will be voted into the Big 12 on Friday when the Big 12 presidents meet. A news conference is expected then too.
BYU, UCF, Cincinnati & Houston have all officially applied for Big 12 membership, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. The Big 12 presidents will vote Friday to accept - & will accept those schools - sources said. Yahoo 1st report. A news conference is scheduled Friday, source said
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 9, 2021
Sources: A Big 12 presidents call is scheduled for Friday morning to formally vote UCF, Cincinnati, Houston and BYU into the league. The vote is largely considered a formality.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 9, 2021
The suspense may be over for Big 12 expansion with BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houton headed into the conference as all but a done deal. But plenty of questions remain. An expansion Q-and-A.https://t.co/xVUzVTci1E
— Chuck Carlton (@ChuckCarltonDMN) September 8, 2021
Big 12 expansion: Presidents to 'rubber stamp' invites to BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, UCF on Friday - https://t.co/Do0GY2YbwU https://t.co/PGo8Y6ABJA
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) September 9, 2021
These four schools have long been considered the top four candidates for weeks to be invited into the Big 12. 2023 seems like the most likely year for BYU to join the league, meaning all of BYU’s sports teams will play next season in their respective leagues — or independence — before formally joining the Big 12 July 1, 2023. The move is expected to be for all sports, meaning BYU Men’s basketball will also join one of the top college basketball leagues.
The move should greatly increase BYU’s revenue and allow BYU to join a P5 conference. Many have speculated what the future of the Big 12 will look like, and rightfully so, without Texas and Oklahoma, but there will be a wide margin between the Big 12 and other conferences behind that I believe the Big 12 will remain a power conference. Even without OU and Texas, the new Big 12 schools have been about on par with the Pac 12 for several years.
BYU could possibly be in a 14-team Big 12 with OU and Texas for up to two seasons. Those schools will leave for the SEC in 2025 unless a buyout is reached before then.
Get your Martinelli’s ready, BYU fans. BYU is joining the Big 12.