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Wednesday, Big 12 athletic directors and coaches all met for a presentation about the benefits of expansion from the current 10 team format, and things are getting serious.
Big12 commish Bob Bowlsby: "If we do nothing we'll be substantially behind (other Power leagues) a decade from now."
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) May 4, 2016
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg summed up the tenor of the meetings this way:
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
Tuesday, we wrote about there being a 4-5 percentage increase in likelihood of a Big 12 team making the college football playoff if they were to expand. However, it turns out that figure was only factoring in the benefit of a conference championship game.
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• The case for the Big 12 to add BYU and Cincinnati
That number more than doubles, to 10-15 percent, when you consider expansion, according to data presented at the Big 12's meetings today.
In today's college football landscape, it has literally become an arms race. Anything coaches, schools and conferences can do to gain an advantage within the rules (unless you're Ole Miss?) will take place. The Big 12 would be crazy to not expand at this point, and commissioner Bob Bowlsby apparently agrees.
He is 100% spot on, the Big 12 has to expand. It seems now to be a matter or when and not if (sorry Texas). As far as who the Big 12 will take? Stay tuned.