If the Big 12 expands again, which schools would join?

BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and Central Florida joined the conference Saturday, upping the Big 12 from 10 members to 14. But the departure of Oklahoma and Texas next year will result in the Big 12 actually having the number of members its name denotes. 

If the Big 12 expands, which schools would be on its radar? 

The most obvious is former Big 12 member Colorado. CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd reported in late May that the Buffaloes had been in “substantive” discussions with the Big 12 regarding joining. Dodd also reported the sides had met in-person in recent months. 

The Big 12 could look west for other schools. With the Pac-12’s media rights negotiations still in limbo, Yormark could raid that conference.  

In March, Max Olson and Stewart Mandel of The Athletic reported that, in addition to Colorado, the Big 12 had been in contact with Arizona, Arizona State and Utah. 

Given their rivalry, the Wildcats and Sun Devils would appear to be a package deal. Utah, on the other hand, has only been a member of the Pac-12 since 2011, so there is less of an emotional tie to the conference than there is between, say, Oregon and the Pac-12. 

Then, there are the wildcards, Connecticut and Gonzaga. Dodd reported early last month that “adding Gonzaga (basketball only) and UConn (full membership) is dominating league conversations.”

So that puts six schools in the running for, evidently, two spots. 

Who, then, will get the nod to join the Big 12 if the conference decides to expand back to 14? Let's whittle it down by process of elimination.

Connecticut to the Big 12 does not make sense. The Huskies are coming off their first men’s basketball national title since 2014 and are more than comfortable in the new Big East.

Colorado, on the other hand, makes perfect sense. The Buffaloes were nationally relevant as members of the Big Eight and Big 12, with a national championship in football in 1990 under head coach Bill McCartney. Now that current head coach Deion Sanders has turned Colorado into a national storyline again, the Buffaloes could indeed be on the way out of the Pac-12.

Arizona and Arizona State, as noted, likely come as a tandem. If Colorado joins the Big 12, that leaves just one more spot. Therefore, the Wildcats and Sun Devils appear to be out. 

That leaves Utah and Gonzaga. The Utes and Buffaloes are close geographically, and Utah would add significant football credibility to the Big 12. As for Gonzaga, Yormark, while noting that football drives revenue, said at the conference’s spring meetings last month that “there is a chance for us to double down as the No. 1 basketball conference in America," per CBS Sports.

So what about Colorado and Utah as full members, with Gonzaga joining for basketball only? That might be the most feasible, and sensible, option.