If the Big 12 Expands Again, These Are the Seven Schools to Consider

For the first time in a while, we may go a full summer without any major conference realignment news.

On Monday, a report surfaced that Memphis offered the Big 12 approximately $200 million to buy their way into the league, but that chatter went away quickly as Brett McMurphy of On3 reported that the Big 12 is not interested in Memphis despite the offer.

Although the Big 12 doesn't appear to be expanding this offseason, one can assume that they would like to get to 18 eventually to match the Big Ten and ACC (17, plus Notre Dame). Brett Yormark has made it known that the league is "open for business," although it's not solely about expansion.

So, what programs would make sense for the league?

The leftovers - Oregon State and Washington State

The only two members left of the PAC-12 we all knew, not the one that it's about to transform into. Both programs have lost head coaches across their athletic programs thanks to losing Power Four status, and to actually compete for something in football, they need to find their way back into a P4 league. There's a reason why the Big 12, Big 10, and ACC didn't scoop them up two summers ago - they don't bring a ton of value to the table. That said, the athletic departments are equipped to compete at the highest level, and have had some levels of success across the major sports.

Betting on growth - South Florida and UNLV

Neither USF nor UNLV is going to move the needle, but they're in bigger markets which could be appealing to the Big 12, or other leagues for that matter. The Big 12 hosted media days in Las Vegas a year ago, and with the city bringing more teams and sporting events to the desert, interest is seemingly at an all-time high.

A few years ago, the Big 12 opened the door in Florida by landing UCF, and could take a similar bet on USF. According to Medium.com, USF had 390k viewers in 2024, which is one spot behind Cincinnati, and two spots ahead of Washington State. Other P4 schools they ranked higher than include Maryland, Duke, SMU, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Virginia. South Florida also broke ground on a brand-new on-campus stadium, which will open in 2027.

For the Big 12 to have interest in these two schools, they would have to feel strongly about the potential of growth and support in future years. Being in bigger markets should help.

Poach away - Louisville, SMU, Pitt

While the Big 12 could make a run for the big brands (Clemson, Florida State, Miami, etc.), this feels a little more realistic. That said, this is more of a down-the-road idea, as in like 2030, when the exit fee in the ACC drops to $75 million. That's when we could see movement from the big brands, which will then cause the rest to follow suit.

SMU makes a ton of sense since it's right smack dab in the center of the Big 12's original geographical footprint, and provides in-state rivalries with Baylor, Texas Tech, Houston, and of course, TCU, making the Battle for the Iron Skillet a league game.

Louisville and Pitt expand the conference eastward, giving Cincinnati, UCF, and West Virginia a few more regional foes, and of course, locks in the Backyard Brawl yearly.

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