So by next summer we should know. “They have a timeline,” Fertitta said of the Big 12, “and we think in the next 60 to 90 days it’ll all be over, and hopefully the University of Houston will be in the Big 12.” http://www.houstonpress.com/news/will-fertitta-center-get-uh-into-the-big-12-8705375
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">East Carolina says it was informed by Big 12 it is no longer an expansion candidate</p>— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/McMurphyESPN/status/770972655461797888">August 31, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Big 12 expansion list narrows to only a few (Subscription required)
This link probably says the same thing but doesn't require a subscription. Memphis 1-8 Finalists for BIG 12 expansion
Reported schools still in the running: Houston Cincinnati Memphis Central Florida South Florida UConn BYU 2 unnamed AAC Schools (SMU, Temple, Tulsa, or Tulane)
If I ran the Big 12, I would expand by 6 teams and create the first 16 team conference and rebrand the conference as the Big 16. I suspect that within 5 or 10 years the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Pac-12 will go to 16, so the Big 12 should start the snowball effect and get the best non-Power 5 schools available. I would get Houston, Cincy, Memphis, BYU, UConn, and Central or South Florida. You get: the Northeast market and a great basketball program in UConn the Florida market and an up and coming campus in Central or South Florida the city of Houston, which currently is dominated by LSU and A&M alums the Ohio market in Cincy another southeast presence in Memphis and an above-average football and basketball program in BYU
I'd love to see the Big 12 bring on UH, Cinci, Tulane, and Memphis. BYU is fine as well, but I prefer geographic continuity. Yes, Tulane and Memphis would be a temporary downgrade that would require a more patient, long-term investment approach. But nothing would make me happier than seeing the Big 12 start to encroach on SEC territory, instead of the other way around.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wow. Houston moves up two spots in the Nielsen DMA list to No. 8, passing Boston & Atlanta and closing in on SF-Oakland-San Jose and D.C.</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/status/771062378742083584">August 31, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A lot of us are moving to San Diego though because of the hangout thread so Houston will probably drop again.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING : CBS4 has learned CSU has made the first "cut" as the Big 12 Conference mulls expansion. 18 interested schools now whittled to 6-8</p>— jim benemann (@jimbcbs4) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimbcbs4/status/771088763938344960">August 31, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rice, UH both make the cut... Rice is a much more appealing chance to get into the 4th largest city in America vs. UH. It's the difference between success (Rice) and the unwashed masses (UH). http://www.chron.com/sports/rice/article/Report-Rice-makes-Big-12-cuts-9196627.php Houston and Rice are through to the second round of the Big 12 expansion process along with 10 other schools, according to an ESPN report. When reached for comment on making the cut Wednesday night, Rice athletics director Joe Karlgaard declined. Schools are not allowed to speak about the process as they have entered into confidentiality agreements with the Big 12, and the conference wasn't commenting. The other schools ESPN reported as making the cut are Air Force, BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Colorado State, South Florida, SMU, Temple and Tulane. Another report listed Houston, BYU, Central Florida, Connecticut, Memphis and South Florida plus two other American Athletic Conference schools as remaining.
lol at Rice. Big 12 want to add more cupcakes in the conference...join Kansas...Iowa State....in football. Add Rice...have 50,000 empty seats at Rice stadium for football.
I'm not going to hate on Rice. Rice is a great school. Would be cool if UH and Rice were in together honestly.
Feels like the season before Dwight came to Houston. You would get all kinds of reports but there would consistently be the same places. I hadn't read about Air Force, SMU, Temple, Tulane, Rice, and CSU being close in any report other than that one. If adding another Texas school is a tough sell to the rest of the B12 then I have no idea what adding SMU or Rice above UH would do for the conference. The most consistent schools being reported since the beginning of this whole mismanaged event is BYU, UH, Cinci, and UConn with Memphis coming with the FedEx support. They should just do a tournament with those teams and second and third place play for the last spot.