Big 12 Reconfiguration Possibilities

In a CFAA article about the Big 12 presidents’ meeting this weekend, several options for the conference’s reconfiguration were outlined.

In a pretty detailed analysis, Jimmy Burch from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram discussed the four main possibilities: staying with nine teams, adding one school to total ten teams, going back to twelve teams, or merging with the Big East to expand to sixteen teams.

Sticking with nine teams is probably unlikely just because it doesn’t supply the conference stability some teams are looking for. The ten team option is much more likely. It secures the Fox Sports tv contract, but still doesn’t provide the level of security some teams want. If this option is what they go with, the choice will probably be between TCU and Brigham Young. The 12-team option would provide stability and recapture a conference championship. Schools to look out for if this deal is made include TCU, Big East schools Louisville, Cincinnati, WVU, and Boise State and BYU. While Texas men’s AD DeLoss Dodds is pulling for the 10-team configuration, Oklahoma president David Boren publicly favors the 12-team model. The 16 team option involves a full merger with the Big East. This is also an unlikely choice only because other deals are more profitable.

I was impressed with the thoroughness of this analysis. The only thing missing is how Big 12 changes would affect other conferences. However, to fully assess how recent conference shake-ups will affect all of BCS football could be a book, so I don’t blame Burch for not addressing that.