The Big 12 is sticking with 10 teams — for now.
Bringing an end to a convoluted exploration process that led to 11 schools being considered as candidates for expansion, the conference's presidents voted Monday to keep the status quo, according to multiple reports.
No school came up with the required eight out of 10 votes from existing members to make the cut, ESPN reported. It's unclear whether the door to expansion is completely closed, with SI.com reporting the conference has decided to hold steady "at this time."
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Houston was considered perhaps the best bet to make the cut given its recent rise to national prominence in football, and political leaders around Texas had made clear their support for the Cougars' bid as the process unfolded. BYU, with its national fan base, also was in the mix, though there were questions about how its rules against playing games on Sundays would affect basketball and other sports.
The other schools that made the final cut for consideration were Cincinnati, Air Force, UCF, Colorado State, Connecticut, Rice, SMU, South Florida and Tulane.
Reports had emerged in recent weeks that the Big 12's national television rightsholders, ESPN and Fox, were not necessarily enthused about the prospect of expansion, expressing concerns that adding schools might dilute the product.
Either way, given the ever-changing nature of modern college athletics, it seems unlikely that Monday's decision will put an end to the matter. Radical conference realignment driven by football powers has been a topic of discussion for years, and the money involved suggests schools with big-time aspirations but stuck outside the Power 5 conferences will keep trying to find a way in the door.
