It was only a matter of time before the rumor mill began churning out reports of replacement/expansion for the Big 12 now that Texas A&M is officially moving on in all likelihood to the SEC.
As we’ve mentioned several, several times on this site, the shortlist of candidates to join the Big 12 moving forward -- assuming the conference doesn’t fold in on itself first -- has included BYU, Notre Dame and Arkansas, with the latter two being nothing more than Dan Beebe‘s pipe dreams.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the former of the three may be a far more realistic choice.
The Tribune writes “BYU officials have had discussions with Big 12 officials within the past week regarding the school’s interest in joining the conference, and what conditions and assurances it would need to make the jump exactly a year after announcing they were breaking away from the Mountain West Conference.
“It is unclear whether the talks have included an invitation from the Big 12.”
BYU’s AD has previously denied any calls from the Big 12, but that was during a time when A&M’s departure was far from a sure thing.
Likewise, BYU’s entrance into the Big 12 is far from certain. The Cougars are just beginning to test the benefits of football independence, a move that was made because BYU officials clearly thought it was the most financially viable option for them.
For BYU to join the Big 12, Beebe needs to channel his inner Marlon Brando and give the Cougars an offer they can’t refuse.
“A BYU source said the talks have included the school’s desire to utilize its own television network, BYUtv, in a BCS automatic-qualifying conference much as it plans to this year. The talks have also included ESPN officials and even some input from Notre Dame representatives, whom BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe has referred to as “partners” in the past year.”
Of course, seeing how well the Longhorn Network went over with some of the current members of the Big 12, bringing in another school with its own network may not be a real smart idea.
Hey, there’s always Pittsburgh. They’ve been mentioned to join just about every conference outside of the Pac-12.