The Big 12 is one step closer to actually expanding, or maybe not expanding, with ESPN’s Brett McMurphy reporting that there will be 17 schools who will be giving video presentations to the conference.
If the there is going to be expansion within the Big 12 the source told McMurphy that it is "becoming less and less likely" that the league will expand to 14 teams. The Big 12 is likely going to go to have two divisions of six teams each and stick to the number teams as the leagues namesake.
Among the 17 teams there are reportedly in the mix there are five Mountain West schools who will be participating in the video conference and they are San Diego State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Air Force and Boise State.
With it looking like that the Big 12 is going to 12 teams, these schools will be looking at full member status and not football-only members.
The other reported schools in the mix are: Arkansas State, Boise State, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado State, UConn, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Northern Illinois, New Mexico, San Diego State, SMU, Temple, Tulane, UCF and USF.
One more team was just added to this gaggle with Air Force. Also, it should be noted that Air Force turned down an offer to join the Big 12 back in 2011.
"We were approached by the Big 12, and I told them we're not a good fit for that conference. In the Big 12, geography makes sense, the economics make sense, but recruiting makes no sense for us. I can't recruit against Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State," former Air Force athletics Dr. Hans J. Mueh said at the time.