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The leading candidates under consideration to join the Big 12 are BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston, The Athletic reported Thursday.

The conference created a committee last month to study expansion following the pending departures of Oklahoma and Texas to the Southeastern Conference.



BYU, which competes as an independent as a football, was previously identified by The Athletic as a candidate. The Cougars play their other sports in the West Coast Conference but could potentially be brought into the Big 12 as a football-only member, per the report.

UCF, Cincinnati and Houston are members of the American Athletic Conference. The league requires 27 months of notice and a $10 million penalty for departing members. In 2019, the AAC allowed UConn to leave with only 12 months’ notice in exchange for a $17 million exit fee.

The Big 12’s remaining athletic directors met with league commissioner Bob Bowlsby in Dallas earlier this week.

“The eight ADs remain committed to furthering the Big 12 as one of the nation’s premier athletic conferences, and look forward to working with our presidents and chancellors to strengthen the league,” Bowlsby said in a statement on Wednesday. “Future exploration by the group will continue to center on options that best position the long-term strength of the Conference.”

The SEC has granted membership to Texas and Oklahoma in all sports starting with the 2025-26 academic year.

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)