Big 12 will evaluate interest in schools wanting to join conference

The Big 12 will gauge other schools’ interest in joining the conference.

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The Big 12 will continue looking into other schools’ interest in joining the conference, Oklahoma president David Boren said Tuesday.

Boren told reporters the Big 12 Board of Directors instructed conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby to “evaluate the interest” of schools hoping to join the league. Houston, which went 13–1 last season and won the Peach Bowl, has been rumored as a potential target for Big 12 expansion.

The Big 12 will now begin contacting schools for formal proposals. Boren told reporters the conference could add anywhere from two to four teams. 

• Houston AD meets with Pac-12 commissioner

“We are looking for members to grow over time, as we grow, and bring stability, and have a high top end,” Bowlsby said Tuesday.

The Big 12 is currently made up of 10 teams. After being shut out of the first College Football Playoff, the Big 12 re-introduced a conference championship game for the 2016 season.

[Matt Brown]