UCF exploring joining BIG 12 as soon as 2023

There could be a new power-5 school in Florida sooner rather than later.

College Football's ongoing realignment is progressing faster than what was once anticipated. The University of Central Florida accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 conference in September 2021 alongside fellow AAC conference members, Houston and Cincinnati, and Independent, BYU. 

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UCF and the other programs could officially join the Big 12 as of the summer of next year. According to the Action Network's Brett McMurphy, UCF, Houston, and Cincinnati are in the process of negotiating settlements in the $17-$20 million range to part ways with the AAC and head to the Big 12 on July 1, 2023.

Cincinnati, Houston & UCF negotiating settlement in $17-$20 million range to join Big 12 next year, sources told ⁦@ActionNetworkHQ⁩. Also, 6 C-USA schools receive month extension to determine departure date for AAC https://t.co/WWH2yGIXAJ

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 3, 2022

If the three schools are able to successfully negotiate settlements, it would also pave the way for the AAC to find replacements for UCF, Houston, and Cincinnati. The completion of the deal would mean that Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA would migrate from the Conference USA to the AAC on July 1, 2023.

The move means that Florida State will be competing with another power-five program in the state in the near future to pair with Florida and Miami. UCF has been rising nationally throughout the last decade and has compiled a 50-12 record since 2017 that includes three seasons with double-digit wins. Over the same span, the Seminoles have gone 26-33.

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Really, the only thing holding the Knights back has been coaching stability as they've lost head coach Scott Frost (Nebraska) and Josh Heupel (Tennessee) to 'bigger' jobs in recent history. Second-year head coach Gus Malzahn seems to be bought in on guiding the program into its leap into the power-five.

UCF will join the Big 12 at a prime time as Oklahoma and Texas will not be leaving the conference for the SEC until 2025 unless they can negotiate an early exit, which is rumored to cost upwards of $70 million. That means the Big 12 is currently set to field 14 teams in 2023.

Florida State is already jockeying with the Knights on the recruiting trail. UCF has landed two players, defensive end Isaiah Nixon and tight end Jayvontay Conner, that the Seminoles extended scholarships to. They also earned a commitment from offensive tackle Jamal Meriweather, who the coaching staff was evaluating.

As the Knights earn more legitimacy as a member of a power-5 conference, the battle on the recruiting trail between Florida State, Miami, and Florida will only continue to grow. It'll make the competition in the state even fiercer and it could get really intriguing if the schools begin to play one another more often.

What long has been a 'big three' in the state of Florida is on the cusp of expanding to a 'big four.'

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