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10 teams the Big 12 should consider pursuing as it navigates conference realignment

By Ethan Lee

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: DeJon Jarreau #3 of the Houston Cougars dribbles against Davion Mitchell #45 of the Baylor Bears in the first half during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: DeJon Jarreau #3 of the Houston Cougars dribbles against Davion Mitchell #45 of the Baylor Bears in the first half during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: Reggie Chaney #32 of the Houston Cougars and Flo Thamba #0 of the Baylor Bears compete for the opening tip-off during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – APRIL 03: Reggie Chaney #32 of the Houston Cougars and Flo Thamba #0 of the Baylor Bears compete for the opening tip-off during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

If the Big 12 is going to survive, it’ll have to get creative. Here are 10 schools it should consider as Oklahoma and Texas head to the SEC.

Things don’t look good for the Big 12 right now. With the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners working on moving over to the Southeastern Conference, the Big 12 is primed to lose its two most prominent members.

That eventual move for OU and UT is currently dealing a huge blow to the conference as the Big 12 wrestles with its future. Losing out on notable brands like Oklahoma and Texas is a hard thing to do, but that’s especially true when those two are the teams that by far receive the most focus and respect when compared to the other institutions in your conference.

So, where does the Big 12 go from here?

If it’s not already clear, the Big 12 will never be able to truly replace Texas and Oklahoma. The Longhorns and Sooners are prominent brands that carry a lot of weight with them. Their athletic departments are well rounded and they succeed at multiple sports.

It’s also worth noting that the Big 12 is playing catch up here. This conference is behind the eight ball here as it tries to navigate conference realignment. This process is something the Big 12 should have been doing YEARS AGO to add more stability and recognition to the conference as a whole.

Now the Big 12 has to find a way to move forward or it’ll cease to exist.

The Big 12 is losing Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC. How can it respond? Will the conference survive?

Given the Big 12’s status as a conference and the authority that it currently has with decision making, there are still several things to like about the conference and what it could be. But that doesn’t matter if the Big 12 can’t find a way to keep moving.

It must get new members if it wants to stay afloat as a conference on its own. That’s going to be tricky.

None of the programs on this list are able to provide the level of national interest that Texas and Oklahoma have, but they could give the conference something that resembles stability and can potentially help the Big 12 survive.

Right now, if it’s going to continue to exist, this conference needs to seriously consider all of its options going forward. That isn’t to say that the Big 12 should add every team on this list, but it should keep them in mind.

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