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Big 12 Expansion Rumors: How The Baylor Scandal Will Affect Conference’s Decision To Add Members

By Ernie Howell
Published on: 21:44 PST, May 30, 2016

As the Big 12 Conference prepares for its annual meeting of school presidents this week in Irving, Texas, the scandal at Baylor University that has cost both the football coach and university president their jobs could also have an impact on how expansion discussions progress, according to new media reports.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the Big 12 Conference does not yet know whom Baylor will send to represent the school in the proceedings. Those comments come from Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, who praised former Baylor president Ken Starr while explaining he had an important voice in the expansion discussions thanks to his role on the composition committee.

“Judge Starr has done a good job leading that process and working with our consultants. He’s been an active and effective participant. But while [Baylor’s scandal] is a distraction, I don’t know at a practical level if it will make much difference in the decision process or in the timetable we’re facing.”

The Baylor scandal — a far-reaching institutional failure to properly handle sexual abuse and assault cases — has had far-reaching implications, including the ouster of president Ken Starr and ultra-successful football coach Art Briles. Even Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw has resigned after the full Pepper Hamilton report was released last week, ESPN reported on Monday. A comprehensive timeline showing the events surrounding the Baylor sexual abuse cases was compiled by the local Waco Tribune-Herald.

Rumors prior to the administration shake-up suggested Baylor would vote in favor of expansion. Because of the fresh revelations and fall-out, how the representative from Baylor will pledge his or her support is an unknown that could have a lasting impact on the Big 12, Bowlsby admitted.

“I don’t think it’s been a positive for [Baylor], and it hasn’t been a positive for [the Big 12]. And what the impact will be as far as real terms is still too early to access.”

Now, the Big 12 will rely on the other two members of the composition committee — West Virginia University president Gordon Gee and Oklahoma president David Boren — to present their recommendations to other Big 12 presidents regarding expansions. Yet Gordon and Boren won’t be the only individuals speaking about expansion during this week’s meetings.

Navigate Research — a Chicago-based company — will present its findings that expansion and a conference game could increase the league’s ability to reach the college football playoffs by as much as 10-15 percent each season, ESPN reported. Further information will be provided by Bevilacqua Helfant Ventures, a media analytics firm that will estimate what a conference network or a new television contract would mean to the Big 12 after expansion.

Rumors have suggested seven of the 10 schools are in favor of expansion as the University of Texas, Texas Tech and TCU remain against adding members. The vote for expansion must pass with a super majority, meaning one of the three hold-outs would have to switch positions in order for Big 12 to begin the process. The University of Texas wields the most power in this bloc, as the Longhorns are not interested in expanding the league or a conference network that would compete with or replace their one-of-a-kind Longhorn Network produced by ESPN.

Still, the primary focus of a Big 12 expansion centers around the revenue impact a new television contract and a conference network could have for league schools. Although the conference already signed a $2 billion pact for their schools in 2012, adding members could results in new negotiations to compensate adding institutions to the Big 12. Rumors suggest the presidents are more concerned about the financial payoff than the college football playoffs.

Big 12 Conference expansion rumors have run rampant since a meeting early May between the Big 12 athletic directors and football coached was revealed to contain the same presentations as the presidents will listen to this week. Several rumors after the meeting suggested the Big 12 could start the expansion process as early as this summer, The Inquisitr reported.

While some bold predictions have been made, several rumors have focused on whom the Big 12 presidents might choose to invite through expansion. Among the 10 schools often mentioned as candidates, several media reports suggest either UConn or BYU (but not both schools) would be a lock to be added to the conference. Other recent media reports suggested that a Power 5 school from the state of Arizona could be invited to join the Big 12, The Inquisitr previously reported.

Schools like Colorado State and UCF, which are not currently a part of the Power 5 conferences, have been jockeying for membership since 2015, multiple media reports claim. Other schools that have been named as potential expansion targets include Cincinnati, Memphis, Houston, Boise State, USF, and Tulane.

What impact will the Baylor scandal have on the Big 12 Conference’s expansion discussions? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

[Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images]

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