Will that reign continue for a seventh consecutive year, or could Iowa State, Texas or one of the league's other challengers have something to say about that? Take out Oklahoma State's games against FCS opponents, and no other team in the Big 12 has even 50 total wins over the past six seasons, let alone 50 league victories. The Oklahoma Sooners have won college football's Big 12 conference in each of the past six years, compiling an overall league record of 51-6 (including conference championship games) during that time. The current agreement, after all, is for the top six conference champions to receive an auto bid.Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler Tom Pennington/Getty Images That high level of play is important if and when the 12-team playoff comes into existence. Before that, Houston was the class of the AAC, going 13-1 and beating Florida State in the Peach Bowl during the 2015-16 season. The Knights had three straight seasons of double-digit wins from 2017-19, going undefeated in 2017 and winning 12 straight games as a follow-up in 2018. UCF has also enjoyed success as a college football juggernaut. Coach Luke Fickell is considered one of the top coaches in the country and will almost certainly be a top target by Power Five schools once the coaching silly season starts. The Bearcats enjoyed an undefeated AAC championship run and fell just short against Georgia in the Peach Bowl. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, quarterback Zach Wilson. 11 final ranking in 2020 and produced the No. None of them have reached Oklahoma's level in terms of College Football Playoff appearances, but they have been every bit as competitive as the Longhorns, if not more so.īYU and Cincinnati are coming off of all-time great seasons. The four programs being eyed by the Big 12 have achieved significant success as Group of Five members over the last decade. It'll give the Big 12 a nice portfolio to sell to potential distributors - both traditional and over-the-top streaming. ![]() Television markets may not be driving this round of realignment, but major cities with passionate fan bases do make a difference when it comes to deciding which teams to add. ![]() Houston, of course, would help the Big 12 maintain a strong presence in Texas, even though the most prominent team in the Lone Star State is leaving and the second-most prominent (Texas A&M) departed in the last round of realignment. BYU would add in the Salt Lake City, Utah, market and an international fan base. Cincinnati, meanwhile, would bring more of a Midwest footprint to pair with West Virginia. However, adding UCF would give the Big 12 a presence in the major television market of Orlando. Big 12 schools currently average $37 million annually.Īdding the aforementioned four teams wouldn't fill the entire void left by Texas and Oklahoma. American schools currently average $7 million in media rights revenue annually. That would only be a possibility if the remaining eight Big 12 schools are made whole financially from the current media rights deal ($37 million per school).įor the four schools invited to the Big 12, the move would be a giant step revenue-wise. Should BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF accept bids to the Big 12, the conference may allow Texas and Oklahoma to leave before their contractual rights are up in 2025. ![]() ![]() Future exploration by the group will continue to center on options that best position the long-term strength of the conference." "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. "Following two days of consultation with the athletics directors of the continuing members of the Big 12 conference," commissioner Bob Bowlsby said Wednesday.
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