Conference Realignment: 4 Teams the Big 12 Must Target to Replenish Its Ranks

All is quiet in the Big 12 for the time being, which is about as much as any conference could hope for in today's college football climate.

The conference's remaining member schools ousted commissioner Dan Beebe earlier this week and promptly replaced him with former Big Eight boss, Chuck Neinas in the interim.

According to Pete Thamel of the New York Times, Neinas suggested that Texas A&M is likely off to the SEC but that Missouri will stick around.

By my count, that leaves the Big 12 with nine members—hardly enough to survive in this day and age of tenuous alliances forged over multi-billion dollar TV deals.

If the Big 12 is to avoid another near meltdown, its leadership will first have to figure out what to do about Texas' Longhorn Network and then extend membership bids to at least three other schools.

Neinas and his conference confidantes would do well to consider these four institutions to fortify the future of his league. 

BYU

If the Big 12 were to send out just one invitation to the dance in the coming months, it would most likely be addressed to Provo, Utah.

There's a lot for the Big 12 to like about BYU—a market in the Rocky Mountains to make up for the loss of Colorado, a long and storied winning tradition in football, the ability to compete in the conference right away (Texas 17, BYU 16), a ready-made base of fervent fans and big-time recruits and no conference affiliation to tie it down.

The one big drawback? BYUtv. If any conference knows the pitfalls of allowing member schools to start up their own TV networks, it's the Big 12.

Unlike the Longhorn Network, however, BYUtv is about more than just money. It's about spreading the Mormon message far and wide.

Assuming, then, that Neinas doesn't mind lending preferential treatment, he'll have a postcard headed west first thing in the morning if he doesn't already.

Houston

The Big 12 already owns most of the state of Texas, but could stand to lose a hefty chunk of the Houston market if and when Texas A&M bolts to the SEC, seeing as how College Station is less than 100 miles away.

In that case, the obvious move for Neinas would be to poach the University of Houston from Conference USA.

The Cougars have a strong history in football and used to play alongside the likes of Texas, Texas Tech and Baylor in the Southwest Conference.

Houston also happens to be the third-largest university in the state of Texas with an endowment of more than half a billion dollars.

If only head coach Kevin Sumlin could find a way to bring quarterback Case Keenum back for another, say, four years or so, these Cougars may yet claw their way back into the big time with the Big 12. 

SMU

Speaking of the old SWC and teams now in Conference USA, what about Southern Methodist? A small school to be sure, but one with a huge endowment ($1.4 billion) and no shortage of big time oil barons and Texas businessmen among its most prominent boosters.

Head coach June Jones finally has the Mustangs football program on the up-and-up, nearly a quarter century after the NCAA inflicted SMU with the death penalty.

The Big 12 doesn't necessarily need SMU's help locking down the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, though the Mustangs certainly wouldn't hurt the conference's chances in the area.  

West Virginia

Picking off teams from the Big East has always been en vogue in college football and what better way for the Big 12 to get in on the fun than with a bid for West Virginia?

The Mountaineers were allegedly turned down by both the ACC and the SEC, which raises some red flags about their viability in a big time football conference.

Then again, one conference's trash may yet be another's treasure.

West Virginia has practically owned the Big East since Miami and Virginia Tech took off for the ACC in 2004, earning four conference championships and playing in a bowl game every season since.

For those worried about the Mountaineers' ability to hang in the Big 12, just ask Oklahoma.

Geographically speaking, Morgantown is anything but a big market, but having WVU around would give the Big 12 a presence in the Appalachians along with the surrounding football hotbeds of Ohio and western Pennsylvania.