Conference Realignment: 3 Possible Candidates for Big 12 Expansion

Suddenly the shift in realignment talk is back on the Big 12, now that people are starting to think about the possible targets for the conferences expansion.

Rumors originally started up with the idea of the Big 12 and Big East merging to form a 16-team conference. Although it's possible, this is very unlikely.

Chances are the Big 12 will look to add three teams to their current nine to get back to a total count of 12 teams.

Here are three possible candidates to join the Big 12.

1. BYU Cougars

The Cougars are the initial favorite for one of the positions in the Big 12. The addition is the most likely and makes the most sense.

BYU is currently an independent program, but an offer from a conference like the Big 12 would be something the university would have to consider.

BYU has a national fan base and is relatively competitive in all of their games. There really are no cons for the invitation to be extended to the Cougars.

2. TCU Horned Frogs

With the stability of the Big East currently in question, there are rumors that the Big 12 may invite Texas Christian to walk away from the Big East before they ever join.

The Big East lacks the prestige that the Big 12 offers. Joining up with one of the four powerhouse conferences would be a smart move for the Horned Frogs.

There are some minor problems with this idea.

The primary one, of course, is the University of Texas. It's doubtful that the Longhorns would be happy with the idea of adding TCU to the conference.

3. Boise State Broncos

If the Big 12 wants to keep the conference competitive, the addition of Boise State seems to be a no-brainer.

However, it appears that the idea has been discussed and the Big 12 may not be interested in the addition.

The excuse given was potential academic concerns, but this seems a bit absurd since the requirements for Boise State and Oklahoma are nearly identical.

Maybe Oklahoma is just still bitter about the loss in the Fiesta Bowl a few years back.