Big 12 Expansion: Adding TCU Should Have Come Sooner for Struggling Conference

The Big 12 Conference has decided to add the TCU Horned Frogs as its 10th member, but this move comes a year too late. 

When Nebraska and Colorado departed from the Big 12 a year ago, the conference had the option to act fast and bring in new schools. The Big 12 chose not to do so, and the conference suffered because of it. 

Now Texas A&M is headed to the SEC, and the Missouri Tigers are planning to follow the Aggies to the best conference in the country, according to the Associated Press. 

Since the Aggies were so adamant about leaving, the Big 12 knew it couldn't survive with just nine members.

Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman tweeted the announcement, and he let his followers know when the move would be official.   

This is a good move for TCU and the Big 12, but it should have happened a year ago. TCU is smart to dump the Big East and join a conference that makes sense geographically, even though it will be harder for them to win in the Big 12.   

The last few months have been a mess for the Big 12, and it could have avoided it all if it had added someone to replace Nebraska and Colorado. When the conference chose not to, it kick-started the craziness of conference realignment.

Now the Big 12 is losing a key member because they were too patient.  

All the Big 12 had to do was give TCU a call last year, and then we wouldn't have had all the confusion of conference realignment this year. It's been fun to watch it all unfold, but knowing that it didn't even need to happen is frustrating. 

Thankfully, Bohls also tweeted additional plans for the Big 12, because it's likely they'll make more moves in the coming weeks. After all, it would make sense for them to have 12 teams, given the name of their conference.   

Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds and Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione may prefer a 10-team league, but I still think they'll get back to 12. 

Bohls also said that the Big 12 has no plans to invite any other schools today and no plans to add any other Texas schools, which means Houston is out of the picture.

I thought Houston would have been a solid addition, but the conference doesn't want to include so much of Texas—which is understandable.

Pete Thamel of The New York Times tweeted that TCU will have to pay a $5 million dollar exit fee, but I'm sure they don't mind it, since they're going to be a conference that will finally give them credibility.

The Big 12 finally made a move, and while it's not terrible, it should have happened a year ago to prevent the conference from the threat of extinction.