Big 12 Expansion: 5 teams that need to be added
By John Buhler
2. Cincinnati Bearcats
If we’re going to account for geography, media market, and athletics, adding the Cincinnati Bearcats is a no-brainer move for the Big 12 to make. Eventually, somebody was going to grab Cincinnati from the American and make that school a Power 5 program. This one has already allegedly been leaked, so our money is on the Bearcats joining the Big 12.
Adding Cincinnati gets the Big 12 into Ohio and Northern Kentucky. The Bearcats would immediately become a geographical rival with the West Virginia Mountaineers. One could argue that no near rival was the only downside to getting West Virginia in 2012.
The Bearcats are a good, but not great football team historically. Then again, these are their last four head coaches: Tommy Tuberville, Butch Jones, Brian Kelly, and Mark Dantanio. By adding Cincinnati, the Big 12 can vulture top recruits from Ohio away from juggernaut Ohio State. Louisville and Kentucky and have tried this in the ACC and SEC, respectively, but Cincinnati is in-state.
One other thing that makes the Bearcats an obvious choice is that Cincinnati has a strong basketball program. They have a huge rivalry in the city with Xavier University of the Big East. The Big 12 has so many phenomenal basketball schools. They’re not Kansas, but could challenge Iowa State, Baylor, and Oklahoma in that upper echelon over time.