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Predicting what Big 12 realignment might look like after expansion

By Jacob Yturri

Sep 15, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Tom Herman answers questions during a post game interview after defeating the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium. Houston won 40-16. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 15, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Tom Herman answers questions during a post game interview after defeating the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium. Houston won 40-16. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 8, 2016; East Hartford, CT, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Tommy Tuberville watches from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Huskies in the first quarter at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; East Hartford, CT, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Tommy Tuberville watches from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Huskies in the first quarter at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

Big 12 East

When envisioning the Big 12 with the addition of Houston and Cincinnati, you’d be hard pressed to not see the conference split up into East and West divisions. There are really two ways to go about stacking up each side of the conference.

By adding Cincinnati, that gives the conference seven schools outside of the state of Texas.

Version 1:

  1. Iowa State
  2. Kansas State
  3. Kansas
  4. Cinncinatti
  5. Oklahoma
  6. Houston

This places the two incoming teams in the same conference but still keeps a Texas team in the division. The weakness of this arrangement is that Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are separated and their yearly battle for the state would have to be made a protected game.

Version 2:

  1. Iowa State
  2. Kansas State
  3. Kansas
  4. Cinncinatti
  5. West Virgina
  6. Texas Christian

This version swaps West Virgina for Oklahoma, which allows Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to play every year without the  need to add paperwork. Additionally, Texas Christian is swapped out for Houston. The overall weakness of this arrangement is that more Texas teams aren’t in the division.

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