Big Ten expansion rumors: Would Kansas, Iowa State leave Big 12 for Big Ten?

Big Ten expansion rumors are heating up that the league could add Kansas and Iowa State in the wake of Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC.

With Oklahoma and Texas leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, this could have a major impact in the Big 12 with other prominent programs heading to the Big Ten.

It has been a decade since the last wave of realignment in major college athletics. One could argue no conference was more impacted by this than the Big 12, which lost four of its founding members to other Power Five conferences. While the Big 12 was able to gain two solid additions in TCU and West Virginia, the Big 12 as we know it forever changes with Oklahoma and Texas departures.

Could the Big 12 leftovers find a home in the Big Ten and which universities make the most sense?

Big Ten expansion: Kansas and Iowa State to Big Ten rumors heating up

The Big Ten is not going to take any Big 12 leftover in this potential realignment scenario. If the Big Ten were to poach any Big 12 team, it is painfully obvious. It would be Kansas, as the Big Ten would be gaining a college basketball blue-blood While the Jayhawks may be the worst Power Five program on the gridiron, they have a top-five basketball program historically. They invented the sport. The Big Ten would also gain the Kansas City and St. Louis media markets with Kansas.

Rumors swirled over the weekend of the Big Ten meeting with Kansas about expansion, but no meeting took place and the Big Ten is not actively pursuing KU.

Should the Big Ten want to add a 16th member and a second from the Big 12 in this realignment wave, Iowa State would be a distant second. The Cyclones too have a strong basketball program historically, though nowhere on Kansas’ level. With an emerging football power under head coach Matt Campbell, that could be alluring as well. Would Iowa embrace its major in-state rival, though?

Both Kansas and Iowa State are AAU schools which is imperative when considering any Big Ten expansion.

The only other programs that would geographical make sense are Kansas State and West Virginia. While both have solid basketball and football programs, neither have the allure of what the Jayhawks provide on the hardwood. West Virginia makes a ton of sense to reunite with former Big East rival Pittsburgh in the ACC. Maybe Kansas State joins Big Eight rival Colorado in the Pac-12?

Simply, if the Big Ten goes to 16 teams, their two new members should be Kansas and Iowa State.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.