Inside The Bears

REPORT: Big 12 denies new team opportunity to join conference

Conference expansion won't happen after all--at least now with this team.

JaMichael Garrett

Oct 22, 2022; Lubbock, Texas, USA; A general view of the Big 12 Logo on the field before the game between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images
Oct 22, 2022; Lubbock, Texas, USA; A general view of the Big 12 Logo on the field before the game between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images / Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images
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According to a report from Brett McMurphy of On3Sports, the University of Memphis has made an offer to the Big 12 of a reported 200 million to join the Big 12 conference for all athletics. Memphis is looking to jump from Group of 5 to the Power 4 conference. But the Big 12 has declined the offer and is not targeting Memphis for the conference. There are no reported conference expansions for the near future regarding the Big 12

Memphis joined the American Athletic Conference in 2013 when the league was formed out of the old Big East and it was a majority of football schools. The Tigers were once in Conference USA where they had been for 18 years, and then joined the AAC. The Tigers have had multiple top-25 football finishes and has had a historically strong basketball program.

The Big 12 has 16 teams in total, eight moving into the conference over the last two years, in 2023 BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston joined. In 2024, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah were all added, coming from the Pac-12 conference. The Big 12 has become a coast-to-coast conference in as of late as it's set to move on and not expand again this year after losing Texas and Oklahoma in the summer of 2024 to the SEC.

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JaMichael Garrett
JAMICHAEL GARRETT

I have Interned for The Michigan Insider on 247Sports. I’ve been a big Michigan fan and love going to games at The Big House. When I’m not watching sports, I enjoy being a family man. I’m married with three kids and I love grilling and bonfires.

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