14-Team Big 12 for 2023-24 is Not New News
STILLWATER – I’m trying to figure out where Jon Rothstein has been or if in the process of moving from CBS Sports to Fanduel he entered a hyperbaric chamber and lost track of news that has already circulated. It’s been several months since the news came out that the Big 12 was likely looking at a 14-team conference structure in 2023-24. Cincinnati, Central Florida, and Houston, all of the American Athletic Conference, said they were looking at the possibility of leaving early before the 27-month departure schedule in the AAC bylaws. AAC commissioner Mike Aresco, while recruiting new members for his league, said that would be possible with a negotiation on a larger buyout payment by the trio of departing institutions. BYU had already said they were bringing their sports that fit the Big 12, all except men’s soccer, to the Big 12 in the 2023-24 academic year.
The greater chance of the Big 12 actually being 12 schools was thought to be if Oklahoma and Texas opted to leave early and pay the Big 12 more to join the SEC. No negotiation there as outgoing commissioner Bob Bowlsby and the Big 12 membership was insistent on OU and UT paying every cent required to leave. For Texas that is no problem, but for Oklahoma as a University, which is hemorrhaging with debt, not a good deal. The Sooners are going to the SEC for the money, so they don’t want to lose more of it before leaving.
This could be a lot of fun. Now, with the NCAA is a freefall of importance and organization you might be able to throw out their requirement of conferences with more than 12 teams having to split into two divisions and the winners of those divisions play in a championship game. The NCAA has little influence over football. The Big 12 should thumb their nose at the league.
Oklahoma and Texas don’t want a disruption in their rivalry and television loves that game. The Big 12 should keep it while they have it. Instead of putting those two teams in the same division meaning added disruption when they do leave, have the 14-team league play rotating schedules with permanent foes and teams they rotate playing. In the championship game keep the current format of the two teams with the best records playing for the title.
How excited am I about having a 14-team Big 12 Conference for two seasons before the Sooners and Longhorns go after the 2024-25 school year? Here is my dream schedule for the Cowboys for the two seasons with 14-teams in the Big 12.
| 2023 Football Season | 2024 Football Season |
| Date | Opponent | Date | Opponent |
| Sept. 2 | Central Arkansas | Aug 29 (Thurs.) | UTRGV |
| Sept. 9 | @Arizona State | Sept. 7 | Arkansas |
| Sept. 16 | South Alabama | Sept. 14 | @Tulsa |
| Sept. 24 | Open | Sept. 21 | Open |
| Oct. 1 | @BYU | Sept. 28 | BYU |
| Oct. 8 | Kansas State | Oct. 5 | @Kansas State |
| Oct. 15 | TCU | Oct. 12 | @TCU |
| Oct. 22 | @Iowa State | Oct. 19 | Iowa State |
| Oct. 29 | @Texas | Oct. 26 | Texas |
| Nov. 5 | Central Florida | Nov. 2 | @Central Florida |
| Nov. 12 | Baylor | Nov. 9 | @Baylor |
| Nov. 19 | @Kansas | Nov. 16 | Kansas |
| Nov. 26 | Oklahoma | Nov. 23 | Open |
| Nov. 30 | @Oklahoma |
The Big 12 Championship Games would be on Dec. 3 in 2023 and Dec. 7 in 2024. You will notice that I have Oklahoma State playing OU and Texas the last two years. I want to play them and give the Cowboys a chance to run up some wins on those two as they leave the league similar to what Oklahoma State did to Texas A&M, Missouri, Nebraska, and Colorado on their way out the door. I also chose BYU and Central Florida as the Cowboys first two new members to play. I can’t wait to go to Provo, Utah and Houston and Cincinnati aren’t as sexy to play as Central Florida. My choice.