NORMAN, Okla. (AP) University of Oklahoma President David Boren said Monday the Big 12 Conference is settled with 10 teams through the 2012 football season, but didn’t rule out the possibility that two more teams could be added in 2013.
“Definitely, I think we have the opportunity to back to 12, if we want to,” Boren told The Associated Press.
Boren did not identify which other schools have expressed an interest in joining the conference.
With the departure of Missouri and Texas A&M to the Southeastern Conference and the addition of TCU and West Virginia to the Big 12, Boren said game schedules and media contracts are set for 2012 with ten teams.
Boren said he would like the league to ultimately explore the option of expanding to 12 teams.
“I don’t think we have to be in any rush,” he said. “It might be wise to take a little time to do that, because we want things to settle down.”
A former Oklahoma governor and U.S. senator who became OU’s president in 1994, two years before the Big 12 was created, Boren said he believes stability has returned to the conference, despite the departure of Nebraska and Colorado last year and Missouri and Texas A&M this year.
“Right now we’re in a period of stability that ranks with any year of the history of the conference since it’s been formed,” Boren said. “We’re financially well off. We have solid media contracts. We have a full schedule of teams to play. We have many other schools still knocking on the door if we do want to go back to 12. We’re in a very good situation.”
