Big 12 Conference Expansion: Ranking the best potential additions
By John Scimeca
8. Tulane
The Green Wave won’t be among the first few schools on the list for Big 12 expansion, but they merit consideration at the very least. The team has improved under sixth-year head coach Willie Fritz, who has had seven Tulane players chosen in the NFL Draft since 2018. The team achieved back-to-back winning seasons in 2018 and 2019 for the first time in 21 years.
It’s easy to sell Tulane in terms of its location: the appeal of New Orleans, a new (though small) on-campus stadium, and in the midst of lots of high school talent. Though Tulane was once an SEC member long ago, the Green Wave have struggled lately, an undefeated season in 1998 notwithstanding.
Tulane could provide a suitable geographic addition for a league potentially looking to expand to Florida and/or other parts of Texas.
7. Air Force
It’s another long shot (see above), but adding the Air Force Academy would give the Big 12 an opponent with a national fanbase. The Falcons, though inconsistent, are no slouches on the field: they’ve won 10 or more games three times since 2014.
Something remarkable about Air Force is the stability of leadership. The football program has had just two head coaches (Fisher DeBerry and Troy Calhoun) since 1984, and both managed to surpass expectations at a service academy. Navy has had mixed success as members of the American, so it’s no guarantee that Air Force would be competitive in a new-look Big 12.
Also to add to the case for Air Force: they’re a Western U.S.-based school that could be a suitable geographic partner for a team like Boise State or BYU.