There’s finally some conference realignment clarity, particularly regarding the Big 12 Conference.
Cincinnati, Houston and UCF will officially join the Big 12 next season, the American Athletic Conference announced Friday.
The three schools came to an agreement with the AAC to depart the league next season and join the Big 12 beginning July 1, 2023.
That is the same time that BYU will also join the Big 12 Conference.
All four schools were extended invitations to join the Power Five league last September.
The Big 12 sent out a welcome to the four incoming schools on social media following the morning announcement.
Our future is bright 🚀
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) June 10, 2022
See you all in 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑! #Big12 pic.twitter.com/Ts6mjw6mvr
When will Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12 for the SEC?
That wasn’t the only news from Friday morning, though, in conference realignment moves corresponding to Big 12 expansion.
The Austin American-Statesman’s Brian Davis reported a “more realistic target date” for Texas and Oklahoma to join the SEC is 2024.
One high-ranking Texas source tells me now that 2024 is still a more realistic target date for Texas and OU to join the SEC early. So Horns, Sooners teams likely going to Provo, Houston, Cincy, Orlando in 2023.
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) June 10, 2022
That would mean the Longhorns and Sooners would be in the Big 12 for one season with BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and UCF before leaving for the SEC.
When will the Conference USA lose six teams to the AAC?
The Athletic’s Chris Vannini also reported that the six Conference USA schools who are exiting the league to join the AAC are also expected to formally join their new conference July 1, 2023.
Source: The six Conference USA schools leaving C-USA for the AAC are expected to finalize that move for July 1, 2023 in the next few days, @TheAthletic has learned.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) June 10, 2022
That includes Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA. They had been waiting for the AAC departures.
“They had been waiting for the AAC departures,” Vannini wrote.
That group of schools includes Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA.