Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
PROVO — The reshaped Big 12 begins in one month, when the conference officially expands by four and continues the following year, at which time the two brand names leave.
Oklahoma and Texas have been the big dogs dating back to when much of the old Southwest Conference joined the Big 12 in 1996. None of the newbies — BYU, Cincinnati, Central Florida and Houston — nor any of the eight holdovers can match the star power and recognition of the two programs that will join the Southeastern Conference in summer 2024.
For all its illustrious history, which includes nine undefeated seasons and another 26 with only one loss, Texas football has mostly floundered since its last conference championship in 2009. Since Mack Brown left as coach in 2013, the Longhorns have had only one 10-win season.
The Texas malaise created a void that Oklahoma had no problem filling. Since Brown's departure, the Sooners have produced six seasons with at least 10 wins and made four appearances in the four-team playoff.
Going forward, there are two possibilities for the conference: Either the 12 teams share the wealth, or a program or two become the new Texas and Oklahoma.
Why not BYU? There's a line of thinking that beginning with the 2024 season, the Cougars will inherit the claim as the Big 12's biggest brand.
"There's a void that is going to be filled," longtime Oklahoma columnist Berry Tramel said in an interview on The Zone. "We just don't know who's going to fill it in terms of winning the most. The best way to have a big brand is to win. You don't know who's going to be the bully on the block in the Big 12."
Pete Fiutak, a national college football writer, argues that BYU will have the largest national following going into the Big 12. His reasoning is the other programs, minus Texas and Oklahoma, aren't the most popular in their own states.
For all of Utah's recent success, BYU football still draws the most interest in its home state. Tramel, who has covered the Big 12 for decades, assumes BYU will lead the conference in attendance. With a capacity of 63,470, BYU will have the largest stadium in the Big 12 starting in 2024; the others range from 40,000 to 60,000.
Being in a conference for the first time in 12 years will energize the fan base, which has been clamoring for a shot at national relevance as the season progresses. As an independent, BYU always had a frontloaded schedule.
Tramel said independence "didn't cripple Brigham Young's national brand but it wounded the national brand of BYU. I don't think the BYU brand is as big today as it was 15 years ago, maybe not 20 years ago. But I do think Brigham Young does has a national brand. I think the Cougars' potential is vast because of their history, because of their standing with the church, because of what they've done on the football field."
Ironically, BYU already has a history of filling a void after conference realignment. Before leaving the Western Athletic Conference for the Pac-10 after the 1977 season, Arizona State had won seven out of the last 10 conference championships. With ASU and Arizona gone, coach LaVell Edwards and a string of great quarterbacks helped BYU win the WAC the next eight years.
"The opening is there for all the new people," Tramel said. "I think Brigham Young can get up to speed pretty fast. I think the future is very bright for Brigham Young, and I do think they can be a major player in the Big 12 and potentially a major player on the national scene."
