There are thunderings the Big 12 is examining development. Should BYU think about it if a call comes?

BYU has been here previously: There are reports that the Big 12 is thinking about extension, and the Provo, Utah-based foundation is a solid applicant in those conversations.

This time, the thunderings about the Big 12 hoping to grow are prodded on the grounds that sanction individuals Texas and Oklahoma are darting for the SEC, and with the Pac-12 reporting Thursday that it won’t extend, the leftover eight individuals from the Big 12 can consider their choices for the ambushed Power Five association.

The inquiry is, in case BYU is approached to join a Big 12 short Texas and Oklahoma, would it?

There might be a few interesting points on that front soon. The Athletic’s Max Olson and Andy Staples revealed Friday morning that the Big 12 is “truly examining” BYU as a development competitor. The team shared exploration that shows BYU is an ideal extension applicant dependent on TV viewership information.

“Between 2015 and ’19, the median audience Big 12 teams (minus games involving Texas and Oklahoma) drew for 36 games broadcast on ABC, Fox or ESPN was 1.786 million viewers. BYU’s numbers were comparable; the Cougars’ median audience in 16 games broadcast on those channels was 1.64 million,” Olson and Staples composed.

“For 104 games broadcast on ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox Sports 1 or Fox Sports 2, the remaining Big 12 schools drew a median audience of 482,000. BYU drew a median audience of 682,000 from 20 broadcasts on those networks.”

The Big 12 has shaped a development subcommittee

Exactly how genuine could these Big 12 development talks be getting?

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal revealed Thursday night that the Big 12 has shaped a four-man development subcommittee comprising of Kansas chancellor Douglas Girod, Texas Tech athletic chief Kirby Hocutt, Iowa State president Wendy Wintersteen and Baylor AD Mack Rhoades.

“Right now, our complete focus is to make the Big 12 as strong as it can possibly be,” Hocutt said, per the Avalanche-Journal, “and I expect that Texas Tech will play a leadership role in that. We’re going to continue to be part of the power-five structure in college athletics.”

The subcommittee allegedly met with the Big 12 presidents on Friday and will meet with Big 12 athletic chiefs and media and TV experts one week from now, per the Avalanche-Journal.

ESPN’s Heather Dinich revealed that, in regards to conceivable Big 12 development, one source said, “everything is on the table … our options are looking at many schools.”

Should BYU think about joining the Big 12 whenever advertised?

One day in the wake of composing that BYU is a “no-brainer” add for the Big 12 in the event that it extends, The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel joined BYU Sports Nation on Friday. He said the fit for BYU in the Big 12 would be acceptable, however the school ought to have inquiries concerning the soundness of a Power Five association losing its two most unmistakable projects.

“I think the Big 12 needs BYU more than BYU needs the Big 12 at this point,” Tramel said. “But now, that doesn’t mean they don’t need each other. They need each other immensely, but there’s a little bit more risk for BYU. What if Brigham Young joins the Big 12, and then in 2025, the Pac-12 changes its mind and poaches more members?”

Tramel likewise addressed what joining a Power Five meeting could accomplish for BYU.

“The profile of BYU has slipped a little nationally,” he said. “I think that can be brought up pretty quickly with a steady diet of Power Five opponents, particularly in a conference. There’s tons of advantages of being in a Power Five conference like this.”