![]() And no school available would do more for that than the Green Wave.Īlong with Buffalo and Rice, Tulane is one of just three AAU institutions that compete at the FBS level yet don't reside in a Power 5 conference. That's why Houston and BYU seem to be the favorites to join the league.īut in this process, the Big 12 might aim to bolster its academic profile as well. Even the SEC has four.Īdding to the sting, all four schools the Big 12 lost through realignment - Colorado, Missouri, Texas A&M and at the time Nebraska - carried AAU membership.Īs Boren said, the Big 12 will look to reinforce its competitive profile on the field through expansion. That pales in comparison to the other Power 5 conferences. At the moment, the Big 12 claims only three AAU members in Texas, Kansas and Iowa State. But in academics, research and teaching, the school is a juggernaut.Īs one of 62 members of the distinguished Association of American Universities (AAU), Tulane is considered one of the top research institutions in the country. When asked what the league would be looking for while vetting expansion candidates, Oklahoma president and Big 12 board chair David Boren said the conference would be looking at strength of the athletic programs, fan base, access to media markets and, in his words, "reputations of these institutions for integrity" and "the academic standards … and the level or research and teaching."īy any measure, Tulane doesn't score well in athletics or fan base. On the surface, it might seem far-fetched for Big 12 expansion to include a school that has just five bowl appearances since the 1970s and exactly one double-digit winning season in its history.īut in the scenario of a four-school grab, Tulane - with its superior academic profile - just might be the wild card as this expansion drama unfolds. And then keep in mind that the presidents and chancellors - not the football coaches and athletic directors - will be making the call. ![]() Imagine then that the decision comes down to, say, Memphis and Tulane. Imagine next that the conference conceivably concludes that Connecticut and Central Florida are too far away. The league, obviously, would still need a fourth school. Imagine a scenario in which the Big 12 expands by four teams and adds current presumptive favorites Houston, BYU and Cincinnati. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĬould Tulane be the Big 12 expansion wild card?
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