Max Olson of The Athletic and sources from the Houston Chronicle report that the Big XII may vote as early as next week to offer expansion to BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and the University of South Florida. The league is currently in limbo as Oklahoma and Texas prepare to switch to the SEC. While the four new schools can't expect to offset the prestige of the two departing schools, their additions could keep the league afloat as a Power 5 conference for football and should also become one of the premiere basketball leagues in the country.

Texas and Oklahoma must continue to pay the Big XII through 2025 due to a Grant of Rights contract (GOR) signed along with the latest package of conference football games to Fox, ESPN and others. Had the conference not collapsed, those two schools would owe the Big XII a figure above $80 million apiece. The American Athletic Conference (AAC) also has a Grant of Rights that would mean Cincinnati, Houston and USF would need to pay $10 million per to exit until the AAC's contract completes. Schools must give 27-months' advance notice of intention to leave the AAC although universities may try to negotiate a smaller time frame for a larger payout as UConn did when they left the conference. BYU is currently an independent for football with all their other sports competing in the West Coast Conference (WCC).

Until Texas and Oklahoma officially depart, the new Big XII would have 14 teams (extending their tradition of NOT having 12 teams like the conference name advertises and in conjunction with the Big 10 which now has 14 teams yet also shows a disdain for third-grade math). Some have expressed a desire to add beyond the next group of four with schools like Boise St., Colorado St., San Diego St., Memphis, Tulane and the University of South Florida mentioned as possibilities.

If the conference finished up with 12 teams or more, they will need to schedule a divisional format rather than the round-robin format they now have.

After Texas and Oklahoma leave, one could envision a West Division of Baylor, BYU*, Houston*, Oklahoma St., TCU, and Texas Tech with an East Division of Cincinnati*, Iowa St., Kansas, Kansas St., USF* and West Virginia (* - new member).

I suppose you could also do a North Division of BYU*, Cincinnati*, Iowa St., Kansas, Kansas St., and West Virginia with a South Division of Baylor, Houston*, Oklahoma St., TCU, Texas Tech and USF*.