Coaches praise Big 12’s expansion plans

The Big 12's quick move to invite four schools to join the conference should solidify the conference's future, a group of football coaches said Monday. BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston are joining the conference to replace outgoing Oklahoma and Texas.

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Sports

September 14, 2021 - 9:59 AM

Kansas State coach Chris Klieman says he was never worried the Big 12 would disband or become irrelevant, even with the lingering questions about the conference’s future when Oklahoma and Texas head to the Southeastern Conference. 

“I knew none of that was true,” Klieman said.

The Big 12’s swift response to expand with the additions of BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston certainly helped answer a lot of those questions and created some stability moving forward for the league that some didn’t think would survive the departures of its only football national champions. 

“We got four really good programs. … I think it solidifies the Big 12 is as a power conference that’s here to stay for the long haul,” Klieman said Monday during the first Big 12 coaches’ teleconference of the season.

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