BYU, Cincinnati, UCF and Houston Officially Join Big 12

BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston officially have joined the Big 12 Conference as of midnight on Saturday morning.

The conference currently has 14 teams and now three schools from the eastern time zone.

“It’s July 1, big day. Big day for the Big 12 Conference, our fans. Welcome UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, BYU. We are so thrilled to have you in the conference. We waited a long time for this moment. Can’t wait to be on campus this fall. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Glad to have you in the Big 12,” commissioner Brett Yormark said.

Officially official. pic.twitter.com/JYB1L4lSYU

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) July 1, 2023

Once Oklahoma and Texas depart for the SEC next summer, the Big 12 will be back down to 12 schools for the first time since 2010.

The four new schools were formally invited in September 2021.

BYU will join a conference after being independent in football since 2011 while UCF, Cincinnati and Houston come from the AAC. Houston has been a recent powerhouse in basketball, while Cincinnati and UCF have had major success in football since the mid-2010s.

Poll: Which Big 12 Addition Are You Most Excited About?