Pete Thamel details the next moves the Big 12 should look at following latest realignment

With all the hullabaloo surrounding conference realignment, where does the Big 12 fit in the picture? The SEC is swiping Oklahoma and Texas in the coming years, and the Big Ten just made a play to get USC and UCLA. ESPN college football analyst Pete Thamel believes the Big 12 needs to get aggressive in pursuing new options if they want to remain one of the power conferences in the country.

Thursday, following the initial USC and UCLA news, Thamel hopped on the Paul Finebaum Show to explain what steps the Big 12 needs to take in order to stay alive. Here were his comments:

“I think you go on the offensive if you’re Brett Yormark. I think you try to go get a swath of Colorado or maybe the Arizona schools and you try to build up for your own deal that could be coming. You need to position your league. I really feel like the four schools that the Big 12 added, 10 years from now, could be the best four schools in that league. I mean, Baylor’s had a great recent run and Oklahoma State, obviously, has been a very consistent top-25 program under Mike Gundy. But when you look at the markets and you look at the talent that’s available, certainly Cincinnati, Houston and UCF are well-positioned for success. I don’t think today’s a dire day for Brett Yormark by any means, but I think they very quickly have to start having macro discussions so they don’t get left behind.”

Big 12 courting Pac-12 programs?

College Football insider Brett McMurphy reports that the Big 12 is ready to get active in acquiring more power programs in order to keep up with the SEC and Big Ten. Here was McMurphy’s initial report of Big 12 activity:

“Big 12 may get aggressive & look to add Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado & Utah.” Essentially bidding for the remaining top Pac-12 programs following the departures of USC and UCLA. Assuming those moves go through, the Big Ten would have 16 teams. As will the SEC in a few years once Texas and Oklahoma join that league.

After Texas and Oklahoma announced that they were leaving the Big 12, the conference immediately went on the offensive to find replacements. They plucked four of the top non-power programs to join in wake of losing the Sooners and Longhorns. Houston, Cincinnati, BYU and UCF all inked deals to join the conference to replenish the Big 12 back to 12 teams in theory.

But, according to McMurphy’s reporting, given the activity of the SEC and Big Ten, the Big 12 wants to stay aggressive and absorb some of the crumbling Pac-12. Adding the four teams listed in his report would make it 16 total for them as well.