Big 12 Football: 3 best expansion conference expansion candidates after CU

Arizona

There was a thought that if the Big 12 were to poach two programs from the PAC-12 simultaneously, it would be the Arizona schools. The Arizona Wildcats and Arizona State Sun Devils hypothetically make sense for the Big 12 in its expansion west. Those are two decent brands that bring a valuable recruiting territory and TV market to the Big 12.

But the addition of Colorado probably throws a wrench into the possibility of bringing Arizona schools into the Big 12 unless the conference wants to move to 16 members instead of 14.

Arizona is probably the best option if the Big 12 were to add one of the Arizona schools. The Wildcats have a more well-rounded athletic program, even with the football program being down in the last decade. Granted, it does look like Arizona’s football program is finally trending up after second-year head coach Jedd Fisch led the Wildcats to a four-win improvement in 2022.

Need more proof of Arizona’s football program’s strides in the last year or so? The Wildcats landed its highest-rated recruit in program history in five-star Salpointe Catholic EDGE Elijah Rushing. If landing the top-ranked edge rusher recruit in the nation in the 2024 class over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Tennessee Volunteers, Georgia Bulldogs, Clemson Tigers, and Oregon isn’t proof enough of Arizona’s upward trend, I don’t know what is.

Another attractive part of what Arizona brings to the table in this round of conference realignment is the men’s basketball program. Arizona is one of the blue blood programs in men’s hoops.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has a background in basketball as the former Brooklyn Nets’ president.

Yormark’s background appears to be one of the major reasons why the Big 12 is emphasizing strength in men’s hoops with the new direction of the conference. Thus, Arizona is a logical target for the conference to add with Colorado.