Will the Big 12 expand? Commissioner Brett Yormark's past comments on realignment rumors go viral

As the Big 12 welcomes four new members on Saturday ahead of two imminent future exits, the conference could expand further.

This has been the speculation among fans and analysts for months. But it gained credence when conference commissioner Brett Yormark said that the Big 12 “is open to expansion if the right opportunity presents itself.” He added that the current membership satisfies him.

What Yormark's comments mean for Big 12 expansion

What can be deduced from Brettt Yormark’s statement is that a potential expansion of the conference shouldn’t be ruled out. However, the said expansion will be subject to a lot of factors. Some of these factors are obvious enough to any attentive observer of the conference realignment wave.

For instance, any potential expansion of a conference like the Big 12 must be viewed in terms of its financial implications. That is, the conference can only confidently embark on an expansion when it is sure to have enough money to keep members happy.

Another important factor is the competitiveness of the conference. An expansion should not put the quality of the member programs in jeopardy. Above all else, the Big 12 needs to maintain its status as a Power Five conference whose members are strong enough to compete for national titles.

Expanding its membership might sound cool, but the Big 12 will currently not do anything to put itself at risk of losing any more members. In other words, it will prioritize retaining its existing members over adding new ones.

With the future of the Pac-12 still uncertain, the Big 12 might be poised to add some of its members like Colorado and Arizona. But there are several other places it can source new members from, like the Moutain West or the AAC.

One thing is certain, Yormark is ambitious and seriously on the lookout for new members. He said the conference has “a plan” and an appetite to be a national conference.”

It also seems he has the presidents and athletic directors sold on it. When addressing the media at the league’s spring meeting in West Virginia, he mentioned that the presidents “had a great discussion about expansion.”

While no official invitation has been sent out yet, Yormark has us all believing that might soon be the case. The question is, which teams are we likely to see join the conference as the talks of an expansion gain ground?