Multiple industry sources indicated the next logical step will be culling the candidates down to a manageable number for final interviews. The sources indicated that invitations and a public announcement are unlikely in the next two weeks, with a likely timeline of mid-September to mid-October ahead of a scheduled Big 12 board of directors meeting.
While a decision could conceivably come as early as the week of Aug. 29, sources said, a more realistic timetable is mid to late September .
For the moment, Cincinnati and Houston occupy front-runner status.
Iowa State president Steven Leath said last week that BYU was generating the most comment, pro and con, and sources confirmed that remains the case. As reported by the Austin American-Statesman, former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is now making calls on behalf of the school to Big 12 power brokers, a sign the process is becoming even more serious. And a possible tweaking of the school's honor code may also be necessary to address Title IX concerns, two sources said.
The biggest concern about Houston isn't so much Texas geography, sources indicated, as a concern by some presidents about the impact of Lone Star politics in the process.
Cincinnati might check the most boxes of any of the contenders, good in a lot of categories if not necessarily great. The one concern: Can the Bearcats deliver their own market with Ohio State two hours down the road?
Houston board of regents chairman Tilman Fertitta said Thursday the school could learn its Big 12 fate within the next three months.
“They have a timeline. We think in the next 60-90 days it will all be over and hopefully the University of Houston will be in the Big 12.”
Fertitta said during a press conference to announce his $20 million gift to rename the school’s basketball arena Fertitta Center.
Asked if he thought Houston had the necessary support, Fertitta said: “I think there is a whole lot of support out there.”
East Carolina chancellor Cecil Staton boasted about the school's average football attendance — which is the best among non-Power 5 schools — athletic director Jeff Compher made a massive, state-sized promise.
"We would deliver the entire State of North Carolina and would welcome your teams and fans to Greenville with open arms," Compher wrote in the letter obtained by ESPN.com.
Staton cited North Carolina's population of just under 10 million people, which ranks 10th nationally, and said the state's combined television market would be the fifth largest in the country.
The Pirates and Mountaineers do have a longstanding rivalry, with 21 games played since 1970.
As for the other FBS schools in the Tar Heel State, ECU has enjoyed recent success — clobbering North Carolina with consecutive wins in 2013 and 2014 by a combined score of 125-72 and winning two straight over North Carolina State (and seven of the last 11 meetings). The Pirates won their last meeting against Duke in 2005, though Wake Forest owns a five-game win streak over ECU from 2001-05.
The ECU baseball team has reached the NCAA Tournament 28 times, and has only missed the tourney field twice since 1999. ECU has the most NCAA tourney appearances without a trip to the College World Series.
The school's swim teams are also among the best in the country, while its other sports programs are competitive, except Men's basketball.
While a decision could conceivably come as early as the week of Aug. 29, sources said, a more realistic timetable is mid to late September .
For the moment, Cincinnati and Houston occupy front-runner status.
Iowa State president Steven Leath said last week that BYU was generating the most comment, pro and con, and sources confirmed that remains the case. As reported by the Austin American-Statesman, former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is now making calls on behalf of the school to Big 12 power brokers, a sign the process is becoming even more serious. And a possible tweaking of the school's honor code may also be necessary to address Title IX concerns, two sources said.
The biggest concern about Houston isn't so much Texas geography, sources indicated, as a concern by some presidents about the impact of Lone Star politics in the process.
Cincinnati might check the most boxes of any of the contenders, good in a lot of categories if not necessarily great. The one concern: Can the Bearcats deliver their own market with Ohio State two hours down the road?
Houston board of regents chairman Tilman Fertitta said Thursday the school could learn its Big 12 fate within the next three months.
“They have a timeline. We think in the next 60-90 days it will all be over and hopefully the University of Houston will be in the Big 12.”
Fertitta said during a press conference to announce his $20 million gift to rename the school’s basketball arena Fertitta Center.
Asked if he thought Houston had the necessary support, Fertitta said: “I think there is a whole lot of support out there.”
East Carolina chancellor Cecil Staton boasted about the school's average football attendance — which is the best among non-Power 5 schools — athletic director Jeff Compher made a massive, state-sized promise.
"We would deliver the entire State of North Carolina and would welcome your teams and fans to Greenville with open arms," Compher wrote in the letter obtained by ESPN.com.
Staton cited North Carolina's population of just under 10 million people, which ranks 10th nationally, and said the state's combined television market would be the fifth largest in the country.
The Pirates and Mountaineers do have a longstanding rivalry, with 21 games played since 1970.
As for the other FBS schools in the Tar Heel State, ECU has enjoyed recent success — clobbering North Carolina with consecutive wins in 2013 and 2014 by a combined score of 125-72 and winning two straight over North Carolina State (and seven of the last 11 meetings). The Pirates won their last meeting against Duke in 2005, though Wake Forest owns a five-game win streak over ECU from 2001-05.
The ECU baseball team has reached the NCAA Tournament 28 times, and has only missed the tourney field twice since 1999. ECU has the most NCAA tourney appearances without a trip to the College World Series.
The school's swim teams are also among the best in the country, while its other sports programs are competitive, except Men's basketball.
