PROVO, Utah – As BYU gets ready to open the football season, talks continue to grow regarding Big 12 expansion.

The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy reported on Friday that BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF are the teams that the Big 12 is focused on for expansion. McMurphy also notes that the invitations could come as soon as this month, with BYU possibly joining the Big 12 in all sports in 2022.

BYU, Cincinnati, Houston & UCF are Big 12’s expansion choices & league could extend invites this month, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. BYU could join next season, a year or so before others. Also, all 4 could join before OU/Texas leave for SEC, source said https://t.co/kLJoqNKvvl

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 3, 2021

This all comes on the heels of the Big 12 Conference holding meetings for its athletic directors with their current TV partners earlier this week. BYU reportedly would add value to the Big 12’s next wave of TV deals in life after Texas and Oklahoma.

One question that remains amidst this realignment talk is whether or not the Big 12 can add members without losing Texas and Oklahoma before 2025 to the SEC. McMurphy did not have a clear answer on that either in his reporting. The Big 12 will want to secure the annual $37 million per school they are currently receiving in TV revenue as long as the Longhorns and Sooners fulfill their Grant of Rights agreement.

Power Five league has always been the goal for BYU

For years, BYU has been working on getting into a Power Five conference. The Big 12 still has an autonomous conference, despite being a league that is not involved with the Pac-12/ACC/Big Ten Alliance that was announced last month.

Power conference labels, originally classified by the NCAA, could lose some prestige if and when the College Football Playoff expands to a 12-team Playoff model. The 12-team Playoff that was proposed over the summer featured the six highest conference champions.

Since BYU became an FBS Independent in 2011, the Cougars have long had a goal to launch themselves into a Power Five conference. An invitation to the Big 12 Conference would put BYU in the best league they have ever been part of in the history of their athletic department.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.