The Pac-12 announced Thursday it will not pursue expansion beyond its 12 members after exploring the idea.
“Following consultation with our Presidents, Chancellors and Athletic Directors, the Pac-12 Conference has made the decision to not pursue expansion of our membership at this time,” a statement by the league said. “This decision was made following extensive internal discussion and analysis, and is based on the current competitive strength and cohesiveness of our 12 universities. It is also grounded in our confidence in our ability as a conference to best support our student-athletes and to grow and thrive both academically and athletically.”
The Pac-12 looked into the possibility of adding schools after the announcement of Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference. The remaining eight Big 12 schools were thought to be potential targets, including Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas Tech.
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However, adding those schools would have required a financial incentive that would be difficult to reach.
The announcement comes two days after the league entered an alliance with the Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference that sought to combine resources on schedule and legislative priorities. Among their concerns was the stability of college athletics. A move to bring in former Big 12 schools or possibly other schools from the west, like Brigham Young or Boise State, likely would have further influenced an unstable situation.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pac-12 Conference will not expand in wake of Texas, Oklahoma moves