UH makes its pitch to Big 12 for entry

The University of Houston made its formal presentation to the Big 12 Conference on Wednesday, a person with knowledge of the meeting said.

A UH contingent, which is believed to have included president Renu Khator, board of regents chairman Tilman Fertitta and athletic director Hunter Yurachek, met with Big 12 officials in Dallas.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Big 12 and the schools invited to make presentations signed non-disclosure agreements due to the sensitive nature of the talks.

UH officials were not immediately available for comment.

UH is widely considered among the front-runners, along with Cincinnati and BYU as a football-only member.

Rice also is among the 11 schools that reportedly are making presentations to the Big 12.

UH leaders have been vocal, if not optimistic, about their chances of joining the Big 12 since the Power Five conference announced July 19 it would explore expanding by two or four schools.

A day later, Khator sent a formal letter of interest to Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby expressing interest in joining the league.

"The University of Houston is excited to showcase its strong academic profile, with stellar athletics and a vibrant fan base," Khator wrote, according to the letter obtained by the Houston Chronicle through an open-records request.

Since July, UH has gained support from state political leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, and University of Texas chancellor Bill McRaven and president Greg Fenves, and Texas Tech president Dr. Lawrence Schovanec.

Football program soars

UH has touted millions invested in upgrades to its athletic facilities in recent years, and the football program is coming off arguably the biggest win of college football's opening weekend, beating third-ranked and defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma 33-23 on Saturday. The win catapulted UH to No. 6 in this week's Associated Press poll, the school's highest ranking since 1990, and made it an early contender for a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff.

With the investment in facilities and rise of the football program under coach Tom Herman, Yurachek said UH is "well-positioned" for Big 12 expansion.

"The one message that was loud and clear to me was (Oklahoma president) Dr. (David) Boren said he wanted somebody that was going to make the Big 12 more competitive," Yurachek said Saturday. "You can see what our program is doing right now."

Bowlsby, who attended Saturday's game at NRG Stadium, hoped to make progress on expansion talks before the league's board of directors meet in mid-October.

As part of this week's meetings with expansion candidates, the Big 12 is requesting a "high level of detail about local airports" and comprehensive reports on all sports programs, according to a tweet by AP national football writer Ralph Russo. Houston would be in good shape based on that part of the criteria with Bush Intercontinental and Hobby Airport.

While no timetable for a decision has been announced, Fertitta said late last month the school could learn its Big 12 fate within the next three months.

"We're doing everything we can do," Fertitta said. "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."

Eight 'yes' votes needed

An expansion candidate will need eight "yes" votes from the Big 12 board of directors, which is comprised of presidents and chancellors. One stumbling block for UH could be gaining enough support from out-of-state schools that are hesitant to add a fifth Texas school to the conference.

Asked if he thought UH had the necessary support, Fertitta said yes.

"I just don't see how you can't say Houston when it's all over with," he said.