Expansion teams

BYU coach Kalani Sitake smiles before speaking during the Big 12 college football media days in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero) (AP)

BYU Cougars

BYU was led this past 2022 football season by Head Coach Kalani Sitake finishing the season 8-5. The team underperformed in the first half of the season until a victory in the first weekend of October. They were able to come back and win their final four games, just two games short of the 2021 total.

An original member of the Western Athletic Conference in 1960, the BYU football program has been an FBS Independent football program and before spending 11 years with the Mountain West Conference.

After their last independent run this past season, Coach Sitake said they are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with membership in the Big 12 Conference.

“I mean this is something that we’ve been dreaming of for a while, speaking as a fan,” he said. “Now that we’ve been given this platform, I’m excited for the opportunities that we have."

Sitake talked about the struggle being an independent program for so long and how the transition to a 14-team conference will look like for the program.

“This isn’t going to be easy and we know that,” said Sitake. “That’s why independents, I told Tom [Holmoe--director of athletics] find as many [teams] as you can that people don’t want to play; I want to play them all, with the thought that possibly this could be the goal.”

BYU was expected to go farther last season after being named one of the most experienced teams in college football and having star quarterback Jaren Hall. Fortunately, the team had one last trick up their sleeve in the postseason with their appearance in the 2022 New Mexico Bowl vs SMU.

The Cougars took down the 7-6 SMU Mustangs 24-23. The Cougar’s defense came in clutch to secure the one-point win. SMU’s Rhett Lashlee decided to go for two on the line with eight seconds remaining. Head Coach Sitake was pleased with sophomore Jakob Robinson’s tackle on SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai at the 1-yard line to secure BYU’s bowl win.
Houston’s head football coach Dana Holgorsen speaks at the NCAA college football Big 12 media days in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero) (AP)

University of Houston Cougars

The University of Houston football program dates to 1946 when Houston joined the Lone Star Conference under the leadership of former TCU football player Jewell Wallace. In their first intercollegiate sport conference, the team lost 13-7 to Southwestern Louisiana and ended their first season 4-6.

The most significant realignment of the Coogs squad was when the Southwest Conference dwindled and split. Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor all joined the Big 12 in the fall of 1996.

Twenty-six years later the Coogs finished their 2022 season 8-5 under the direction of Dana Holgorsen in his 5^th year with Houston. Much like BYU, 2022 was supposed to be a great exit year. With a loaded roster, veteran quarterback Nathan Tune, and many seasoned veterans, they thought this was the perfect recipe for their grand exit of the American Athletic Conference. It was not.

The team struggled on both sides of the ball. Being a 2^nd half team makes it difficult to win games against competitive opponents. An inconsistent defense and too many penalties resulted in an 8-5 record.

Coach Holgorsen expressed his excitement for a fresh start and getting back to his roots with the Big 12 Conference.

“This is a special deal,” Holgorsen said. “Been a part of the Big 12 Conference for 17 years and been a part of this for seven years. The last four years have been a little different for me, being in the American Conference, and it really makes you appreciate a conference like the Big 12 by now being back. The University of Houston has been looking forward to this day for a long, long time.”

Last season the Coogs played two non-conference games against Big 12’s Texas Tech and Kansas. They lost 33-30 to Tech and 48-30 to Kansas. Holgorsen said that despite their record last year, everyone is starting with a fresh slate, as far as new additional schools go.

“Well, every year is different.,” he said. “Forty-two spots on our roster this year are new, so every year is different, every team is different.”

He added that he’s had the time to reflect on the two losses to Big 12 schools. He said, looking back, that he was a little harsh on the team’s performances.

“I think we probably made a little bit too big of a deal playing Kansas after losing to Texas Tech,” he said. “The way we lost to Texas Tech was just a hard way to lose, and we had another opportunity to play a Big 12 quality school. The University of Kansas, who was playing lights out at the time, was as good as anybody in the country I would argue when we played them.”

The program knows that this is a deep conference to compete in but are ready to take on the challenge.
UCF head football coach Gus Malzahn answers questions from reporters at the NCAA college football Big 12 media days in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, July 13, 2023.(AP Photo/Emil T. Lippe) (AP)

University of Central Florida: Knights

The UCF program dates to their first football tryout in March of 1979 led by former American and Canadian football player Don Jonas [Donald Walter Jonas] when the program was a part of the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.

The UCF Knights finished their 2022 football season 9-5, advancing to the conference title and then losing in a blowout Military Bowl game against Duke 30-13, under the direction of Head Coach Gus Malzahn.

During Big 12 Media Days, Coach Malzahn opened by expressing his excitement for the opportunity for the UCF program to be a part of a Power 5 conference.

“First of all, we’re extremely excited to be here,” said Malzahn. “This is a huge moment for our program, to be a part of the Big 12. A lot of excitement.”

With the realignment, Malzahn also realigned his roster.

“We’ve returned six on both sides of the football,” Malzahn said. “We have our kicker and our punter back, and both of those guys were phenomenal last year. We brought in 18 transfers, and most of these guys weren’t just starters on their previous teams, but quite a few of them were impact players.”

Malzahn knows that this is a deep conference, understands the competition, and thinks that being the “new kid on the block” could be used in their favor going up against schools like 2021 Big 12 Champion Baylor and 2022 Fiesta Bowl champs TCU.

“Our first conference game is on the road at Kansas State, and that’s no treat,” said Malzahn. “Our first home conference game is Baylor. The last two champions, so that’s a huge challenge. But like I said, it’s a deep conference. When you look at your schedule, there’s no off weeks. You’ve got to bring you’re A-game every week. That’s really what stands out to me coming in as a new kid on the block.”
Cincinnati head football coach Scott Satterfield answers questions from reporters at the NCAA college football Big 12 media days in Arlington, Texas, Thursday, July 13, 2023.(AP Photo/Emil T. Lippe) (AP)

University of Cincinnati: Bearcats

The University of Cincinnati began their football program in 1957 and through 1969 the program competed in the Missouri Valley Conference and won two conference championships. The program later shifted and joined the Conference USA where they would spend nine years. Now after spending nearly a decade in the American Athletic Conference the Bearcats are officially making the move to the Big 12 Conference for 2023.

This past football season the Bearcats were able to finish 9-4 overall and made their appearance in the 2022 Fenway Bowl, They lost 24-7. The Bearcats were led by Head Coach Luke Fickell but the program is entering the Big 12 with a new face. Fickell left for the University of Wisconsin.

Scott Satterfield becomes the 43^rd head coach in program history.

Coach Satterfield spent the last four season with the Louisville Cardinals. This past year he led the Cardinals to a 7-5 record. He also became the first coach to lead a school from the Football Championship Subdivision to FBS in 2014. Satterfield said that experience will help him lead Cincinnati into the Big 12 conference.

This year the Bearcats are looking to improve their defense. Defensive tackle Jowon Briggs said he’s excited to move down the line and help get this defense up to par entering the new conference.

“I started at nose (tackle) last year and now I’m playing defensive end,” Briggs said. “It’s a lot of fun being out here a little bit more and you know to add on to that this defense is a lot different. This defense is a lot more aggressive, go and get up field, attack. Kind of create those seams whereas, in some different defenses an inverted seam would be a bad thing. This one you want the seam, you want to make something shake up there at the line because it makes it easy for guys to play target practice.”

Another change in the Bearcats offense: Evan Prater making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver.

Coach Satterfield mentioned that Prater is doing well with this transition, has powerful hands and has fully emerged as an offensive weapon. He also stated that he expects a lot out of the WR room this season with potential starting slot receiver Aaron Turner.