Big 12 expansion 2023: Which teams are joining the power-packed conference of college football on July 1?

It is normal for conferences to have some expansion, but the Big 12 has expanded to add four college football programs under its umbrella for the 2023 season. With the July 1 deadline coming up in a few hours, it will be interesting to see if any more news breaks in that aspect.

But let's assume that the Big 12 is finished expanding its conference this year. Let's take a look at the four new programs entering the conference.

BYU Cougars

The BYU Cougars are an interesting team. They are coming in from being independent and not associated with a conference. They finished 2022 with an 8-5 record which included a win against the SMU Mustangs in the New Mexico Bowl. They have a new quarterback as Jaren Hall is with the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL, so it will be interesting to track the Cougars here.

Cincinnati Bearcats

The Cincinnati Bearcats are only a couple of years removed from making a College Football Playoff appearance. Senior quarterback Ben Bryant finished with a 21:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio and was a big reason the team went 9-4 (6-2). Expect some incredible play out of the Bearcats in the Big 12.

UCF Knights

The UCF Knights have been one of the best programs in the last five years or so as they have claimed the 2017 national championship after an undefeated season, despite not making the College Football Playoff. Senior quarterback John Rhys Plumlee is returning for this season and needs to be more consistent as he has a 63.0% completion percentage with 2,586 yards as he threw 14 touchdowns compared to eight interceptions.

Despite the ineffective quarterback numbers, the Knights were able to go 9-5 (6-2) in their final season before joining the Big 12. They will be an interesting team to watch with their adjustment to the conference.

New Big 12 Program: Houston Cougars

The Houston Cougars are leaving the American Conference and finished 2022 with an 8-5 (5-3) record. The Cougars' offense was their strength as they were able to average 35.9 points per game, but they are going to be interesting as quarterback Clayton Tune is not going to be under center as he was taken by the Arizona Cardinals.

The program also lost its leading wide receiver as Nathaniel Dell is with the Houston Texans. Their program is going to be interesting to see how they do in their first season in a Power Five conference.