Agreement In Principle for Clemson To Join Big 12; Florida State To Follow

The news surrounding Big 12 expansion is moving much more quickly after word of the Big 12/SEC bowl alliance came out late this past week. The latest news I can report is that Clemson has agreed in principle to leave the ACC for the Big 12.

While no similar agreement is in place with FSU, word is that the administration has “come around” on the issue, and they will follow Clemson’s lead in short order. From the moment it became clear that FSU’s Board of Trustees wanted to make the move, it has been basically a fait accompli.

It is happening, and quickly.

This news dovetails with what I’ve been reporting. In the initial article, from two weeks ago, I outlined what I knew regarding the Big 12’s plans to be back to 12 by summer’s end. And then, in the story posted yesterday, I examined how the new Big 12/SEC bowl alliance made Big 12 expansion an absolute certainty.

The next step in the process–once Clemson and FSU make their decisions public and official–is for Bowlsby and the league presidents to make two basic decisions. First, is expansion back to 12 teams enough for now? And, second, if not, how do we land Notre Dame?

Nearly every 14-team Big 12 scenario I’m hearing about involves the Fighting Irish. I don’t have enough confidence one way or the other regarding Notre Dame to report anything definitively, but I would not be shocked to see a 14-team Big 12, including Notre Dame, by summer’s end.

[Story updated: I intended to link Cory Fravel’s tweet, when I posted this story. In getting the story finished, placing that hotlink was overlooked. Sincerely, Ed.]