Could Tulane be the Big 12 expansion wild card?

12:26 PM ET

Imagine a scenario in which the Big 12 expands by four and adds current presumptive favorites Houston, BYU and Cincinnati. The league, obviously, would still need a fourth a school. Imagine next that the conference conceivably concludes that Connecticut and Central Florida are too far away.

Imagine then that the decision comes down to, say, Memphis and Tulane. And then keep in mind that the presidents and chancellors — not the football coaches and athletic directors — will be making the call.

On the surface, it might seem far-fetched for Big 12 expansion to include a school that has just five bowl appearances since the 1970s and exactly one double-digit winning season in its history.

But in the scenario of a four-school grab, Tulane — with its superior academic profile — just might be the wild card as this expansion drama unfolds.

When asked what the league would be looking for while vetting expansion candidates, Oklahoma president and Big 12 board chair David Boren said the conference would be looking at strength of the athletic programs, fan base, access to media markets, and, in his words, “reputations of these institutions for integrity” and “the academic standards … and the level or research and teaching.”

By any measure, Tulane doesn’t score well in athletics or fan base. But in academics, research and teaching, the school is a juggernaut.

As one of 62 members of the distinguished Association of American Universities (AAU), Tulane is considered one of the top research institutions in the …

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