I think the best option for an expansion team is North Dakota State. Now I understand that it's a big jump from FCS to a power five conference but you have to look at the whole picture. First of all, as far as football goes, NDSU is very good. Winning 5 consecutive FCS championships, NDSU has shown extreme talent in football and I think they're ready for the next step. Again, I understand teams like Oklahoma, TCU, and Iowa State are completely different monsters, but you have to remember they have already beaten teams like Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Iowa State, and Kansas State. Aside from football you have to remember that an expansion school includes all other sports as well. NDSU baseball went 31-25 in 2017, the basketball team went 19-11, cross country finished 2nd in their conference this season, golf was 5th in their conference, and went 14-5 in wrestling, a sport in which they are already Big 12 affiliates (came in. In fact, NDSU is already a Big 12 wrestling affiliate team. Finally, the location. Iowa State is currently the only relatively north member, and 6 of the members come from Oklahoma and Texas alone. The Big 12 made it clear that they are not opposed to expanding to new markets when they added West Virginia, a school that isn't close to any other member of the conference. Adding West Virginia created a new market out east and so far it has proven to work. NDSU would help open the northern market and would be far closer to other schools than West Virginia is (NDSU to ISU is only 6.5 hours while WVU to ISU is closer to 12). In the end, of all the none power 5 teams, North Dakota State is the best option for the Big 12 as a whole. This may be different if power 5 team is looking for new options or maybe is so bad they get booted out of their conference. I could see Missouri, ASU, or maybe even an Illinois being a good fit, but as of now I see those teams staying put, making North Dakota State the best available option.
Is this @lakesbison ? Was he banned? New username?