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BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe speaks during a press conference to announce the school's acceptance of an invitation to join the Big 12 Conference on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, in Provo.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

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BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe speaks during a press conference to announce BYU's acceptance of an invitation to the Big 12 Conference on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, in Provo.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

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Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, left, speaks via video call as BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe looks on during a press conference to announce BYU's acceptance of an invitation to join the Big 12 on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, in Provo.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

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A round of college conference realignment beginning in 2010 sent all kinds of dominoes falling across the country, which included Nebraska leaving the Big 12 for the Big Ten, Colorado leaving the Big 12 for the Pac-10, Texas A&M going to the SEC, and more.

In Utah, that included the Utes garnering an invitation to the Pac-10 as well. It left the Mountain West Conference on shaky ground, which sent BYU packing for independence in football and the West Coast Conference in other sports.

While the Cougars gradually grew with it’s new situation, twice BYU thought it might land in the Big 12 Conference: not long after becoming independent, in a process that eventually landed TCU in the Big 12, and in 2016, when the Big 12 solicited pitches from potential new members but did not expand.

Thanks to Texas and Oklahoma surprisingly arranging a split for the SEC which became known in July, BYU’s call has finally come.

The two sides made it official Friday morning: BYU has accepted an invitation to the Big 12 Conference. The Cougars will become a full member in all sports starting with the 2023-24 school year.

“We have said all along that the decisions about where we play, who we play and what conference we compete in are about the student-athletes first and how we can help them achieve excellence,” BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said in a statement. “Competing on the Big 12 stage provides more opportunities for our student-athletes. That’s what it’s all about.”

Also joining BYU in entering the Big 12 will be Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston. Those other three schools appear set to join a year later than BYU. The additions will push the Big 12 to 11 teams in 2023 and 14 teams in 2024. The 14-team arrangement would last for one season, as plans currently stand, after which Texas and Oklahoma leave for the SEC following the 2024-25 season.

Once they depart, the Big 12 will again be 12 teams. Metrics show that the new football conference will be similar to the Pac-12 as the fourth and fifth of what are now considered “Power 5” conferences.

“This was an easy decision for the eight continuing members of the Big 12,” Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec said via video call during BYU’s press conference Monday.

In men’s basketball, BYU is joining what advanced stat wizard Ken Pomeroy calculated will still be the best conference in the country once it settles with the final 12 members, according to results since 2014.

In a few years, the Cougars can welcome national powers Kansas and Baylor to Provo possibly annually, as well as NCAA Tournament mainstays like Texas Tech and West Virginia.

It’s a boon for every program on campus, except for men’s volleyball which will remain in the MPSF as the Big 12 does not sponsor the sport.

Both men’s and women’s basketball will enter a much better hoops conference. Baseball and softball get a massive boost as well. While the WCC was above-average for women’s soccer and women’s volleyball, Big 12 inclusion should lift those programs as well.

“We understand BYU’s decision and wish everyone connected with the institution the very best moving forward,” WCC commissioner Gloria Nevarez said. “BYU has been transparent in exploring opportunities to find league affiliation for its football program and has been presented with an opportunity that fits its needs. We will continue to value them as a member of the West Coast Conference through the 2022-23 academic year.”

BYU President Kevin Worthen spoke at a press conference later Friday morning to thank the Big 12, the WCC, and athletic director Holmoe for steering the ship and creating relationships over the last 10 years that could lead to this invitation.

Holmoe was primarily responsible for creating a 12-game football schedule each season, which has grown in 2021 to include a slate with Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Washington State, Virginia and USC.

“Moments like this happen because of people like Tom Holmoe,” Worthen said.

Holmoe took the podium and thanked scores of former coaches and athletes, like LaVell Edwards and Elaine Michaelis, “and thousands more like them,” he said. “You know who you are.”

Holmoe said since the non-invite in 2016, it’s been a constant effort to keep building toward an invitation in the future. Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said that process laid the groundwork and relationships that made this process of inviting BYU go quickly.

In football, the Cougars will have to undo several contracts, which all have provisions that account for the possibility that BYU may join a conference, Holmoe said. He’ll meet with head coach Kalani Sitake to decide which games to continue, and anticipates many longterm contracts will “be easy to unwind.”

BYU is coming off of its best overall athletic season since 2001-02, finishing No. 17 in the 2020-21 Director’s Cup standings. Contributing to that historic season was a national title from women’s cross country, a national runner-up for men’s volleyball, multiple NCAA titles for BYU distance runners, multiple West Coast Conference championships, NCAA basketball tournament appearances and a No. 11 finish in football.

The Big 12 will honor BYU’s commitment to not play any sports on Sundays, both sides said Friday.