university of that state.- Connecticut has a national brand, but its for basketball.- Football-only membership probably makes the most sense for Air Force. May

The Big 12 board of directors meets Monday in Dallas and the topic of expansion will be addressed.Not necessarily decided, but definitely addressed.Maybe after three months of vetting, analyzing and interviewing potential new members the presidents and chancellors will decide the Big 12 Conference should add schools. Maybe they will even decide which schools to add.Or maybe they will decide 10 members are enough for the smallest Power Five conference and stick with what they have.Or maybe they will decide not to decide and keep college footballs never-ending story going.It is impossible to know which way this will go, but news reports from Big 12 country over the last month suggest the conference has cooled on the idea of expansion.The only public statements that provide a hint at which way the Big 12 is leaning have come from Oklahoma President David Boren, who once called the conference psychologically disadvantaged by having only 10 members.First, Boren said expansion should not be considered a given. Then, responding to reports citing unidentified sources that he had changed his position, Boren released a noncommittal statement in late September.I do not know where the speculation came from, but Oklahoma has not yet taken a position on expansion, he said.Consultants have provided data to conference leaders showing expansion could increase the Big 12s chances of reaching the playoff and the bottom lines of its members.The Big 12s television contracts with ESPN and Fox call for the networks to provide increases to cover the addition of new members. So two new schools would mean an extra $50 million or so each year through 2025.The new members would, as is standard, receive a partial share of conference revenue for the first three or four seasons in the league. The old members would split the rest.More money and a better chance to make it to the playoff. So why wouldnt the Big 12 expand?THE CHOICESBig 12 officials held face-to-face interviews with 11 schools during September: Air Force, BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Connecticut, Houston, Rice, South Florida, SMU and Tulane.None is an obvious choice.- BYU has had the most football success and is a national brand, but the Cougars other sports dont play on Sundays and the schools honor code has received scrutiny from LGBT advocacy groups.- Houston received an endorsement from the governor of Texas and some public support from the University of Texas, but promoting an in-state competitor could make winning and recruiting more difficult for current members.- Cincinnati, South Florida and Central Florida provide new media markets and recruiting territory, but limited history of success on the field. And those media markets dont have as much impact for a conference that is not likely to follow-up expansion with its own television network.- Colorado State would put the Big 12 back in a state that is home to many of its schools alumni, but it is not the flagship university of that state.- Connecticut has a national brand, but its for basketball.- Football-only membership probably makes the most sense for Air Force. Maybe for BYU, too. But is that worth it?- Rice, SMU and Tulane have strong academic profiles, but it is highly questionable whether they could compete in football.CONSENSUSAny decision would require agreement from eight of the Big 12s 10 presidents, though do not be surprised if the conference publicly claims unanimity about whatever is decided.So first eight of the 10 schools would have to agree on expanding. Then eight of the 10 would have to agree on whom to invite. If you have followed the Big 12, consensus has not been its strong suit.DILUTIONThe Big Ten is experiencing this now. The addition of Maryland and Rutgers means less opportunity for Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin to play Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State.Thats not great, but the Big Ten offset that with the financial gains. Expanding the conferences footprint to the Northeast corridor boosted the value of the Big Tens cable network and increased its exposure into a highly populated area where lots of its alumni live.The addition of two more teams to the Big 12 would mean fewer games against Oklahoma and Texas for many of the current members, but without the ancillary benefits because the Big 12 wont be getting a cable network.THE BIG 12 DIDNT REALLY WANT TO DO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACEIn June, the Big 12 announced it was paying out $30 million apiece to its members and the expansion talk seemed to be put to rest.In late July, Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Boren emerged from a CEO meeting and announced the conference would explore expansion, making the league again seem unstable.What changed? The Atlantic Coast Conference announced with ESPN that it would start a network and extend its TV contract and the grant of rights that helps bind the schools through 2035. Seeing the ACC strengthen its position, along with having the Big 12s pro rata deal clearly spelled out, moved the Big 12 presidents to do a deep dive on expansion.LONG-TERM FLEXIBILITYStanding pat. Dream big.Maybe the ACC network is a dud and six years from now Florida State and Clemson are pondering how to escape that grant of rights. Maybe Pac-12 falls behind the rest of the Power Five and its members look at the Big 12 as more fertile territory.MONEYESPN and Fox were reportedly not thrilled about the idea of paying for a bigger Big 12. Would the networks be willing to pay the Big 12 a smaller amount to stand pat in return for an extended contract and grant of rights?CHAMPIONSHIP GAMERegardless of expansion, the Big 12 has plans to bring back its football championship next year. So theres more new revenue and another game for the College Football Playoff committee to consider.OKLAHOMA AND TEXASUltimately, the long-term stability of the Big 12 is predicated on Texas and Oklahoma happily remaining in the conference. At some point the Longhorns and Sooners have to decide if they want to be the most powerful members of the Big 12 or just another member of another conference. And adding teams to the Big 12 now doesnt change that.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP Cheap Chicago Bulls Jerseys . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. Cheap Bulls Jerseys . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. http://www.cheapbullsjerseys.com/ . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. Wholesale Bulls Jerseys . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. Cheap Swingman Bulls Jerseys . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Usain Bolt kneeled down and gave the track one final kiss, then flattened his hand, reached down and slapped the white number 3 painted at the starting line.Three Olympics, three races at each, three gold medals every time.He could have just as easily slapped the number 1. That would need no explanation.The man who transcended track and became a world-class celebrity bid a blazing-fast farewell to the Rio de Janeiro Games -- and likely the Olympics altogether -- Friday night with yet another anchor leg for the ages. He turned a close 4x100 relay race against Japan and the United States into a typical, Bolt-like runaway, helping Jamaica cross the line in 37.27.There you go, he said. I am the greatest.Japan won the silver medal, finishing .33 seconds behind.The U.S. finished the race third but endured yet another relay debacle -- disqualified because leadoff runner Mike Rodgers was ruled to have passed the baton to Justin Gatlin outside the exchange zone. That promoted Canada to the bronze medal. The American were protesting the ruling, and as midnight approached in Brazil, there was no word on the outcome.It was the twilight zone. It was a nightmare, said Gatlin, who, along with his teammates, found out about the DQ while parading the U.S. flag around the track. You work so hard with your teammates, guys you compete against almost all year long. All that hard work just crumbles.If the ruling stands, it will mark the ninth time since 1995 the U.S. men have been disqualified or failed to get the baton around at Olympics or world championships. (They blew a 10th medal, the silver at the London Games, after Tyson Gays doping positive.)The disqualification will cause more hand-wringing in the States.In Jamaica, theyll party.Less pressure when you know youre the fastest man out there.Bolts record in Olympic finals improved to nine victories over nine events.Nobodys done that before, and nobodys on the horizon to do it again soon.Along for his final trip down the track were Nickel Ashmeade, training partner Yohan Blake and the Jamaican elder statesman, former world-record holder Asafa Powell.When Bolt received the yellow baton from Ashmeade for his final run down the straightaway, he was even, or maybe a step behind Aska Cambridge of Japan and Trayvon Bromell of the United States.That lasted about four steps.With 70 meters to go, it was over. Bolt lookeed at the clock -- same as he did when he won the 200 the night before.dddddddddddd No world record, but he still has a piece of that one, too -- its 36.84 seconds, set four years ago at the London Games. He also owns the records in the 100 (9.58) and 200 (19.19).I am just relieved. Its happened. I am just happy, proud of myself. Its come true, Bolt said. The pressure is real. I look at it as an accomplishment.Musical selection for Bolts final parade around the track: Bob Marleys Jammin.With most of the other debates over about greatest this, greatest that, a new one might be whether Bolt now surpasses Marley as the most famous person to rock the world from the country known for sea, sun and sprints.Counting all the preliminaries, finals and his approximately nine-second blast down the stretch in Fridays final race, Bolt has spent 325 seconds -- a tad less than 5 1/2 minutes -- running on the track at the Olympics since he made his debut in Beijing eight years ago.Every tick of the clock has been a treasure. And while he may not close things out with 23 golds, the number Michael Phelps left Rio with earlier this week, its hard to argue there is anybody more successful or electric -- or important to his sport, and the Olympics themselves.The anchor sport of the Olympics has been mired for decades, but especially over the past year, in a cesspool of doping, cheating and bad characters.When Bolts on the track, everyone forgets.A great sprinter, said Gay who, once upon a time, was Bolts biggest challenger. Nine gold medals, words cant even describe what hes done for the sport.So much of that is because the show isnt over when hes through running.After crossing the line for his finale, Bolt pumped his fist in the air, slowed down and took off those famous gold spikes. He huddled with his teammates and they prayed. Then, a final, luxurious lap around the track.Ill stay up late tonight, Bolt said when asked how hed celebrate.All week, when asked a hundred different ways if this really is his last Olympics, he kept saying yes.He has also mentioned, more than once, that coach Glen Mills keeps telling him not to rule anything out.Tokyo is four years away, and now the world must ponder: Without Bolt on the track, how will things ever be the same? ' ' '