▁the ▁school ▁agreed ▁to ▁depart ▁a ▁year ▁early ▁after ▁Neb r aska ▁announced ▁its ▁plans ▁to ▁depart ▁the ▁conference ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁Colorado ▁( who ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Big ▁ 1 2 ▁and ▁its ▁prede cess or ▁the ▁Big ▁E ight ▁Conference ▁since ▁ 1 9 4 7 ) ▁to ▁the ▁Pac - 1 0 ▁and ▁Neb r aska ▁( wh ose ▁association ▁with ▁the ▁Big ▁ 1 2 ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁found ing ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁Big ▁E ight ) ▁to ▁the ▁Big ▁Ten , ▁the ▁Big ▁ 1 2 ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁ten ▁teams ▁and ▁faced ▁more ▁possible ▁attr ition . ▁ ▁Other ▁Big ▁ 1 2 ▁schools ▁were ▁rum ored ▁to ▁be ▁candidates ▁for ▁expansion ▁by ▁other ▁con ferences , ▁including ▁further ▁expansion ▁by ▁the ▁Pac - 1 0 ▁or ▁Big ▁Ten . ▁Spe cul ation ▁and ▁rum ors ▁centered ▁on ▁Texas , ▁Texas ▁Te ch , ▁Oklahoma , ▁and ▁Oklahoma ▁State ▁following ▁Colorado ▁to ▁the ▁Pac - 1 0 . ▁Texas ▁A & M ▁was ▁also ▁considered ▁as ▁a ▁P AC - 1 0 ▁candidate ▁but ▁was ▁also ▁reported ly ▁considering ▁a ▁move ▁to ▁the ▁SE C . ▁ ▁ESP N ▁reported ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 1 ▁that ▁Texas , ▁Texas ▁Te ch , ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁Oklahoma ▁schools ▁were ▁prepared ▁to ▁accept ▁an ▁inv itation ▁from ▁the ▁Pac - 1 0 . ▁The ▁report ▁also ▁indicated ▁that