1996 NCAA conference realignment

The most notable involved the "Pony Express" scandals at SMU resulting in the football team receiving the death penalty in 1987.

[2][3][4] Though the name would not be made official for several months, newspaper accounts immediately dubbed the new entity the "Big 12".

[6] In addition to the massive expansion of the league, two pre-expansion members, Air Force and Hawaiʻi, brought their women's sports into the conference.

The conference had six other non-football members (DePaul, Marquette, Saint Louis, UAB from Great Midwest, Charlotte, and South Florida from Metro).

Big West member Pacific dropped football citing financial concerns.

The Big West was able to bring its football numbers back up to six programs by inviting Boise State, Idaho, and North Texas as full members to begin in the 1996 season.

North Texas had been an independent while Boise State and Idaho had been members of the I-AA Big Sky Conference.

Cal Poly SLO from the American West Conference also joined in all sports but football to bring total membership back up to twelve.