University of Houston Voted Into Big 12 Conference

The college sports shakeup continues.

On Friday morning, the Big 12 conference officially extended membership to Brigham Young University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Houston.

Houston immediately agreed to join the conference.

"Joining the Big 12 Conference is a historic step in our institutional journey and signifies the tremendous growth and success attained academically and athletically over the last decade. Our expectations for our University remain high, our aspirations continue to be bold, and we embrace this new opportunity to compete at the highest levels in all we do," UH President Renu Khator said in a statement.

The decision to invite Houston and the three other schools came after the Big 12 lost the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma to the SEC. The earliest UH will be allowed to play in the conference is fall of 2023.

Houston moving from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 means that it will have more chances to play against higher profile Texas schools, namely Baylor, Texas Tech, and Texas Christian Academy.

After the move, Southern Methodist University in Dallas will be the only Texas team in the AAC.

The Big 12 invite has been years in the making for UH. The Houston Chronicle reported that Houston has spent nearly $300 million to raise its athletic profile by rebuilding its football stadium in 2014, improving the basketball and other sporting facilities, and targeting big name coaches in the hopes of joining a Power 5 conference.