Boren says that the pie doesn't shrink when new members are added and is pushing for the conference to get to 12 teams (http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/25/door-more-ajar-for-big-12-expansion-than-previously-thought/), but obviously Fox/ESPN must agree on the additions if they're going to pay out a significant sum of $ for new teams in the conference. This is particularly painful for ESPN, which is in full cost-cutting mode given that they lost 3.2 million viewers over the last year (http://www.forbes.com/sites/vincentfrank/2015/07/12/losing-millions-of-subscribers-espn-now-facing-tough-decisions/). This is actually good for BYU's expansion opportunities. Here's why:

1. ESPN could take the $6-10 million they pay for BYU and use that toward the $20 million they'd have to pay for BYU in the B12. So BYU to the B12 would actually save them $6-10 million compared to any other team they'd add to the conference.

2. Getting BYU to the B12 would make it easier to get better homes games for BYU for ESPN inventory.

3. BYU is a good TV draw in the west, so this gives ESPN more late night inventory relative to going east.

I'd say that #1 (the financial aspect) is the thing that gives BYU a real push by ESPN as an expansion candidate. Whether or not expansion happens, who knows... but it seems like it actually might given that they have an expansion committee and Boren is one of the three members on the committee (http://cincyontheprowl.com/2015/07/24/big-12-has-an-expansion-committee-but-how-will-they-use-it/) and OU is actually threatening to go to the B1G (http://newsok.com/report-ou-five-other-big-12-programs-explored-big-ten-leap-in-2010/article/5436292). If so, I'd think BYU has a real shot because of ESPN.