'We’re all proud to be Cougars today': University of Houston officially accepts Big 12 invite

The Big 12 Conference has a new member institution from the Lone Star State in the University of Houston.

Houston on Sept. 10 officially accepted an invitation to join the Power Five Conference after the Big 12 presidents unanimously approved its application, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The Big 12’s addition of Houston, BYU, Cincinnati and Central Florida creates a 14-team league, as well as fills huge voids created by the SEC-bound Texas and Oklahoma.

By joining the Big 12, Houston is reunited with its former Southwest Conference foes Baylor, who it met and lost to in the NCAA Men’s Final Four in April; Texas Tech and TCU.

Houston’s Board of Regents had already given the green light for the school’s jump to the Big 12.

The Houston Chronicle reported that the regents’ unanimous approval earlier this month was intended to give chancellor Renu Khator authority to pursue Big 12 membership, which is now no longer necessary.

“We’re all proud to be Cougars today,” board chair Tilman Fertitta told the publication following the historic vote.

The Houston Daily reported that Houston attempted to join the Big 12 in 2016 after its monumental upset of the Sooners, but the Cougars’ request was denied.

Houston is expected to pay the American Athletic Conference a $10 million exit fee.

As an AAC school, Houston earned almost $7 million on average from TV rights revenue.

It could earn six times more as a member of the Big 12, ABC13 reported.