An email Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby sent late last month to the president of the University of Houston says the conference has "finalized our procedures for consideration of potential" new members.
The email was first reported by ESPN on Thursday and later obtained by The Associated Press.
The Big 12 announced July 19 that its presidents had authorized Bowlsby to begin evaluating schools for possible expansion of the 10-team conference. The conference has not commented publicly on its plans.
In an email dated July 26 from Bowlsby to University of Houston President Renu Khator, the commissioner wrote: "We have finalized our procedures for consideration of potential Big 12 Conference members and, pursuant to your email of last week, I am writing to inform you of the process."