When the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners announced they’d be eventually joining the SEC, it left the Big 12 in limbo.

But, commissioner Bob Bowlsby has been proactive, it seems, and now there are at least a couple of applications for new members. Per reports on Wednesday, Cincinnati and UCF have applied to join the conference.

Since those schools are both currently in the AAC, it would be bad for commissioner Mike Aresco if they both left. But, in an interview with Sports Illustrated, Aresco said the AAC will remain a Power 6 conference:

“The American has been Power 6 all along and will be one moving forward,” AAC commissioner Mike Aresco tells Sports Illustrated in an interview Wednesday. “The Big 12 is taking our teams because of what’s happened to them. That tells you all you need to know in terms of where we are. Teams will be interested in us that have the resources to compete at the highest level in our league with an outstanding TV partner in ESPN.”

He added that it is ironic to him that, after being kept out of the Power 5, now a Power 5 conference is trying to poach AAC schools:

“They said we couldn’t officially be a Power 6 at the time, but now what’s happening? Those teams are supporting the Big 12. It’s interesting irony,” he says. “This demonstrates our success without question.”

Other schools — like Houston and BYU — are also reportedly expected to apply to the Big 12. We’ll see what happens with the Big 12 and AAC moving forward.