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The idea of BYU joining the Big 12 conference in football only — and keeping most of its other sports in the West Coast Conference — has been thrown around for quite some time as a possible solution to the Cougars' refusal to play any sports on Sundays.

After all, college football games are rarely, if ever, held on Sundays, while college basketball games (and other college athletic events) are quite often held on Sundays around the country.

On Friday, BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe told Jake Trotter of ESPN.com that BYU is open to joining the league as a football-only member, but said that obviously isn't BYU's preference. The ultimate goal is admission as a full member of the Power 5 conference.

Holmoe also confirmed that BYU has informed the Big 12 that it is interested in joining.

"We are obviously open to listening to what they want to do," Holmoe told Trotter. "We're going to go through this process with an open mind to listen to what they have to say."

On Tuesday, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby announced that the conference will seriously begin to study potential expansion candidates. The league has 10 schools and could add two or four more, Bowlsby suggested.

Holmoe on Friday also reiterated to Trotter what he said at last month's BYU football media day — that BYU won't budge off its no-Sunday play policy, but that it really wasn't that big of a problem in the other conferences to which the Cougars have belonged.

"I believe that is something that can be worked out," Holmoe said regarding BYU's no-Sunday play rule. "We've been in a lot of leagues through the years, and we've been able to work it out."

Also, Holmoe said BYU would be willing to take partial distribution initially to join the Big 12.