The Bearcats were among a large group of candidates originally considered by the league, but none received the minimum eight of 10 votes to receive an invitation.
The decision comes after an aggressive push by UC leaders over the past year and means the Bearcats will remain in the AAC.
Membership in the Big 12 would have likely meant a huge jump in revenue from television contracts and greater exposure or the Bearcats in many sports while Cincinnati offered one of the largest television media markets available.
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