Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is continuing to explore potential avenues toward expansion amid the ongoing era of conference realignment, and two storied basketball programs are being eyed.

According to CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd, Gonzaga and UConn are under consideration by the Big 12, but one school is more likely to be added to the conference than the other.

"There has been 'mutual admiration' at the presidential level between Gonzaga and the Big 12; however, there is stronger 'momentum' for UConn to join the league than Gonzaga at the moment," Dodd stated.

UConn, which won its fifth men's basketball national championship this year, reportedly would be added as a full member, while Gonzaga would be added for basketball only.

Nothing is imminent, as Dodd pointed out that the Big 12 "continues to wait for the Pac-12 to reveal a new media rights figure to its members before taking the next step in that pursuit." The Bulldogs are also being pursued by the Pac-12, which would make more sense for them geographically.

Yormark has lofty goals for Big 12 basketball, as Dodd noted he's seeking separate media rights contracts for basketball and football, which has never been done before in the modern era of Power Five conferences.

"We're going to consider all options," Yormark said at last week's Big 12 spring meetings. "We do see the upside in basketball for all the right reasons. We think it is undervalued and there is a chance for us to double down as the No. 1 basketball conference in America, but football is the driver. We all know that."

While adding a pair of powerhouse basketball programs would be an unprecedented move, Dodd said the local view of UConn joining the Big 12 "has been described as mixed." The Huskies would be sacrificing some of their ties to the Northeast in favor of playing in the South and Midwest. They would likely lose many of their longtime Big East rivalries.

Also, UConn would owe the Big East at least $30 million in exit fees if it departed before its seventh year as a member, and the school is about to enter its fourth.