Though the athletic department has gone through coaching changes and various player movements, the biggest story is the speculation Iowa State may need to find a new athletic conference.

In a letter written by President Gregory Geoffroy and Athletic Director Jamie Pollard, the rumors were addressed with both Geoffroy and Pollard taking the stance of Iowa State staying in the Big 12.

“We believe the Big 12 Conference is the perfect fit for Iowa State,” Geoffroy and Pollard said in a letter. “We are committed to our membership in the Big 12, and we are optimistic that the conference will remain intact. However, we also recognize that the long-term viability of the Big 12 Conference is not in our control, it is in the hands of just a few of our fellow member institutions.”

Talks of the Pac-10 expanding have gained momentum with the most recent rumor which places Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas and Texas Tech going in the Pac-10, expanding the conference to 16 teams.

This would leave Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State without a conference.

“Iowa State and several other members of the Big 12 Conference are especially vulnerable under some of the realignment scenarios currently circulating, particularly one involving expansion of the Pac-10,” Geoffroy and Pollard said. “We are doing everything in our power to represent the best interests of Iowa State in these discussions, but we also are sensitive to the huge uncertainty that has been created and recognize that the situation could evolve in directions that are not aligned with our interests.”

While the letter did address the rumors actually being out there, it did not offer any more clarity to the situation.

The Associated Press reported both Tom Osbourne, athletic director for Nebraska, and Mike Alden, athletic director for Missouri, spoke to the media Wednesday but did not fully address the potential of making the switch to the Big Ten.

“We like the Big 12. We’re not looking to leave. We’re not mad at anybody. We’re not upset about anything,” Osborne said after Wednesday’s Big 12 meetings.

Alden’s statement echoed Osbourne’s and all of the other Big 12 university officials.

Both Nebraska and Missouri are the two schools that have been most directly linked to the Big Ten’s expansion talks.

There has also been talk of Texas and Texas A&M heading to the Southeastern Conference. But it seems those talks have been overshadowed by the possible Pac-10 expansion.

For now, it remains unclear when the future of the Big 12 will be officially announced. People have said it could be as soon as a few days or as long as a few months.

Until then, the Big 12 is still a conference and Iowa State is still a part of it. But in what has already been an eventful summer for Cyclone athletics could get a lot crazier in the coming months.

Read the entire letter here.