[Cracked Sidewalks] A new reality awaits....

[CrackedSidewalksSays]

A new reality awaits....

We all knew this could happen. Many have predicted it for years.  Only a few short weeks ago it was nearly certain to occur with Texas A&M's departure to the SEC only to have that tremor die down when conference commissioners almost in unison said they were done expanding.  The ACC said they were happy with 12, the Pac 12 was happy with 12, the Big Ten was happy with 11...but the Big 12 was a mess.  Eight days after those statements were made, a new reality awaits Marquette and many other schools.  Expand they did.  This should come as no surprise.

At this point, a range of emotions is probably coursing through your brain.

There's this one:




Or this one:




Or this one:




Or this one:





I'm sure there are 100's more running through our heads.  Without football, MU is a bystander waiting for the music to stop, waiting to see if any chairs remain open or any pretty girls waiting to be asked to dance.  Hell, at this point hoping for pretty isn't even an option.  Dr. Ruth an 3 day meth binge would be acceptable.  MU isn't the only one in this boat.  Georgetown, St. John's, Villanova, Providence, DePaul are most at risk.  Then there are those like Rutgers, USF, Louisville, West Virginia, Cincinnati who play football but don't have an invite to the Winter Ball either.  Louisville's top 15 revenues in the country might attractive for someone assuming their academic ineptness is ignored.

The unfortunate reality is that the Big East may be all but dead, but even if it survives it isn't the same.  Tonight it is on life support, but a few more defections and the conference is likely done unless it can cobble something together with the remaining football dregs left begging for a dance partner.  One would have to think Texas Christian (TCU) is doing everything they can to work a deal to get into what's left of the Big 12 and bolt the Big East.  The Mountain West had no penalty fee for leaving which works in their favor.  Having to pay two exit fees for two different conferences might have been too high a hurdle.  Likewise, USF, Louisville, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Rutgers and UCONN are all angling to get out.  Rutgers and UCONN could be gone in the next few days to the ACC.  WVU would love to go to the SEC...that doesn't mean the SEC wants them.  Louisville, USF, Cincinnati staying in the Big East?  It could kill their football programs unless they could get Kansas, Missouri, K-State, Baylor, Iowa State to come East.  Or is Missouri to the SEC rumor valid?  Then again, why wouldn't the remaining Big 12 teams just tug the remaining football Big East teams to come west instead of vice versa?  Or, do KU, K-State and Missouri round out the Big Ten....remember the Big Ten said they are happy as clams to stay at 11....don't believe that for a second.  You might even see Penn State break off and join the ACC and the Big Ten is forced to shore up anyway.  The Big Ten will expand, whether it is Notre Dame or some