it begins...

[Hards Alumni]

I think Delaney (or someone higher-up in all this for the Big Ten) basically said they'd stop at 12 so they weren't viewed as "responsible for creating college football Armageddon"...

Um, isn't that exactly what they did?

EDIT:  Is it now the Big 11?

Realistically, after Colorado leaves, and the Big 12 disolves, shouldn't the Big Ten become the new "Big 12", and the old Big 12 become the new "Big Ten"???

numbers mean nothing I guess.

[MerrittsMustache]

How soon until congress sticks it's nose into alignment?

Very soon.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Kansas-senators-lobby-Huskers-threaten-legal-fi?urn=ncaaf,246925

[Dawson Rental]

By all accounts on the "ground" here, Texas really didn't want to save the Big 12..but didn't want to be the one's blamed for the break up of the Big  12...rather..Texas can appear that it was the victim of Nebraska leaving.  If you really stop to think about it:  How could the loss of Nebraska (and Missouri possibly) really undermine the whole Big 12.  You add TCU to the Big 12 and they've had a higher football profile for the last 10 years than either NEB or Mizzou....

I agree a better football conference, although Missouri will/would be a huge basketball loss and a quality football team loss just not on the same level as Nebraska.  

Replacing Nebraska with TCU wouldn't work.  TCU may be the better football program now, but that wouldn't matter that much for TV purposes.  How many more Texas TV sets would they get? Nebraska has one of the most rabid fan bases in all of college football.  It's the state of Nebraska's, NFL, NBA, and major league baseball, all rolled into one.  They had over 10 thousand attend their spring game.  Only Alabama had more.  With Nebraska gone the northern Big 12 is weak with the traditionally strong teams all in Texas and Oklahoma, a big problem for competitive purposes, Iowa State v. Texas for the Big 12 championship game.  That would have to be the lowest grossing league championship game in the land.

Delaney at the Big Ten is supposedly the genius in this alignment, and he wouldn't be taking Nebraska just to wrap up the Nebraska TV audience.  After Notre Dame, and perhaps three or four others, Nebraska has the largest national TV audience following.  The Big Ten sees Nebraska as a part of a cable channel that becomes a must have for serious college football fans.  Also, Nebraska fans are famous as avid travelers to other league stadiums, increasing ticket sales at places like Northwestern and Indiana.  And they don't have to take a yucky academic school like Oklahoma or Oklahoma State.  Nebraska has been an American Association of Universities member since 1909.  

[Dawson Rental]

Dominos.  If the SEC expands, they have to expand from the Big East and the ACC.  South Florida, for example.  Louisville, WVU.   The ACC would likely take Syracuse, Pitt or Rutgers (if the Big Ten doesn't).

Where the heck is the SEC in all this.  BMA has said that he knows that the SEC won't stand still if the Big Ten increases its footprint, but if they do not get out there fast, the pickings will be slim.  At that point maybe they will have to raid the Big East.  If they do they will be getting teams inferior to those picked up by the Big Ten and the Pac 10.

Unless they're stupid, the SEC had better get in there and make a play for the Texas teams.  They should have more ammunition than the PAC 10 to land them.  They could take Texas Tech AND Baylor as well as the big two which would definitely get the Texas legislature on their side.

[Dawson Rental]

The Big 12 appears to be dead.

A source close to the Nebraska Board of Regents told Orangebloods.com the regents informally agreed Wednesday to move to the Big Ten and that a formal announcement Nebraska is leaving will come Friday.

Sources close to Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech have suggested to Orangebloods.com over the last week that if Nebraska leaves, the Big 12 can't be saved.

Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds and president Williams Powers gathered UT coaches today at 2 p.m. CT to tell them they did everything they could to save the Big 12 but that they were unsuccessful.

Just as Orangebloods.com was first to report last Thursday, the Pac-10 will invite Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Colorado.

And it appears those invitations will be accepted.

According to sources, Colorado will also opt out of the Big 12 and accept an invitation to the Pac-10.

What a bunch of B.S., not by you comrade Chicos (socialist that you are) , but by the Texas administration.  "Doing everything that they could", I think would have included putting fairer revenue sharing by Texas U. on the table.  No reports have surfaced that that proposal ever was put on the table.  It will be interesting to see what kind of deal Texas can or can't work out with the Pac 10.

[Dawson Rental]

Why do people think that the SEC would need to expand?  If they can't find schools that really add value, no conference is going to expand.

Hello! Yes! Exact-a- mundo!

If they don't make a late play for the Texas schools, their only good options are from the ACC which ain't gonna easy because the most valuable schools would be giving up some VERY strong rivalries.

[Dawson Rental]

"By all accounts on the "ground" here, Texas really didn't want to save the Big 12..but didn't want to be the one's blamed for the break up of the Big  12...rather..Texas can appear that it was the victim of Nebraska leaving.  If you really stop to think about it:  How could the loss of Nebraska (and Missouri possibly) really undermine the whole Big 12.  You add TCU to the Big 12 and they've had a higher football profile for the last 10 years than either NEB or Mizzou...."

You are dead on until the last sentence, which is absolutely false.  It looks to me like Orangebloods is the house organ for UT these days and was shifting blame around to paint UT in a good light.  TCU has been very good at football and would have beaten NU & MU in a couple of those years, but a team with a seldom full 44,000 seat stadium hardly pulls a higher profile than MU & NU.

See, what did I say about those rabid Husker fans!

Hey Husker4MU,
Do you know what Mizzou fans say the "N" on Nebraska's helmet stands for?

[ATL MU Warrior]

All this talk of TCU being a better football program than Nebraska is ridiculous.

TCU has been consistently a top 25 program only since about 2000.  Before that, they hadn't finished Top 25 in over 40 years.  They haven't won a Bowl game played in January since 1957.

By almost any measure Nebraska is one of the top 5 to 10 college football programs of all time.  

[Dawson Rental]

It seems to me that Marquette should be looking at forming a basketball conference, Butler, Xavier, Dayton, Memphis...anyone have any other ideas?

It's definitely too early to make that move.  Too much more needs to play out, but it'll will soon. Boy, will it fun to hear the comments back and forth between fans at Big 12 football games between teams moving to different conferences for the next two years or so until the changes are implemented.

[Hards Alumni]

I agree a better football conference, although Missouri will/would be a huge basketball loss and a quality football team loss just not on the same level as Nebraska.  

Replacing Nebraska with TCU wouldn't work.  TCU may be the better football program now, but that wouldn't matter that much for TV purposes.  How many more Texas TV sets would they get?  Nebraska has one of the most rabid fan bases in all of college football.  It's the state of Nebraska's, NFL, NBA, and major league baseball, all rolled into one.  They had over 10 thousand attend their spring game.  Only Alabama had more.  With Nebraska gone the northern Big 12 is weak with the traditionally strong teams all in Texas and Oklahoma, a big problem for competitive purposes, Iowas State v. Texas for the Big 12 championship game.  That would have to be the lowest grossing league championship game in the land.

Delaney at the Big Ten is supposedly the genius in this alignment, and he wouldn't be taking Nebraska just to wrap up the Nebraska TV audience.  After Notre Dame, and perhaps three or four others, Nebraska has the largest national TV audience following.  The Big Ten sees Nebraska as a part of a cable channel that becomes a must have for serious college football fans.  Also, Nebraska fans are famous as avid travelers to other league stadiums, increasing ticket sales at places like Northwestern and Indiana.  And they don't have to take a yuckky academic school like Oklahoma or Oklahoma State.  Nebraska has been an American Association of Universities member since 1909.  

This is exactly correct.  Well said.

[HoopsMalone]

 If I was the SEC I would look to get into North Carolina, and maybe even Virginia.  There probably is some money in doing that.

North Carolina is a growing market for the SEC to get into.  Expanding population and more money heading down there.  Maybe they would just take NC, Wake, Duke, and NC State and dominate that growing area.  Or maybe they look at 2 NC schools and then VT and Virginia to get up there. That would probably allow them to sweep the southern states' cable packages.

Secondarily, the SEC could look at Kansas.  The Kansas City market (I have no idea who they root for there) might be worth it.  Louisville would be another one to look at or even Pitt.  However, I think taking the ACC schools is a better choice for the SEC over the Big East schools.

[Dawson Rental]

Mark Schlabach seems to think that the SEC and ACC are going to stand pat because (basically) splitting Florida between the two conferences is actually good for both.  http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=5268212 (check out the bottom)

even if we lose a few teams to the Big "Ten", KU, KSU, ISU, and UCF are all out there for the taking...the Big East as we know it might still be all right.  Lets not assume the worst until it happens.

Hey, I agree with this.  The shattering of the Big 12 has saved the Big East at least in the short run 10 to 15 years in NCAA time.

[Dawson Rental]

How soon until congress sticks it's nose into alignment?

They won't.  But certain congress members from states whose schools get a raw deal will complain hard and loud about having hearings because their constituents will care more about this than Afghanistan, the gulf oil spill, or Canada's invasion of Maine.  (today's minor news story)

[Hards Alumni]

If I was the SEC I would look to get into North Carolina, and maybe even Virginia.  There probably is some money in doing that.

North Carolina is a growing market for the SEC to get into.  Expanding population and more money heading down there.  Maybe they would just take NC, Wake, Duke, and NC State and dominate that growing area.  Or maybe they look at 2 NC schools and then VT and Virginia to get up there. That would probably allow them to sweep the southern states' cable packages.

Secondarily, the SEC could look at Kansas.  The Kansas City market (I have no idea who they root for there) might be worth it.  Louisville would be another one to look at or even Pitt.  However, I think taking the ACC schools is a better choice for the SEC over the Big East schools.

Problem is, UNC, WF, Duke, and NCST are, essentially, a package.  If the SEC absorbs them, where does the Texas cadre go?  I'd bet that the B12 South (or most of it) ends up in the SEC which ends up bigger than the B10.  

[MUBurrow]

Why do people think that the SEC would need to expand?  If they can't find schools that really add value, no conference is going to expand.

Hello! Yes! Exact-a- mundo!

If they don't make a late play for the Texas schools, their only good options are from the ACC which ain't gonna easy because the most valuable schools would be giving up some VERY strong rivalries.

There will be plenty left for the SEC even if they stand pat in the near future.  Any of the FL schools not in the ACC will gladly accept an invite (ahem South Florida) as will fell BEaster Louisville.  Both of these schools are certainly not as high profile as the Texas schools which you are right would be at the top of the list.  But even if they don't get UT/A&M and OK/OKST, both those BEast teams would skyrocket as members of the SEC.  They both have natural geographic rivalries, competent sports that would only get better with SEC recruiting (with the possible exception of Lvill BBall which is already the best of the bunch).  Beyond that, Kansas and KState will be hanging around.  Without Lousville and USF, schools like WVU might be open to moving and if some of the Noreast BE schools go to the ACC, a trade with schools like Georgia Tech becomes much more palatable for the ACC.  So even if they miss out on the TX schools, I think there's still plenty of incentive for the SEC to raid.

[Dawson Rental]

I think Delaney (or someone higher-up in all this for the Big Ten) basically said they'd stop at 12 so they weren't viewed as "responsible for creating college football Armageddon"...

Um, isn't that exactly what they did?

EDIT: Is it now the Big 11?

Of course, they aren't counting Indiana.  Would you with the current state of their football and basketball programs?

[MU B2002]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5271438


Colorado to pac 10

Announcement today at noon.

[HoopsMalone]

Problem is, UNC, WF, Duke, and NCST are, essentially, a package.  If the SEC absorbs them, where does the Texas cadre go?  I'd bet that the B12 South (or most of it) ends up in the SEC which ends up bigger than the B10.  

I think the SEC would of course rather have the Big 12 south with TX and OK.  But, the Pac-10 just stepped up and were the aggressors.  Carolina is probably the best remaining market.  Texas and the Carolinas are both growing populations too so they stand to be good investments.

[MarquetteDano]

 And they don't have to take a yuckky academic school like Oklahoma or Oklahoma State.  Nebraska has been an American Association of Universities member since 1909.  

Last I looked University of Oklahoma and Nebraska were about equal in terms of National rank.  Nebraska was just outside of the Top 100.  So was Oklahoma.

I think the Big Ten is being disingenious with the whole academic thing.  Nebraska will be the worst ranked school in the Big Ten now.

[Husker4MU]

Last I looked University of Oklahoma and Nebraska were about equal in terms of National rank.  Nebraska was just outside of the Top 100.  So was Oklahoma.

I think the Big Ten is being disingenious with the whole academic thing.  Nebraska will be the worst ranked school in the Big Ten now.

Nebraska just needs to pass the sniff test for academics, which it does.  It's an academic boon for NU to join, but the Big Whatever doesn't gain much, if anything, academically.  The rest is about $$ - either directly from adding NU or using NU to get larger prizes.  ND and possibly Texas are still in play. 

OU doesn't provide geographic continuity or built in rivalries.  Nebraska will quickly strike up rivalries with Iowa, Wisconsin and possibly Minnesota.  Oklahoma's history and current NCAA troubles can't help matters either.

[Husker4MU]

See, what did I say about those rabid Husker fans!

Hey Husker4MU,
Do you know what Mizzou fans say the "N" on Nebraska's helmet stands for?

I just never understood that joke.  NU is not Harvard, but it's not a community college either.  It leads college football in Academic All Americans and Warren Buffett seems to be doing fine despite slumming it in Lincoln.

[Dawson Rental]

I just never understood that joke.  NU is not Harvard, but it's not a community college either.  It leads college football in Academic All Americans and Warren Buffett seems to be doing fine despite slumming it in Lincoln.

The joke is perfectly understandable.  What it really says is: "You guys have better players than us and a lot more of them.  It MUST be because you'll take any big farm boy who can write his own name."  In other words, its about envy and frustration at getting beat on year after year.  (In football, of course).

Full Disclosure: I'm a Mizzou football fan, just an honest one.

BTW: The richest guy I know personally is a Nebraska alum.  He studied agricultural economics.  Then he came back to Chicago.  He got involved in futures trading at the Chicago Board of Trade.

[Blackhat]

Right on time.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100609/SPORTS020602/6100340/1003/SPORTS/Conference-Expansion-Sen.-Grassley-says-he-will-protect-ISU?GID=PheCch5Eg4HPnVf5hCI55I/g6S75EBVfWYmknIYoUnQ%3D

[Dawson Rental]

"My goal would be to make sure Iowa State would not get hurt by however this might turn out," (Senator) Grassley said in an interview with the Des Moines Register.

The article also points out that Grassley is running for reelection this fall.  Protecting Iowa State from economic realities, what better motive could there be to toy around with the Tax Code and antitrust laws?

[MarquetteDano]

I just never understood that joke.  NU is not Harvard, but it's not a community college either.  It leads college football in Academic All Americans and Warren Buffett seems to be doing fine despite slumming it in Lincoln.

I don't think a lot of people from Marquette are besmirching U of Nebraska's academics.  Marquette is only slightly better so why should we.  I think my problem is I've heard numerous people bad month Iowa State, Alabama, Oklahoma, et. al. in terms of not good enough for the Big Ten.  The reality is that Nebraska is about equal or not as good as many of these schools academically.

It is no knock on Nebraska... more so on the Big Ten propaganda.