6/6/2010

9 Responses to “The End of the Big 12?”

1. Not a horrible idea on the part of the Big 12 to force this issue. As DRJ points out, they put Nebraska and Missouri in the position of either having to commit to the conference or take a gamble that they will be invited into the Big 10. I guess if you are the weaker conference in this situation you have to make the ultimatum in order to set events in motion, rather than sitting passively by and hoping for the best.

   Now what do you do if you are the Big 10? You clearly lust after Notre Dame, but can you afford to wait for them to decide or do you have to make your move right now if you don’t want to miss out on NU and MU?

   JVW (36eb17) — 6/6/2010 @ 1:33 pm

   
   

2. I hope they don’t get in, maybe more Texas athletes will go somewhere else.

   BradnSA (980254) — 6/6/2010 @ 2:07 pm

   
   

3. Why don’t I feel some angst for these rich, powerful football schools? There is almost no scenario that is bad for them. One situation may be more lucrative than the other.

   Administrations at both schools are smart people, and I am sure money and greed will have nothing to do with their decisions.

   If it doesn’t work out, they can start their own conference.

   bob (9838b5) — 6/6/2010 @ 2:18 pm

   
   

4. An article posted today at Orangebloods.com states that the Pac-10 offer to the six Big 12 schools has cleared another hurdle:

   Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott today recommended to his league’s presidents and chancellors that the conference fire the first shot in what could end up as a “revolutionizing” step in college realignment by extending invitations to six teams from the Big 12.

   The schools on the Pac-10 wish list are Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Colorado. (Although a group of lawmakers in Texas is vowing to fight for Baylor to get that invitation instead of Colorado.)

   Scott said at the league’s meetings Sunday he has been given the authority to “advance” any expansion process. In other words, Scott got his six-team expansion plan approved involving the Big 12 teams and will now simply reach out to those schools on his schedule.

   The Big 12 schools would play in a division with Arizona and Arizona State, while the remaining Pac-10 teams – USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State – would form the other division.

   And it’s looking more and more like those Big 12 teams could help form the country’s first 16-team super conference unless they get assurances from Nebraska in the next 10 days that the Cornhuskers are committed to staying in the Big 12.

   Mike LaRoche (d4323e) — 6/6/2010 @ 3:37 pm

   
   

5. The Pac-10 should invite TCU instead of Colorado or Baylor.

   DRJ (d43dcd) — 6/6/2010 @ 3:38 pm

   
   

6. Yes, TCU has built an impressive football program while Baylor and Colorado are living off of past successes. But I suppose the Pac-10 wants Colorado because of the Denver television market.

   Mike LaRoche (d4323e) — 6/6/2010 @ 3:51 pm

   
   

7. TCU doesn’t have the alum base but they still deserve it more than Baylor.

   DRJ (d43dcd) — 6/6/2010 @ 3:57 pm

   
   

8. It’s not all about TV markets. It’s also politics. If it were about markets, they would ask BYU.

   DRJ (d43dcd) — 6/6/2010 @ 4:00 pm

   
   

9. Dan Wetzel on the coming dissolution of the Big 12:

   Conference expansion is about to forever alter college athletics: destroying traditions, hammering taxpayers and increasing competition. It will leave once-major programs out of the loop, consolidate power and extend the gap between haves and have nots – even within leagues such as the Big Ten.

   No one is in a more desperate spot than the Big 12, which this week could see as many as eight league members receive invites to leave.

   It’s all because of money. And when it comes to money in college athletics it all comes back to one thing – the leaking oil disaster that is the BCS.

   Mike LaRoche (d4323e) — 6/6/2010 @ 9:13 pm