Goodbye Big 12?

[fatmenace]

Reports are flying around everywhere that the Big 10 will offer Missouri and Nebraska. This will of course end the Big 12. I see some sort of Pac 10, Big 12 merger/alliance. Nothing else seems likely. There aren't two teams who could replace them. I know the SEC will expand too, who know who they'll go after.

Going to be an interesting year in college football.

[fatmenace]

www.detnews.com/article/20100511/OPINION03/5110390/1004/SPORTS/Sources--Big-Ten-headed-to-16-team-super-conference#ixzz0nebRjoDt

["Redneck" Johnson]

I'll call my shot right now:

1. There's too much smoke for there not to be some form of fire. Missouri is going to be offered by the Big Ten and is going to take it right away.

2. I expect Nebraska to go as well. In the end it will come down to the following:
a. Nebraska thinks the Big Ten will be infinitely better for them because they don't have to deal with Texas' athletic department anymore. They're sick of DeLoss pushing them around in policy and want out.
b. They're hoping that the Big Ten will let them start accepting partial qualifiers again.

3. I expect Texas to end up in the PAC-10. There will be talk of Texas trying to go independent but we're not Notre Dame and this isn't the 1950s.

4. This is the move toward the 16 team super-conferences. I'm expecting Notre Dame to turn down the Big Ten and they'll start with 14 season after next.

5. I expect the PAC-10 additions to for sure be Texas, Texas A&M and Colorado. Other possible candidates include Utah, BYU, Boise St, Kansas, Kansas State (who likely only comes alongside Kansas), Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State (who likely only comes alongside Oklahoma).

6. Texas A&M will not be going to the SEC. They're going to be joined up and follow Texas wherever the 'Horns go, and I do not think it will be SEC country. They're not some huge gain for the conference, they're not a big national draw or power, they won't really bring in ratings. With the move the Big Ten is making the SEC doesn't want another Mississippi State in conference.

I'm really curious to see what happens here- this may be the dissolution of the Big 12 (and maybe also the Big East) right in front of our eyes. I don't think the SEC is ready to expand yet. But it might me a mad scramble.

Also, the teams that stand to lose the most from whats happening to the Big XII:

Iowa State
Texas Tech
Baylor
Kansas State
Oklahoma State

[finkle]

i think the thing that makes most sense to me is the simplest one:
- two teams (mizzou and neb) leave the big 12 for the big 10
- a 10-team big 12 has an alliance with the 10-team pac 10 for tv

this gives the big 12 a bigger tv deal, though we lose the CCG.

[fatmenace]

The SEC commish came out a few weeks ago and said if other conferences expand, so will they. I think they try and get OU and AnM, so they can try to make their way into the Texas recruiting ground. I don't think the Aggies have the balls to be anywhere without Texas, though.