A week ago we were all hearing how the Big East and Big 12 would cease to exist thanks to the massive expansion of the Big 10, Pac 10, SEC and ACC. It was going to be a unprecedented conference realignment causing mass hysteria throughout the country.
All that build up and all we got were three teams on the move. No super conferences to fight for global domination. No Big 16 or Pac 16. Just the Big Ten becoming the Big 12, the Big 12 becoming the Big 10 and the Pac 10 becoming the Pac 12. Talk about a let down.
I wanted to see a shakeup. I loved the anticipation that we didn't know what was going to happen the next day, or who would be the next team to jump ship for the big money from the Big Ten. I wanted to see conferences finally force Notre Dame to join or not get to play their teams. All I got was Nebraska in the Big Ten and Utah and Colorado join the Pac 10.
The Big 12 made Texas a luxurious offer (more than $20 million a year), effectively keeping the conference together. If Texas left, all hell would have broke loose, and it would have been beautiful. Instead the the Nebraska Cornhuskers are going to leave all of their rivalries behind and travel quite a distance to their new home in the Big Ten. Wooo! Another mediocre football team and terrible basketball team!
Seriously, "No Country For Old Men" was more climatic than the way this whole thing played out.
On another note. Why the hell are administrators from these conferences trying to tell us academics had any influence on their decisions to bring in a new school, or join a different conference? I understand that is the company line, but come on. These were all money moves. Nothing more.
Nebraska saw the payday they would receive from the Big Ten Network, Texas basically held the Big 12 ransom, etc. Here is a great article from the Post-Gazette that shows just how well Nebraska fits in with the Big Ten academically. I guess someone has to be last, right?
Chuck Berry - School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)
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