The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[Uncle Ted]

When Missou left the Big 12 for the SEC, both conferences got significantly smarter...

LOL.

[wapiti]

Math fail. It was at least 9 months.

The Nebraska to B1G announcement was made in the fall. They lost their AAU membership the next summer. 6 months or 9 months, who cares? Did the AAU really just make a quick decision to dump Nebraska, especially when they were about to get access to the all important CIC? Of course not. Nebraska's AAU membership was in trouble. The B1G knew this and decided they didn't care.

If academics mattered at all to B1G Nebraska would have been ignored. The B1G would have taken Rutgers or Pitt, both solid AAU members that bring larger TV markets.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Wrong. Nebraska's AAU membership was not reviewed until after Nebraska joined the Big Ten. That's when their AAU trouble started.

Math fail. It was at least 9 months.

Wrong again. Nebraska had to be academically acceptable for the Big Ten. Big Ten presidents, who voted unanimously for Nebraska's inclusion, knew it would be the lowest ranked school but still deemed Nebraska acceptable. Obviously, academics were not the most important consideration but its dishonest to state that "it had nothing to do with the reason the B1G chose Nebraska". It's also important to note that Big Ten universities, along with the University of Chicago, participate in the CIC - a research consortium. That's all about academics and research and Nebraska is now part of it.

Don't let these little jabs fool you, PBW. Nobody here gives a shit about Nebraska.

[il Padrino Ute]

Don't let these little jabs fool you, PBW. Nobody here gives a shit about Nebraska.

[Lost Student]

Don't let these little jabs fool you, PBW. Nobody here gives a shit about Nebraska.

[TripletDaddy]

Don't let these little jabs fool you, PBW. Nobody here gives a shit about Nebraska.

lol.

[Paperback Writer]

The Nebraska to B1G announcement was made in the fall.

Wrong. It was announced in June 2010 to be effective July 1, 2010.

They lost their AAU membership the next summer. 6 months or 9 months, who cares?

Nebraska was voted out of the AAU in April 2011.

Did the AAU really just make a quick decision to dump Nebraska, especially when they were about to get access to the all important CIC? Of course not. Nebraska's AAU membership was in trouble. The B1G knew this and decided they didn't care.

Well, yes the AAU did. An internal AAU committee voted in the Fall of 2010 to review Nebraska. Nebraska's chancellor was reprimanded by the AAU president for informing other Big Ten presidents that Nebraska was being reviewed - a process the AAU wished to keep confidential. But Nebraska felt an obligation to inform other Big Ten university presidents of what was going on and that Nebraska might lose its AAU membership precisely because they had unanimously voted Nebraska into the Big Ten months before. Several university presidents had mentioned AAU membership as an important criteria for inclusion in the Big Ten and now Nebraska was in the process of losing it. It was only after Nebraska lost its AAU membership that Jim Delany told the press that the Big Ten would still keep Nebraska - that's where the "B1G didn't care" might factor in. Big Ten university presidents certainly cared before and might have voted against Nebraska otherwise.

If academics mattered at all to B1G Nebraska would have been ignored. The B1G would have taken Rutgers or Pitt, both solid AAU members that bring larger TV markets.

Its very questionable that Rutgers or Pitt command larger TV audiences than Nebraska. Yes, those universities are in major population centers, but football fans there care far more about the Giants and Eagles than about Rutgers and Pitt. But if Rutgers owned the current home stadium sell-out streak of 300+ games (coming up on 50 years of football), had 5 national championships, and a large fan base willing to travel; then yes, Rutgers would be in the Big Ten. Also, if Nebraska had the academic standing of Texas Tech, Nebraska would still be in the Big 12

[Paperback Writer]

Don't let these little jabs fool you, PBW. Nobody here gives a shit about Nebraska.

Wrong; I care. I also count Omaha 680. That makes two shits.

[Red Legger]

Wrong; I care. I also count Omaha 680. That makes two shits.

The problem for UNL is noone in the Big 10 cares. They're now Iowa's big rival. From the Omaha Journal World:

>> Finally, I’ve received a lot of great emails lately. Here’s one — from R.J. — worth discussing:

“I don’t know if it’s still lingering depression from the UCLA game or seeing what the rest of Big 10 looks like this year, but I’m starting to finally lament the fact Nebraska left the Big 12 as it stands today. What if just Mizzou, Colorado, and A&M left and we stayed. Then throw in TCU. Now you have ten teams in the Big 12 like this season but the Huskers are in there. How much do you think fans would kill to see this slate of games annually?

“I know we all hate Texas, but man if we had stayed, the OU rivalry would be back on an annual basis, and we would get that shot at Texas every year, along with our old Big 8 friends KSU & Okie-State. Heck, look at what it would be if just Colorado and A&M bailed. Throw out TCU & put Mizzou back in the mix. I know it was a good move for the university financially and academically, but you can’t honestly say as a fan you are psyched week in and week out for the fixed schedule we have in the Big 10 (yawn) vs. would could have been now if Nebraska stayed in the Big 12. …

“There’s no one to hate in the Big 10. That is a problem. There are plenty of characters(villains) to hate back in the Big 12, and that just fueled the passion of the fan base. I’m starting to see more and more of an apathetic outlook from Nebraska fans. I think a lot has to do with not having any teams in our current conference to focus the hate towards. … I loved that Mizzou, KSU and even KU hated Nebraska. I loved the back and forth with their fan bases. That passion and spirited debate seems to be dissipating every week and every season, and that is sad to see. Now we just debate among ourselves about how bad or good we really are more so than at any time I can remember the last 30 years.

“Hindsight is always 20/20, but as I run through this in my head the more frustrated I get. For a man as reserved and patient as Dr. Tom appears to be, I’m surprised he didn’t step back and play out what I presented above in more of a long range outlook. Maybe he did. But if he did and this is what we are left with, then wow. That would be a huge fail. Leaving because of the Texas threat or perceived threat is kind of weak looking back. Our best revenge on Texas for me would have been staying the course in Big 12 (the TV money was eventually coming) and start earning respect on the football field and start beating them at a more consistent pace than 1 out every 9 tries.

“If you can get buyer’s remorse from switching conferences I think Nebraska will start to finally feel that this season. To reference Eugene Levi (car salesman) speaking with Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) at the car dealership in the beginning of “Vacation”- he thought he was getting the blue sports wagon, but ended up with the Wagon Queen Family Truckster. “You may hate it now, but wait ‘til you drive it”. In the case of the Big 10 it’s the opposite- “You may love it now, but wait ‘til you drive it.”


Noone should walk away from being UT/OU's main rival in football. A place that Coach Old Balls over at Ksuck now proudly sits.

By the way, now that UT lost the NotreDame sweepstakes to UNC and has been outplayed by the Tobacco Mafia for the rights to FSU, have the muckitymucks in the uppercrust in Provo come to their senses and are ready to play ball w/ the Big 12?

Rock Chalk Jayhawk, Beat Mizzou

[Jeff Lebowski]

By the way, now that UT lost the NotreDame sweepstakes to UNC and has been outplayed by the Tobacco Mafia for the rights to FSU, have the muckitymucks in the uppercrust in Provo come to their senses and are ready to play ball w/ the Big 12?

If they have, they are keeping it a closely guarded secret.

[Uncle Ted]

I feel for the poor Children of the Corn... They miss out on $24MM guaranteed and the right to market their third tier as they wanted. They cut themselves off from the fertile recruiting grounds of Texas. Lost games with some great traditional rivals (not counting Colorado since they never really put up much of a fight without cheating) and teams close to their biggestonly fan in Big 12 country (PBW). And in the process of all of this lost their AAU status and now are a misfit in the B1G. The Big 12 should invite them back when they become relevant again.

[Red Legger]

I feel for the poor Children of the Corn... They miss out on $24MM guaranteed and the right to market their third tier as they wanted. They cut themselves off from the fertile recruiting grounds of Texas. Lost games with some great traditional rivals (not counting Colorado since they never really put up much of a fight without cheating) and teams close to their biggestonly fan in Big 12 country (PBW). And in the process of all of this lost their AAU status and now are a misfit in the B1G. The Big 12 should invite them back when they become relevant again.

Poor Corn. Lost all of that so's they could sit at the BIG table. Now, they're prepping for those epic games in Bloomington/St Paul/Evanston w/ some stuffy arsed Big Wig's and Knowitalls when they could be heading off south on US75 for the pep rally in Beatrice and enjoying a nice party w/ their own people in Mancrappie. People like The Mask:

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0spU68XRBwU&feature=relmfu"]The K-State Mask: Missouri State Postgame Inspiration - YouTube[/nomedia]

Rock Chalk Jayhawk, Beat Mizzou

[TripletDaddy]

Bowlsby sez: We hate are very happy for Notre Dame

Part 1 http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_...er-bob-bowlsby

When did you know Notre Dame intended to leave for the ACC?

I found out through media reports, whatever morning that was. I was certainly aware that the folks at Notre Dame and the ACC were having conversations.

What did you think when you first heard it?

I think it's a good fit for them, because of the private schools that are in the league, their past relationships with some of the personnel in the league, the fact they were aligned in the Big East with Pitt and Syracuse and BC and Miami. Those are all things I think that probably made it a little easier to grease the skids for this to happen, so I think it's a good thing for Notre Dame and a good thing for the ACC.

Part 2 http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/tag/_/...g-12-qa-091412

[Paperback Writer]

I feel for the poor Children of the Corn... They miss out on $24MM guaranteed and the right to market their third tier as they wanted. They cut themselves off from the fertile recruiting grounds of Texas. Lost games with some great traditional rivals (not counting Colorado since they never really put up much of a fight without cheating) and teams close to their biggestonly fan in Big 12 country (PBW). And in the process of all of this lost their AAU status and now are a misfit in the B1G. The Big 12 should invite them back when they become relevant again.

I dunno. Financially, Nebraska will make at least as much in the Big Ten as in the Big 12. And the Big Ten is by far the more stable conference. Add in the academic advantages of the Big Ten and there are few regrets.

Also, Nebraska is not cut off from recruiting in Texas. They successfully recruited Texas kids in the Big 8. And that great rivalry with OU went out the window with the Big 12 (interesting that the Big Ten figured out a way to keep tradional rivalies in place when they expanded to 12). When Texas A&M left the Big 12, so went the only other team I really cared about.

So what's left in the Big 12? Road trips to Austin and Norman. I'd take road trips to Iowa City and the Big House over that. Plus there's Camp Randall and the Horseshoe. I'll miss Austin but Chicago isn't a bad location to visit.

Red Legger mentions Bloomington (which I liked when I was there), Evanston (Chicago is great place to visit), and St. Paul. But no mention of those epic trips to Manhattan (KS), Lubbock, Waco, and Ames??? I leave Lawrence off that list out of respect and because I like to visit Lawrence.

It's all water under the bridge. Nebraska better figure out how to play defense and offense after halftime or no when will care (the Cornhuskers seemed to have reached that point here anyway). But for BYU's sake, hopefully Nebraska will become revelent again by 9/5/2015. Otherwise, it would be BYU beating up on an ol' Big Ten Cripple (or getting defeated by the same). Neither is good for BYU.

[Moliere]

I'd like to see the ACC go after Louisville to fill the good left by Maryland. Then the Big 12 would have too few options not to take BYU. It's a sad position as a BYU fan, but ill take it.