Nebraska Officially Joins Big Ten

Just a few days ago it looked like Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were all headed to the Pac-10, basically killing what's left of the Big 12. Then Texas A&M started getting into serious negotiations with the SEC, and reports suggested that the Aggies were headed there instead of west with its Big 12 South counterparts. Finally, today this entire plan came crashing down and the Big 12 got up out of its death bed and walked out of the hospital ready to move forward.

The quick change from death to life for the Big 12 all came about because of a last-ditch effort to save the conference based on a new TV deal that will serve as a raise in pay for the 10 remaining schools, especially at the top with Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma.

According to sources familiar with the deal, Texas stands to earn between $20 million and $25 million in television revenue, including money from its own network. The UT network figures to generate between $3 million and $5 million, according to sources.

According to sources, the deal will mean more money for Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma, who all stand receive $20 million from the new deal. The other seven schools in the Big 12 would make between $14 million and $17 million, but would nearly double what they currently receive in TV revenue (roughly $7 million to $9 million).

Because Texas has already decided to get on board with this new plan and forge ahead as one of 10 members of the Big 12, it is believed Oklahoma and Texas A&M will follow suit. Although an imbalanced pay scale still exists, giving more power to the top schools like Texas, OU and A&M, it's not like the rest of the Big 12 has much of a choice. Just days ago schools like Kansas and Missouri were facing the prospect of having to join the Mountain West or another non-BCS conference (right now). Now, however, they are going to make more money and remain in the Big 12.

What all of this means is that, right now, the Big Ten has 12 schools, the Big 12 has 10, and the Pac-10 has 11. Confusing names of the conferences aside, the Big 12's survival likely means that expansion or realignment on a drastic level is unlikely. The Pac-10 is expected to add a 12th school, with the top candidate now being Utah. Although their dream of creating a super conference is now dead, adding a 12th member will allow the Pac-10 to have a conference championship game. The conference will also likely launch their own network, which will generate a sizable amount of revenue if it comes even close to the level of success the Big Ten Network has achieved.

For the Big 12, it looks like they will stick with 10 teams for the time being. The loss of Nebraska and Colorado didn't damage the value of their TV deal very much, and with two less shares to go around, teams actually will receive more money. There will be no more conference championship game as long as there are only 10 teams in the conference (NCAA rules state that 12 teams are needed to stage a title game), but I don't think that's a very big issue considering nobody thought the Big 12 would be around for that to even be a concern.

It's still possible that the Big Ten could expand beyond 12 teams, but the consensus is that Notre Dame would have to join next for there to be further changes. Since super conferences aren't on the horizon like originally thought, there really isn't any serious pressure on Notre Dame to give up its independent status. Really the only way the Big Ten could get Notre Dame to join at this point is by raiding the Big East of its top schools. That wouldn't affect Notre Dame for football, but for all of their other sports it would pose a problem, potentially forcing the Fighting Irish into a move. I don't think that will happen, though, because I don't believe adding four more teams would generate enough revenue to make it worthwhile. Sure, it'd be nice to add Notre Dame, but since conferences aren't all moving to have 16 teams now, it would seem like adding teams just for the sake of adding teams.

I have to say, as a college sports fan I am very pleased with this news about the Big 12. I honestly felt bad for schools like Missouri and Kansas, which would have been left homeless had the Pac-16 become a reality, and I really didn't see the appeal of a bunch of super conferences. All along I was hoping the Big Ten would add only three teams at the most, but my preference was just getting to 12. I would be for going to 14 if it meant that Notre Dame was on board, but I am more than content with going forward with just Nebraska as a new face in the conference.

With Nebraska’s acceptance into the Big Ten today, Detroit is already making a push for hosting a title game that doesn’t even officially exist yet.

The Detroit Metro Sports Commission and Ford Field have expressed interest in hosting a Big Ten Championship, now that Nebraska gives the conference an even number of 12 teams.

“It’s purely speculation right now,” DMSC executive director Dave Beachnau said. “What the Big Ten might do is uncertain. We haven’t had any communication with them, so I really don’t have a lot to go on. Certainly, I think it would be a great opportunity.”

Detroit has shown it’s plenty capable of hosting big sporting events, hosting the Super Bowl, the NCAA’s Men’s Final Four and Frozen Four and the MLB All Star Game all since 2005. Being an indoor venue, it would also eliminate the cold winters that hit the Midwest from being a factor in the game, which would probably take place in late November. Beachnau agreed:

“A number of markets are capable of hosting it,” Beachnau said. “I would think that it would be an event they would want to hold in an indoor facility (because of the weather), so that limits the opportunities for others.”

Off the top of the head, other possible venues that come to mind would be Minnesota’s Metrodome, which is slowly losing tenets, Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium, and Chicago’s historic Soldier Field. Chicago hosted the men’s and women’s basketball tournament at the United Center until 2002, but Soldier Field’s outdoor design may eliminate them.

It's official:

The Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors (COP/C) announced unanimous approval today for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to join the Big Ten Conference effective July 1, 2011, with competition to begin in all sports for the 2011-12 academic year. UNL will also seek admission into the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), which can occur on or before July 1, 2011.

The addition of the University of Nebraska marks the Big Ten's first expansion since Penn State University joined the conference in June of 1990 and will increase Big Ten membership to 12 institutions for the first time in conference annals. Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany will join University of Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Director of Athletics Tom Osborne on campus in Lincoln, Neb., for press conference at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, June 11.

"By unanimous vote, the Big Ten Presidents and Chancellors are pleased to welcome the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to the Big Ten Conference," said COP/C Chair and Michigan State President Lou Anna K. Simon. "We believe Nebraska is an extraordinary fit, reflecting the criteria we established at the beginning of the process - high academic quality, competitiveness, cultural compatibility and fiscal responsibility. The extensive and in-depth discussions my colleagues and I have had about Big Ten expansion permitted us to act expeditiously and prudently on the application submitted by Nebraska. We look forward to working with our colleagues at UNL in the years ahead."

"We are pleased that the Presidents/Chancellors of the Big Ten universities agree that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a proper partner from both an academics standpoint and athletics perspective," Perlman said. "This makes sense for the future of our University. We are honored to be included in the Big Ten."

"The Big Ten Conference has much to offer," Osborne said. "This is a tribute to our athletic program, our academic programs and our fans. This is the right move at the right time. This is a rare opportunity that may not have been an option for us in the future."

In order for an institution to be admitted to the Big Ten Conference, it must submit a written application, which must then be approved by at least 70 percent of the Big Ten COP/C. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents formally submitted an application to join the Big Ten Conference Friday afternoon. The Big Ten COP/C then met via conference call and approved Nebraska's application.

"While Big Ten expansion is exciting and important both academically and athletically, what we are really excited about is building solid, long-lasting relationships with the University, its administrators and staff, its fans and the people of Nebraska," Delany said. "We look forward to reaching out to these groups in the months and years ahead."

Welcome to the Big Ten, Nebraska.

The University of Nebraska's chancellor, Harvey Perlman, just announced at the school's Board of Regents meeting that the Cornhuskers will apply to join the Big Ten. At this point it sounds like the move to leave the Big 12 for the Big Ten is all but official, with the necessary paperwork being the only thing keeping both conferences at 11 teams for right now. It is believed that the move will quickly become official, meaning Penn State will soon no longer be the new kid on the block.

The plan for Nebraska's transition to the Big Ten is for the Cornhuskers to start athletic play in the 2011-12 season, and become an academic member much sooner. What this means for Nebraska's athletic teams is that they will play one more season in the Big 12 if everything goes according to plan. That is definitely going to be an interesting storyline to follow throughout the season, especially since it is expected that six other teams will end up leaving for the Pac-10 when all is said and done.

Nebraska made sure to point out that they should not be blamed for the breakup of the Big 12. They wanted a commitment from all schools that nobody would bolt, but that was just not feasible in the end. As a result, Nebraska decided that the best move for its future was to join the Big Ten, giving them stability both in the athletic and academic world. As Nebraska president J.B. Milliken said, "The Big Ten is the premiere athletic and academic conference in the country."

My initial reaction, aside from the fact that I'm stunned this day has finally arrived, is that I can't wait for the Cornhuskers' arrival. They seem like a perfect fit for the conference and will definitely bring in a lot of intrigue to the Big Ten going forward.

On a personal note, I'm really hoping that Nebraska's schedule includes a game at Michigan Stadium in 2011, when I will be a senior at U-M. Who knows if that will happen since divisions need to be formed and the conference could still further be expanded, but I look forward to the first conference meeting between the Cornhuskers and Wolverines.

The Nebraska Board of Regents are meeting right now. It is expected that news regarding Nebraska's departure to the Big Ten will be announced at the meeting, which can be viewed live right here.

More to come as this story continues to develop.

UPDATE: Nebraska's live feed has crashed, but there is a chat going on here that will keep you up-to-date on the latest.

Boise State is reportedly going to be the second team to switch conferences in the last 24 hours. Just a day after Colorado went from the Big 12 to the Pac-10, Boise State is about to go from the WAC to the Mountain West Conference.

Boise State will be announced as the next member of the Mountain West Conference on Friday, a source with direct knowledge of the pending move told ESPN's Joe Schad.

MWC commissioner Craig Thompson hinted at an expansion announcement on Thursday amid news of Colorado's move from the Big 12 to the Pac-10.

Just last week the MWC appeared to be content with waiting to expand, but the recent flurry of activity drove them to speed up the process and quickly add the Broncos. With Boise State now on board, the MWC has a solid group of teams that includes TCU, Utah and BYU. On paper this conference definitely looks like it is worthy of receiving a spot in the BCS every year, but then again, who knows if the BCS will even be around in a few years when conference realignment is complete. What's more, who knows what the MWC will look like when all is said and done. Chances are some leftovers from the Big 12 will be looking for a new home, and I'm sure the MWC wouldn't mind adding some relatively big names to its conference.

If Nebraska indeed announces a move to the Big Ten on Friday, the Big 12 could very well dissolve and leave several teams without a conference. Missouri was hoping to get picked up by the Big Ten, but according to one Missouri official, they never got an invite:

Missouri's interest in joining an expanded Big Ten couldn't have been more obvious.

But with conference rival Nebraska the top choice to make that switch, and the Pac-10 having grabbed Colorado and set to grab more Big 12 schools, Missouri now finds itself on the outside looking in.

After a closed-door meeting of university curators Thursday, curator Warren Erdman told the AP that Missouri had not been asked to join the Big Ten. Erdman noted that he had been out of state the past week but wasn't aware of any change in the situation. He said the curators did not discuss conference affiliation during the morning session.

It's been said before -- these expansion reports are out of control. A month ago, the same site linked above reported that an invite was extended to Missouri, amongst a few others.

It's all just like a bad game of tetherball -- rumors going 'round and 'round, and nothing really going anywhere. Hopefully, Friday will produce plenty of answers and we can finally start to wrap our heads around what the new landscape of college football will look like.

Just when you thought ridiculous conference expansion rumors were going to die down, another one popped up today, this time from KCTV5 in Kansas City.

High level sources in multiple conferences have told KCTV5 that Texas and Texas A&M are looking to move to the Big Ten Conference and are in talks to join the conference, while the University of Oklahoma is planning on petitioning the Southeastern Conference to become a member of its conference.

Aside from the ridiculousness of this particular rumor, it isn't the first time a TV or radio station has come up with something like this. To me, it seems like nothing more than a formula to generate traffic for their web site. It's a pretty simple formula, too: create a story about a big-time rumor involving expansion, wait for the story to essentially go viral and sit back and watch the traffic pour in.

Just on the surface this story seemed completely false, so it wasn't surprising that Chip Brown, the star reporter in all of the expansion talks, refuted it.

There is no truth to reports that Texas and Texas A&M are considering the Big Ten. But A&M is still considering the SEC.

What's more, Brown later reported this:

Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech appear to be in lock step to the Pac-10 but will wait til next week to announce anything.

Right now it looks like Texas A&M is the only school in this situation not completely on the Pac-10 bandwagon, as they are entertaining the thought of going to the SEC. I would be surprised if they don't just join Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech and go to the Pac-10 when all is said and done, though. It doesn't make a ton of sense for the Aggies to go off to the SEC by themselves unless they want to separate from their Big 12 south buddies and go off on their own. Perhaps that is their prerogative, though.

And here we go...

The first domino has fallen with conference expansion: Colorado is headed to the Pac-10, and the move is already official.

The Pacific-10 Conference announced today that the University of Colorado at Boulder has accepted an invitation to join the Conference as its 11th member, the first new member since July 1, 1978.

"This is an historic moment for the Conference, as the Pac-10 is poised for tremendous growth.  The University of Colorado is a great fit for the Conference both academically and athletically and we are incredibly excited to welcome Colorado to the Pac-10," said Commissioner Larry Scott. 

Although nothing has officially happened with Nebraska just yet, it appears they will "rubber stamp" their decision to join the Big Ten at a meeting tomorrow, as Joe Schad said on SportsCenter. The Chicago Tribune's Teddy Greenstein had this to say about where the Cornhuskers stand with the Big Ten:

A source with knowledge of the expansion talks has confirmed to the Tribune that Nebraska will be invited to apply for Big Ten membership, a mere formality in the process. An announcement is expected Friday.

The league has not determined, the source said, whether it will remain at 12 schools or expand to 14.

As speculated yesterday, Greenstein mentioned that the Big Ten could continue to expand if Notre Dame decides to join. If that doesn't happen, however, Nebraska will probably be the only new kid on the block, which I am more than okay with.

Although all reports yesterday indicated that the Nebraska Cornhuskers' departure from the Big 12 to the Big Ten was all but official, some from the University are denying that the process has already reached that point.

The Journal Star spoke to Husker coaches from four different sports who said there has been no meeting with Osborne since last Friday. Two of them said Osborne was at a university function in Omaha on Wednesday.

And while it sure seems a big announcement is around the corner, regent chairman Bob Phares said any reports declaring the process completed would be inaccurate.

“No. 1, there’s been no vote by the board at all,” Phares said. “No. 2, as I understand it, there are no invitations that are extended. You decide if you wish to make an application and then they react to your application.

“And I heard that there were reports that Tom Osborne had advised all of his staff that it was a done deal. You can talk to Tom and see what his comment is. I would be immensely surprised if that was the case, because as I said, there’s been no vote by the board and no formal decision.”

I think the headline of this article from the Lincoln Journal Star said it best: "NU steps closer to Big Ten, denies reports of offer." Sure, nothing is official just yet, but it's really only a matter of time. There is a meeting on Friday with the Board of Regents and a resolution dealing with "UNL conference alignment" is one of the things on the menu. I'm sure Nebraska just wants to make sure everything is in order before letting the word get out there too much.

I know we have all been burned by conference expansion reports before, but the Big 12 is seriously about to collapse. Colorado is officially headed to the Pac-10, which should get the domino effect started. I know it's been said that the Big 12 won't totally collapse until Nebraska leaves, but already the Big 12 south sans Baylor is getting ready to make a move to the Pac-10 next. I think they all realize that the end is near for the Big 12. While losing Colorado might not be its death blow, it's pretty obvious that the Cornhuskers are about to leave too, which will truly signal that the end is near.