[KChiefs1]

Just got this emailed to me by a staunch MU donor so take it for what it is worth, which is unknown at this time but it does seem plausible:

First off, I am going on record as stating Mizzou will be in the Big Ten by July 1. 2010 and will begin conference play in 2011.

The Big Ten targeted the two most valuable football schools they thought they could lure...Notre Dame and Texas.

Texas revealed how to get them moving was for Nebraska to leave the Big XII. The Big Ten working with the Pac 10 due to their long term alliances began plotting. Both leagues knew one or the other had to get Texas.

It was common knowledge that Colorado wanted to go to the Pac 10 and would immediately accept an invite. The P10 (&B10), wanting to debase Texas' powerplay, issued an invite to Colorado and it as known it was quickly accepted.

Texas quickly tried to force the P10 into a five team deal. The P10 wasn't going give Texas leverage. The P10 nor B10 want Baylor, KSU or Texas Tech. OKState was a low priority but to keep Texas from gaining leverage, they have a P10 invite in hand.

This opened the door for the Big Ten to call Texas' bluff by offering Nebraska. The play here by both the P10 and B10 is force Texas into giving up their media rights. Texas had already stated to the Big XII that they would never - ever - do that. Texas also stated the conference could not exist without Nebraska - so now what do they do? If they want into the Pac 10 or Big Ten, they either enter under the terms these conferences lay out or they remain in a dying, vulnerable Big XII.

Texas' hand has been forced and their power has been diminished. Texas responds by 'shopping' themselves to the P10,B10 and SEC but none of them will let Texas make the rules or have control. I believe the real play here is to split the Texas schools up so that they cannot align together to control the new conference(s) they enter.

Now, there are several schools that are coattailers...Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and due to their connection to KSU, Kansas.

There are some key schools that are in great position moving forward with Missouri being one of them.

The P10 & B10 want to control the landscape. They both want Texas but will let the chips fall where they may. The P10 also wants Oklahoma. I also believe that the P10 would like to end up with Utah to keep Senator Hatch off their back. If the P10 can play this out, they will add Colorado, Utah, OK, OKst, Texas and Kansas.

The B10 is banking that ND sees the light. I think the B10 might consider inviting ND but let them remain a football indy until their current television deal expires in 2015. I am betting that there are buyouts in the deal and that ND enters league play in football in either 2012 or 2013 at the latest. The B10 would then forge ahead to add three more teams. Those teams will be Missouri, Rutgers and Maryland. Those teams will begin league play in 2011 along with Nebraska and ND (except FB). IF the NBC/ND buyout is small enough or if the B10 can workout an agreement to permit some of the big games to be on NBC, then ND enters league play in 2011.

Kansas and Utah to an extent are the most vulnerable in this scenario. If Texas truly has a 'Tech' problem and has to take them with, then KU is the odd man out. KU and Utah are both out if A&M backs out on the SEC and goes with Texas and the 'Tech' problem to the P10. I could also see A&M being forced to take Tech with them to the SEC.

I truly believe that the P10 and B10 both desire Texas but with the fewest number of other Texas teams as possible.

In the end, the B10 and P10 have controlled this whole situation and have masterfully played out the game. By July 1, Missouri will be in the B10 and Kansas in the P10. The border war will continue with both the basketball and football games being played in Kansas City. Can you imagine a Rose Bowl of Mizzou vs Kansas?