Big 10 Report: Conference Realignment

[Mr. Laz]

A source in St. Louis familiar with the situation told NewsCenter 16 Thursday afternoon that Missouri will leave the Big XII and soon join the Big 10. Other schools expected to follow the Tigers are Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers and Nebraska.

Many have speculated that such an expansion would include Notre Dame but ND athletic director Jack Swarbrick told me today that the Irish prefer to stay independent in football and in the Big East for other sports. Swarbrick said maintaining football Independence is such a part of what Notre Dame is.

He went on to say the Big East is a great partner for the University in other sports.

"We do have to monitor what is going on," Swarbrick said. "There will be significant shifts. "Hopefully we can navigate them by keeping our football independent and keeping our Big East affiliation because that is what we care about."

The move of Syracuse, Pitt and Rutgers to the Big Ten from the Big East could categorically change the landscape of the Big East itself. Thus, what Swarbrick is referring to when stating the University must continue to monitor what is going on.

The interview with Swarbrick was done before the late afternoon announcement.

http://www.wndu.com/sports/headlines/92447574.html

[KChiefs1]

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_...e-not-betrayal

A Big 12/Pac-10 pow wow in May in Phoenix led to talks of a joint scheduling agreement or perhaps other collaboration to improve the worth of both conferences.

On Thursday, the Texas affiliate of Rivals.com, Orangebloods.com, reported the Pac-10 was preparing to offer six Big 12 teams membership.

"Will that report affect those previous talks?" a reporter asked Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe during Friday's news conference, implying Beebe had been betrayed and swindled by the Pac-10.

Forget "affect." It wouldn't surprise me if those talks in Phoenix produced the details of Thursday's initial report. Before the Pac-10 came calling, the Big 12 had little leverage in forcing Nebraska and Missouri to pledge commitments to the conference.

That's all changed now.

If the two North schools don't oblige their counterparts, there might not be a Big 12 to come back to if the Big Ten invites don't arrive.

The Big 12 presidents were reportedly the ones issuing the ultimatum, and the athletic directors were the ones who met in Phoenix. But regardless of the origin of the Pac-10's bold strategy, it's given the Big 12 leverage it didn't have a week ago, at least publicly.

Though no formal invitations have been issued, based on Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany's comments, the chances of Nebraska and Missouri receiving invitations to apply to the Big Ten appear significantly lower -- at least at this juncture -- than the Pac-10 offering six schools from the Big 12.

Texas' DeLoss Dodds and Texas A&M's Bill Byrne, both athletic directors, last week repeated their wishes to keep the Big 12 together, and I believe them. With rising revenues and consistent success on the field, the Longhorns don't need to leave. But like Byrne said, he and his colleagues are mercenary, and they're not going to stand by and allow Nebraska and Missouri to leave them scrambling.

The Texas schools' safest scenario is keeping the current Big 12 together, but a joint venture with the Pac-10 would certainly have a much higher probability of success than a patched-together Big 12 without the Huskers and Tigers. If Nebraska and Missouri want to leave, they're going to have to take a leap of faith in the Big Ten to do it. Otherwise, their best backup plan might end up being relegation to Conference USA.

And the Big 12 has the Pac-10 to thank.

[kepp]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_...e-not-betrayal

I smell a smoke-screen somewhere...

And the assumption that "there may not be a Big12 to go back to" is wrong. NCAA rules say that for a conference to be viable it has to have at least six teams that have played together for at least five years. If the PAC10 is inviting 6 from the Big12, that leaves six more.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by kepp

I smell a smoke-screen somewhere...

And the assumption that "there may not be a Big12 to go back to" is wrong. NCAA rules say that for a conference to be viable it has to have at least six teams that have played together for at least five years. If the PAC10 is inviting 6 from the Big12, that leaves six more.

Technically you could be right, but you are fooling yourself if you dont think the Big 12 collapses if the south leaves and the Big 10 invites dont come through for Missouri and Nebraska.

[kepp]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Technically you could be right, but you are fooling yourself if you dont think the Big 12 collapses if the south leaves and the Big 10 invites dont come through for Missouri and Nebraska.

Oh, I agree. The Big12 wouldn't exist for long in that state. But the article makes it sound like the Big12 is telling us that we either commit or they'll kick us out. Personally, I think the Pac10 move makes the Big10 invitation more likely for Mizzou.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by kepp

Oh, I agree. The Big12 wouldn't exist for long in that state. But the article makes it sound like the Big12 is telling us that we either commit or they'll kick us out. Personally, I think the Pac10 move makes the Big10 invitation more likely for Mizzou.

It definitely speeds up the process.

[kepp]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

It definitely speeds up the process.

Yep. For Delany to make an official comment about it *possibly* speeding up the process means that it has already sped up the process.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by kepp

Oh, I agree. The Big12 wouldn't exist for long in that state. But the article makes it sound like the Big12 is telling us that we either commit or they'll kick us out. Personally, I think the Pac10 move makes the Big10 invitation more likely for Mizzou.

Then you failed to understand what's going on. No one is kicking anyone out. The threat is this: "we have an all-but-guaranteed invite to the PAC-10. Pledge loyalty now, or we will leave, and you'll be left hoping and praying the invite from the Big 10 really does come."

It really is a clever effort to keep the conference alive. Is Nebraska (no one cares about Missouri, leave, stay, whatever) willing to gamble on a maybe with no fallback plan?

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Then you failed to understand what's going on. No one is kicking anyone out. The threat is this: "we have an all-but-guaranteed invite to the PAC-10. Pledge loyalty now, or we will leave, and you'll be left hoping and praying the invite from the Big 10 really does come."

It really is a clever effort to keep the conference alive. Is Nebraska (no one cares about Missouri, leave, stay, whatever) willing to gamble on a maybe with no fallback plan?

You clowns sure have gotten a lot of mileage out of that lone anonymous quote. Seems like quite a few people care what we do.

[kepp]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Then you failed to understand what's going on. No one is kicking anyone out. The threat is this: "we have an all-but-guaranteed invite to the PAC-10. Pledge loyalty now, or we will leave, and you'll be left hoping and praying the invite from the Big 10 really does come."

It really is a clever effort to keep the conference alive. Is Nebraska (no one cares about Missouri, leave, stay, whatever) willing to gamble on a maybe with no fallback plan?

I understand what's going on...we, along with Nebraska, have the Big12 by the balls. It's not an ultimatum, it's a plea. And if you think the Big12 doesn't care about Missouri leaving...good luck in those TV negotiations next year after losing 75% of the viewers in your 2nd most populous state.

[KChiefs1]

The Big 12 disappears without Mizzou.

[|Zach|]

I think you guys are overstating Missouri's power position right now. Each one of these entities Mizzou is connected with or potentially connected with? Mizzou needs them more than they need Mizzou.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

The Big 12 disappears without Mizzou.

Ha ha ha. Wut?

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

The Big 12 disappears without Mizzou.

If we do go the Big 10, and it starts the ball rolling which ends up destroying this corrupt, awful, Texas-centric piece of shit conference, I'll be thrilled, but we will have had a lot of help from outside parties.

[luv]

Talked to a Big 10 fan at work. He seems to think that MU and NU will get the invite. He's hoping nothing happens with ND.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

The Big 12 disappears without Nebraska.

FYP

UT doesn't give a shit about Mizzou. Now, if NU leaves, I think that prompts UT to follow up on the Pac 10 "invite".