Today, the University of Colorado announced that they were leaving the Big 12 conference for the Pac 10. This move upstages an expected announcement from the University of Nebraska on their departure from the Big 12 in order to join the Big 10 and thereby opens speculation as to what will happen to the rest of the teams in the now former Big 12.
The commissioner of the Pac 10 says that the invitation extended to Colorado is but the first of many. Speculation is that invitations will also be extended to Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. There are other reports that say Texas and Texas A&M will be going to the Big 10 along with Nebraska. Still others say that Texas A&M is so opposed to the idea of joining the Pac 10 that they are looking at moving to the SEC. If Texas and Texas A&M do end up in different conferences, expect to see large numbers of flying pigs and donkeys- not to mention a significant decrease in the temperature of He11.
Texas governor Rick Perry has put in his two cents on the matter, saying that all the Texas schools should get together and form a conference of their own. I guess the governor forgot about the old Southwest Conference, which was completely dominated by Texas schools with the lone exception of Arkansas.
Tech chancellor Kent Hance(Remember him? He's the idiot who fired the best football coach in the school's history) says that Tech's future is tied to Texas and Texas A&M. Uh, chancellor, it's not up to UT or A&M; it's up to the conference issuing the invitations. Where does Tech go if UT and A&M do end up in different conferences?
On top of all of this, word comes out today that USC- the flagship school of the Pac 10- is facing stiff penalties(loss of scholarships and no bowl games for 2 years) for NCAA rules infractions. While it's not the death penalty, it will certainly have an effect on recruiting. How will that play into all of this?
One thing is for certain. College football has taken to Silly Season like a duck takes to water.
Hi SB!
ReplyDeleteI weighed in twice last month on this subject over on Fox. The first on May 1st concerned the 120 Division I teams forming up six 20 team conferences (it was definitely tongue in cheek). Then all the stories came out about Nebraska, Missouri and the Big Ten possibly going to 16 teams, it was like I was a prophet! (In my own mind anyway...)
So, I wrote a second article that was a little more serious about what was going on.
Here's a connection if you're interested:
http://community.foxsports.com/dwindy1/blog/2010/05/14/the_domino_theory_at_work!
So you're a Texas Techster? Red Raider? Cool! Too bad about your coach...
With the real deal (the dominos have begun to fall) now coming down I'm content to simply sit back and watch it unfold. I guess Nebraska will have a news conference this afternoon. I wonder how it will all shake out?
Look for one thing for sure, the top schools that have made up the Big XII, Big Ten, Big East, ACC, SEC and Pac 10 are going to move to completely exclude the schools they consider less than them from the big bowl games, including the national championship game. It's nothing to do with academics, it's all about the money, honey!
Thanks SB!
KATIE,
ReplyDeleteHOW ABOUT WE TAKE THE TEXAS SCHOOLS ALONG WITH OU, OSU, AND TULSA, AND MAYBE EVEN LANGSTON AND FORM THE TEXHOMA 8. HELL AT LEAST THERE WOULD BE CONSTANT RIVALRY.
GUNAQUAT
Dwindy-
ReplyDeleteYep, two Bachelor's degrees and almost a Masters.
You hit the nail on the head with regards to the money issue. What really infuriates me is the athletic department's constant refrain of this will be a HUGE benefit to the university as a whole. In all the years I spent at Texas Tech, the only one to benefit from the athletic programs was the athletic department.
Kent Hance needs to be down on his knees kissing Mike Leach's rear about now. Without everything that Leach brought to the football program, I have no doubt that Tech would be on the outside looking in on the Pac 10 deal.
I think joining the Pac 10 will provide immediate benefits for the Tech track program in that they will now get to compete with the track gods at Oregon. That will allow what is already an outstanding program to become even greater.
As for the money sports(football, men's and women's basketball), our AD killed our once nationally prominent women's basketball program by bringing in a coach who doesn't understand the style of basketball that is played in West Texas high schools. Bob Knight never brought the recognition to the men's program that everyone thought he would, and now under son Pat, the men are still struggling. Football with Mike Leach was the lone bright spot in the Tech athletic department. Time will tell if new coach Tommy Tuberville can keep that momentum going. I was not impressed by what I saw in the spring game.
Gunny-
ReplyDeleteOU says that whatever Texas does is what they will do. Again, if the invitation is not extended, there's not much they can do. I really don't see UT telling the Pac 10(now 11), "Gee, that's great, but we won't come without Oklahoma."
Although, I always thought the annual UT-OU football game was better when they weren't in the same conference. Once that game became just another game on the conference schedule, it seemed to lose some of that sparkle that made it special.
Nice perspective from the Lone Star, SB.
ReplyDeleteThe only good about realignment into 'Super' conferences is that it might kill the BCS. Four Super conferences would have a conf championship game each. That's an 8 team playoff system right there.
Gene-
ReplyDeleteThe Big 12 is now officially dead. While the other schools are looking at 2 years before joining their new conference schedule, Nebraska will compete in the Big 10(11) beginning in 2011.
Deadline for decisions from other schools is Tuesday afternoon. The Board of Regents of Tech, UT, and OU will be meeting at 2pm Tuesday to make their decisions. No word on Ok. State or A&M.
I just can't imaging UT and A&M being in different conferences.They are the two oldest universities in the state, and their rivalry makes others look tame by comparison. There have only been two changes to the traditions that surround their annual football game- 1)the winning team no longer gets a paid visit to the Chicken Ranch and 2) the A&M game eve bonfire has been abolished.
SB, good post, and better NASCAR analogy! I've been hearing out here in CA that Texas, Texas Tech, and the Oklahoma schools are about to join the Pac-10. No word on Texas A & M. If A & M doesn't join, Utah would be invited to join the Pac-10.
ReplyDeletejon-
ReplyDeleteI've also heard Kansas as a possibility if A&M goes east. They're not a great football team, but they're a major powerhouse in basketball.
You rock
ReplyDeleteHey JW!!!! Long time, no see. Stop by more often.
ReplyDelete