The Pac-10 is prepared to offer six Big 12 schools -- Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado -- invitations to join its league, Chip Brown of OrangeBloods.com reported Thursday afternoon.

http://gary-parrish.blogs.cbssports.com ... ines;other

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Teddy G. says that the Big 10 Presidents are now meeting on Sunday in Park Ridge.

PAC-10 may have forced the Big 10s hand.

Why would Texas want to go to the PAC 10 vs the Big 10?

Edit: looks like the Big 10 is in hot pursuit of the Longhorns:

The other interesting thing is there are a few teams which don't appear in discussion with any other league... Someone will swallow up Kansas because of the Hoops. Missouri is likely headed to the Big Ten. Baylor? Iowa State - Missouri Valley? MWC? K State - whoever takes Kansas will take KState for the rivalry. Nebby - Big Ten

You'd think that Mangino would've already have done that.

I will say whenever this is over, it going to look like a mess, the Big 12 could be gone, the Big 10 maybe the Big 14, the Pac 10 could be the Pac 16, The SEC could be taking the ACC teams, and the Big East could get Kansas, I feel most of the thought is for football, but what about basketball, baseball, and the other sports, you will get some good games like if Nebraska came to the Big 10, Ohio State vs Nebraska, but I wish there was no change, but I also wish a lot of things hadn't switched in college sports, but it's inevitabls, so just have to live with it.

Nothing will happen because Irish Boy told me so.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

The Pac 10 is not forcing the Big Ten's hand. They are working together. This is a power play to destroy the Big 12 and scare the Big East to scramble for survival. Clearly, the Big Ten wants Texas, as would any conference, but I don't think they are wiling to take the other Texas teams to do it. This would greatly increase the profile of the Pac 10, and making a more compelling case that they compete with the SEC for football dominance.

The Big Ten wants Notre Dame, and the Big East will likely have to issue an ultimatum that Notre Dame join in football or leaves the conference otherwise the Big Ten will cherry pick whoever it wants from the Big East. If Notre Dame joins the Big Ten, they probably also take Rutgers but leave every other team. They then have to hope that the ACC doesn't come in.

The Big East has the toughest choice:
1) Drop Notre Dame, which would likely send them to the Big Ten in all sports
2) Get swallowed up and basically become a non-football conference. Notre Dame would stay, but teams like Pittsburgh and West Virginia would likely jump to the ACC. Other schools would either drop football or become an independent in that sport.

The only thing I can say for certain is that Rutgers will be joining the Big Ten. That's a lock. The Big East gets to choose what the best option for them is for survival. My guess is that they tell Notre Dame to get all in or all out of the conference and ND has a tough choice.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

KU, KSU, Baylor and Iowa State are going to be on the outside looking in.

Maybe KU can talk their way into the PAC-10 because of hoops ...

I agree. I would guess that they would form a completely new conference on the level of Conference USA.

Kansas would basically be the Memphis of that league. They'd win 30 games a year and in basketball you can still be a national contender without being in a major conference but over the long run the loss of revenue will be really damaging. The investment in football will go down.

It does really suck that some teams are going to be left out in the cold when things reshuffle. There are current BCS schools that will drop down to a conference that is worse than the Mountain West will be.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

The Big 12 has given two schools an ultimatum! http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5257088

What will they do if they don't call? Are they going to kick them out at 6pm on Friday?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

WE NEED TO KNOW BY FRIDAY......or possibly Tuesday. BUT THAT'S IT!!!

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You know me like that.

Thats exactly what I want to know, and what is to keep them from saying sure we will stay with the Big 12 and then leaving later if things change?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

No way Texas is coming....Apparently Texas and Tech are a package deal and Tech doesn't meet the Big Ten academic standards....that's shocking coming from a school that hired Mike Leach and Bob Knight.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5262068

If the ultimatum doesn't work saying "Please don't leave, cost your self hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few decades. Please!" is the next plan of attack.

I do feel sorry for the teams that will get screwed in this but the reactions to this are pretty funny.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

The Iowa States of the world are not happy right now.

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Team Cutler.

I heard that Iowa State sent Nebraska an E-card asking them to stay in the Big 12 conference. It contained a picture of a cat with a sad face.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Bill Self can still come back and be on Bruce Weber's staff at a big-time school.

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You know me like that.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5262068

Kansas in on the act as well trying to keep Nebraska and Missouri in.

I mean, this would destroy a school like Iowa State who is barely competitive as it is in football/basketball.

The scrap teams will be left to reform the Great Midwestern Conference again

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Team Cutler.

Latest Expansion Updates...

1. A battle is brewing in Texas. Rumors are the Big 10 may have been working on a plan to incorporate Texas into their Conference Expansion plans. Not wanting to be scooped, another rumor is that the PAC-10 is putting together a package that would allow them to offer Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and either Baylor or Colorado to join the PAC-10, creating their own mega conference. The SEC is also interested in trying to bring Texas on board and would supplement them with another team from the ACC, most likely Florida State, who has already had high level discussions about an SEC move. Texas has also flirted with the idea of going independent, but that is unlikely. It does appear like their long term future is probably not in the Big 12.

2. The Big 10 appears to have made formal offers to Nebraska and Missouri giving them permission to submit an application to join the Conference. Both are likely to be approved and both are rumored to be leaning toward making that decision in the affirmative, especially with the ever increasing possibility that Texas’ stubborn nature could result in the demise of the entire Big 12 Conference.

3. The Big 12 has set an ultimatum for a final decision by these schools for Friday. It does not appear that anyone is really taking that ultimatum serious since the Conference doesn’t have the votes or the right to kick schools out of the Conference for something like that. Not sure what the threat is here.

4. The Big 10 has not given up on Notre Dame who could be forced into a Conference if major Conferences like the Big 12 actually get torn apart and absorbed into the other Conferences. There is talk that the Big 12 could see Nebraska and Missouri head to the Big 10, up to 6 other schools head to the PAC-10, with Texas going to any of three major Conferences, and leaving a shell of Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and either Baylor or Colorado (Colorado if Texas goes to the PAC-10 and Baylor left over if Texas does not). That could force the remaining four schools into a merger with the Mountain West that could see the MWAC change their name to the Big 12, keep it the same, or possibly pick a new Conference name. Either way, a major restructuring is bad for ND as it would leave them with an inability to schedule all of the games it would like, leaving them with matchups against afterthoughts most weeks and diminishing their reputation as a National power.

5. Final thought is that the Big 10 is reportedly ratcheting up the timeline on this due to the increased competitive pressure the other Conferences are putting on. Instead of the original 12-18 month timeline, most are saying it could be more like 6-9 months to completely unfold. That is putting everyone into hyper drive to position themselves in the best possible way in what is looking like the biggest College Football realignment in the history of the sport.
Stay tuned.

I think the Big 10 makes their moves in the next 30 days.

In:
Mizzou
Nebraska
Notre Dame

Two seven team divisions:
East:
Penn State
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Indiana
Purdue
Notre Dame

West:
Wisconsin
Illinois
Northwestern
Iowa
Minnesota
Mizzou
Nebraska

I know this is going to happen, wish it wouldn't, it will change college athletics, but I am wondering if we will lose some college sports. I was watching College Football Live and Bob Davie said, college football is easy because it's 1 game a week, but if the Texas A&M women's soccer team is playing Washington on a Tuesday, they may not get back untill the next Tuesday. I seen some colleges playing rugby over the weekend.

I know the Ohio State football program helps pay for a lot of the Buckeyes sports programs, but would they have enough to cover the travel expenses, especially if Nebraska is in the Big 10, or if Texas makes it. Like Mud's Northwestern Lady Lacrosse team, does all the national titles help them cover the expenses or would they suffer. Some of the Basketball Conference Tournaments would take as long as the whole NCAA tournament.

I know it's about the money and the conferences think it's doing a good thing, but I just wonder how it's all going to work out.

If the Big 10 gets Notre Dame, I think it'll stop at 12 teams. Notre Dame doesn't want to divide the revenue sharing pie with 15 other schools

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Team Cutler.

Does adding ND to the Big 10 force new markets to pick up the Big 10 Network? I don't know if it does .... Chicago/Indiana/Michigan already pick up the network. Granted ND has a national following, but I don't know if it's enough to force out of market cities to add the channel.

That's a big part of what Mizzou brings .... KC and StL markets.

I'm still trying to figure out Nebraska.

This is great: http://widerightandnattylight.files.wor ... lad-11.jpg

"Wide Right and Natty Light"

Nebraska gives you a big name program (although not as big as they used to be) with high academic standards. Their graduation rate should help balance out Mizzou's.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

Not only that they bring a huge fan base throughout Nebraska, the Dakotas, and parts of Kansas and Missouri. So while not a huge city media market, they will get into a lot of homes with adding Nebraska.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I believe in terms of television ratings that Nebraska is still top 5 in the nation even when playing in a conference that is ignored outside of Texas and whatever other team is as good as Texas that year.

While I don't think it's as important as the "home state price for the Big Ten Network" they also do have advertisements and they can charge Rotel and some farm poison system company more money.

It also gives Indiana and Iowa one or two more games a year they can win in basketball.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Don't count on it for Iowa...though it does give Iowa another 'local' rival to add to the schedule.

Notre Dame brings the largest fan base in the country, period, end of story. They are a very prestigious academic institution with an enormous amount of tradition and history. They and Texas are considered the crown jewels in all of this.

The situation is so fluid right now. The key drivers are Notre Dame, Nebraska, and Texas, in that order.

1. Notre Dame – Notre Dame literally has the power to put a stop to all of this with a single stroke of the pen. They could agree to join the Big Ten, which would give the Conference its twelfth team of choice, allow it to divide into Divisions, and minimize the Conference expansion. Such a simple square peg fit into a square hole would likely eliminate the chance for future expansion in the near future and possibly forever for the Big Ten since unanimous consent is required to expand the Conference and Notre Dame would have veto power. If that happened, the Big 12 would stay intact, and there would be no fall out. Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen at this point. Notre Dame’s hand will likely have to be forced and some dominoes have to fall before that happens.

2. Nebraska – If Notre Dame remains opposed to joining the Big Ten, then the spotlight falls on Nebraska. The Big 12 can survive without Missouri, but without Missouri and Nebraska, the Conference becomes weakened. A weakened Conference, in the face of other hungry Conferences looking to remain competitive with the Big Ten is dangerous ground for the remaining 10 teams. Unfortunately for the Big Ten, all indications at this point are that Nebraska and Missouri are in favor of joining the Big Ten at this point and the Big 12 seems unable to move Texas toward an agreement to share revenue that would keep the Conference intact. If you asked me today, I would say Missouri and Nebraska agree to join the Big Ten and the Big 12 becomes weakened.

3. Texas – If this plays out, then Texas becomes the key player. They are the crown jewel that everyone wants. They have five options. Remain in a weakened Big 12 that could further erode with a hungry PAC-10 to the West and try and pick up a few other teams like TCU, etc. to fill the holes further reducing the integrity of the Conference, join the Big Ten and therefore becoming the southern edge of the Super Conference, join the SEC with another team in a package deal like Florida State to expand that Conference to 14 and solidifying it as the ultimate Mega Conference, go Independent like Notre Dame and try and develop their own personal TV network deal like Notre Dame has with NBC, or the most likely scenario shaping up at the moment, which by itself seems crazy to even contemplate, and that is to become part of a six team super transition that would shift every major program remaining in the Big 12 over to the PAC-10, creating a 16 team Mega Conference, allowing them to divide quite well into Divisions of 8 teams each, allow Texas to retain the bulk of its rivalries inside the Division, and probably create the most powerful Conference in the sport.

A PAC-10 16 team Mega Conference being proposed would likely include Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Baylor. These 6 teams would form their own division with Arizona and Arizona State. A South Division to battle the West Division that would consist of Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, USC, Cal, UCLA, and Stanford, essentially pitting the best players from California against the best players from Texas in the Conference Title every year.

The craziest thing is that so much is left to be decided that this is pure speculation and smoke with a tiny hint of fire. The ball truly seems to be in Nebraska’s court. Since Notre Dame has passed on the opportunity to put a stopper in this shakeup, Nebraska is up to bat. They now seem to control the destiny of College Football’s future in their AD’s hands.