clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

RIP Big 12

Missouri fans are saying, 'Go Huskers, just go'..

Unless there is a massive Internet prank going on the Huskers will be joining the Big10 (apparently set for Friday) and Colorado will be joining the PAC-10. Can the Big 10 and Big 12 trade names?


In a way the Big 12 is to thank only itself for this, the conference has become so Texas centered that Nebraska and other north division teams have been slowly getting, financially, left behind. The recent announcements of a Texas based championship game and a 'crap or get off the pot' memo regarding expansion seem to have been the straw that brok tom Osbourne's back.

"It’s just the idea that the conference office moved to Dallas, and now you see the push to have the football (title) game played in Dallas for three years. That gives you a pretty good possibility it may stay there." -- Tom Osbourne

The Losers:

Missouri: There is still an outside shot that the Tigers will get the call, but only if the Big10 is going to 16 teams. Pitt, Syracuse, and Rutgers (among others) are likely in front of Missouri.

KU: Kansas wont find a home in any of the new power conferences because they are unable to move without KSU (and none of the new powers want KSU)

Iowa State: I don't see the cyclones going anywhere but a non BCS conference (USA/MAC).

Baylor: With Colorado in the PAC-10 Baylor is going to lose a lot of leverage. there was a chance that if the PAC-10 was going to invite Texas that the conference could have been bullies into taking Baylor (much the same way the Big12 was). But right now the Longhorns coat tails are only going to be big enough for A&M and Tech.


So how does all this affect the MAC? 
There will be enough left overs (Missouri, Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas, and Kansas State)  from the Big 12 for things to play out one of three ways:
  1. These five schools could pick off a few of the better CUSA teams, perhaps a team or two from the MAC / Sun Belt to form a new nine to twelve team conference.
  2. These five teams will be picked up by the Big East who itself may be smarting from a big ten smack to the head. The hoops quality of this group might placate the Big East hoops powers and there is enough football quality there to maintain BCS
  3. Individual members may be picked up by other conferences. Iowa State makes sense for the MAC, Conference USA might have their eyes on KU and KSU (who will be staying together).
The worst thing the MAC can do at this juncture is sit still, the move to 16 team conferences is now officially underway, if the MAC wants to try to keep up they need to be aggressive with schools like Iowa State, WKU, and perhaps some quality FCS schools looking to move up.