So NU SHould Have Went Back to the Big 12?

[Notre Dame Joe]

Always thought that was weird. East = everything east of the Mississippi. Midwest= everything between the Mississippi and the Rockies. West= everything west of the Rockies. I guess they could call themselves the Mideast, but that's kind of taken. 

the Midwest starts once you pass westward through the Adirondack/Appalachian Mts 

His original question was "2011 the plan was to form a Pac16" which was well documented as almost happening.  ESPN ran their show that day and the opening promo ended on a Big12 logo and an ominous voice saying "the big 12....is......DEAD".  It was the move made in response to Colorado leaving and then Missouri leaving, not because of Nebraska like Longhorn fans will lead you to believe.

So yes to @Notre Dame Joe that absolutely was in the cards and was being kicked around long before Nebraska decided to bounce.  Texas was weighing options before Mizzery started spouting off at the mouth that they wanted out and ruined any other plans that were on the table to move multiple teams North because of Texas shopping themselves out behind the scenes.

Maybe @knapplc can drop that vaunted timeline in here for us as a full refresher.

I understand now that all conferences containing U Texas are destabilized because U Texas starts looking elsewhere for a better deal for U Texas. (It will happen to the SEC too)  The question is was UT looking for a Big16 or a PAC16 first?  My impression was that the PAC version was basically agreed upon before ESPN surprised everyone with the LHN.

 

[Undone]

Big if true.

 

[RedDenver]

the Midwest starts once you pass westward through the Adirondack/Appalachian Mts 

One of my favorites is telling people from Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio that actually I'm in the Midwest (Colorado) and they're from the Mideast. They almost always start arguing, and then I show them a map of the US and ask them to point the center. I think several of them had a brain aneurysm at that point. It's fun to keep responding to any of their arguments with, "You know that's east of the center, right?" or "Which way is west again?"

 

[B.B. Hemingway]

Basically the only worthwhile options are ND or poach P12 teams. ND wants to stay independent, and maybe the conf doesn’t want to move on P12 teams right now. Staying put is smarter than just making moves for the sake of making them. 

Exactly. The last thing you want to do is water down your league/revenue. The PAC 12 isn't going anywhere. You can grab half of them next year.

 

[admo]

When you have 20 minutes set aside for a great read, I recommend it.


The demise of the Southwest Conference, 25 years later


https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30424417/i-wishof-well-demise-southwest-conference-25-years-later

How Arkansas left the SWC for the SEC, the problems in the SWC, plus a little bit about the Big XII.  It's money, and hate, and TV contracts, and cheaters and so on.  Shouldn't be any surprise Texas going to the SEC (with OU) and the rest of the league up in arms.  Again.

 

[Crusader Husker]

So this is what we know...

Nebraska was right!  (we knew that)

Texas and OU will do what is best for them.  (we also knew, maybe not as much with OU)

The rest of the Big 12 were clueless (yes, again)

Kevin Warren is a lame, weak and worthless leader  (we have known this through every turn)

Texas sucks!!!  (still....)

Really is anything here a surprise?  

 

[Lorewarn]

One of my favorites is telling people from Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio that actually I'm in the Midwest (Colorado) and they're from the Mideast. They almost always start arguing, and then I show them a map of the US and ask them to point the center. I think several of them had a brain aneurysm at that point. It's fun to keep responding to any of their arguments with, "You know that's east of the center, right?" or "Which way is west again?"

The 'midwest' moniker has nothing to do with their actual relative position to the entire continent. I'm guessing you know that and are just being pedantic with your friends or lightly ribbing strangers but it would be a strange thing for anyone (you or them) to take super seriously.

 

[Bledred]

Looks like the BIG will not expand. 

Kevin Warren sitting on his hands as usual. Meanwhile the BIG dies by a thousand cuts. What are we paying him for again- as a poll counter only? 

https://spartanswire.usatoday.com/2021/07/26/report-big-ten-has-little-to-no-interest-in-expanding-conference/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR30TBKrRTD3UevAFrIDBjHYYrpftk3ybTf2CqrzThE35aMAwcWwLx--p9w

ACC will probably add WV and ND.

SEC already has OU and TX looking to add more.

PAC will probably go after OSU and KU.

B1G will be:

 

[Bledred]

One of my favorites is telling people from Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio that actually I'm in the Midwest (Colorado) and they're from the Mideast. They almost always start arguing, and then I show them a map of the US and ask them to point the center. I think several of them had a brain aneurysm at that point. It's fun to keep responding to any of their arguments with, "You know that's east of the center, right?" or "Which way is west again?"

Half of Colorado is in the West (Rockies) and the other half is in the Midwest (Great Plains) IMO.  The boarder between the two begins and ends with the Rockies. 

 

[Notre Dame Joe]

I've never thought of the great plains as part of the midwest.  Part of the culture of the midwest is rust belt industry which sort of fades away west of Missouri.  

When you have 20 minutes set aside for a great read, I recommend it.


The demise of the Southwest Conference, 25 years later


https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30424417/i-wishof-well-demise-southwest-conference-25-years-later

How Arkansas left the SWC for the SEC, the problems in the SWC, plus a little bit about the Big XII.  It's money, and hate, and TV contracts, and cheaters and so on.  Shouldn't be any surprise Texas going to the SEC (with OU) and the rest of the league up in arms.  Again.

So how long until the Horns start whispering in Bama's ears that teams like Vandy and South Carolina aren't pulling their weight?

 

[admo]

I've never thought of the great plains as part of the midwest.  Part of the culture of the midwest is rust belt industry which sort of fades away west of Missouri.  

So how long until the Horns start whispering in Bama's ears that teams like Vandy and South Carolina aren't pulling their weight?

Never.

South Carolina was an add-on.  Vandy is private.  If you in the SEC - no way you are moving.  Nebraska could be invited, and would never leave, quickly shouting SEC SEC SEC.  No matter their W-L record.  Even if it was back in 2010.

 
In 2011 Arkansas was 11-2, and 6-2 in the SEC.  Pretty nice, right?  Absolutely.  Yet they were 3rd in their own division (West) behind LSU (#1) and Alabama (#2).  Pretty sure if OU or Texas does something like that, they will definitely be in the playoffs.  And it will happen.

We can show examples all day.  To me the SEC is great football, regardless of the south obsession and media hype.  I never miss a 2:30pm game on CBS.  But I will never miss an Army/Navy game, either.  Or Texas vs OU at the cotton bowl.  Or USC vs UCLA.  Or Notre Dame vs Southern Cal.  Michigan vs Ohio State,  TCU vs Baylor,  Florida vs Georgia,  Nebraska vs OU, Miami vs FSU, the third Saturday in October (Tennessee-Alabama), the Iron Bowl, Texas vs Texas A&M, Arkansas vs Texas or Texas A&M, Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh vs Penn State, LSU vs Auburn, etc, etc, etc. 

The point I am trying to make is that the SEC is solid college football week in and week out.  2:30pm games and night games especially.  Agreeable or not. We tune in to see these match ups, to see these big and fast players, with something on the line, and possible upsets.  Oklahoma and Texas will add more excitement to it.  Even if it's a game like, OU vs Missouri (both chanting SEC SEC SEC). 

Sorry PAC 12

Sorry ACC 

Sorry Big Ten 

Sorry Kansas and Rutgers.  One of you has basketball, at least.  The other has White Castle (mmHmmm)

Wait, who wants or misses Kansas again?  Said no one in the Big Ten (with the only exception being a part of our fanbase). 

The Big Ten will never get Notre Dame to join us.  But that hope is way better than going for an AAU Kansas, which brings only basketball aspirations.  And then having Husker fans clap and cheer after a boring, 68-10 beat down in football after a 11AM, Saturday kickoff.  I might as well bring my radio and go fishing. 

 

[Lorewarn]

I've never thought of the great plains as part of the midwest.  Part of the culture of the midwest is rust belt industry which sort of fades away west of Missouri.  

It's funny because we generally don't consider the rust belt midwest. 

 

[CheeseHusker]

The eastern half of Colorado might as well be Kansas. Which is why I always used to scoff at the Boulder types telling us how bleak Nebraska is.

I've been to Limon and to Fort Morgan; you can't fool me.

 

[JJ Husker]

The 'midwest' moniker has nothing to do with their actual relative position to the entire continent. I'm guessing you know that and are just being pedantic with your friends or lightly ribbing strangers but it would be a strange thing for anyone (you or them) to take super seriously.

Maybe you can explain it to a person who never has understood places east of the Mississippi calling themselves the Midwest. Doesn’t it have to be somehow relative to the geography of the country? What exactly are the boundaries of the Midwest region? I’m 58 and it’s never made sense to me.

The East is East, west is west, southeast is southeast, northeast is northeast but somehow the Midwest is east of over 50% of the country?

 

[Lorewarn]

Maybe you can explain it to a person who never has understood places east of the Mississippi calling themselves the Midwest. Doesn’t it have to be somehow relative to the geography of the country? What exactly are the boundaries of the Midwest region? I’m 58 and it’s never made sense to me.

The East is East, west is west, southeast is southeast, northeast is northeast but somehow the Midwest is east of over 50% of the country?

re: the bold, it was when the term was coined. The United States started out on the east coast, so you already have a 'naming' bias of everything that would be added later being contextual to where we started. Then, with the Louisiana Purchase, it became the 'west' or even the 'northwest'. But over the 1800's, with knowledge that it wasn't the westernmost part of the continent, and then with the acquisitions of even more land, it became the middle west as distinguished from the "far west", hence, midwest. 

It's similar to how the middle east isn't that middle or that east when you look at the whole map of europe and asia, but it was given an england/europe-centric based name. 

We need something to refer to the trans-appalachia area of our country and I guess midwest is the best we have, although the term is more of a cultural construct term than a geographical term these days, if you ask me.