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Playing catchup here. Tom Osborne had some interesting comments regarding possible conference expansion/re-alignment during his appearance Monday night on "Sports Nightly." Everyone's obviously keeping a close eye on the Big Ten and Pac-10 -- including the Nebraska athletic director.
"These are interesting times," Osborne told Lane Grindle. "I think fans are a little bit nervous. All I can tell fans right now is don't think for one minute that we're asleep at the switch, that we're just sitting here waiting for something to happen to us.
"It's much better to be proactive than reactive. I don't think I'm free to say much more than that. We are very aware. We don't plan to get left at the gate, although we could be. I just don't know what's going to happen in this environment."
Osborne did say "it's hard for me to believe that Texas could get a better deal" than it has in the Big 12. He cited the Longhorns' strong recruiting base, large population base, the way they're situated geographically in the Big 12 and the fact the conference playoff game is held at Cowboys Stadium.
"Now, with Missouri and Colorado -- that's a little different," Osborne said. "I don't know what would happen there."
Much of the conference realignment discussion is driven by television revenue discrepancies among so-called power conferences. Said Osborne: "I think economics are given way too much attention in intercollegiate athletics. That's part of it. But you can be very, very good without that extra $5 million, $10 million."
The key in that regard, he said, is to have athletic department employees who work smart and sacrifice.
LINK
"If you're focused and want to get it done, you can get it done without all that money," he said.
Osborne said he hasn't received any recent calls from Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe. As for discussions with other conference teams, "I think everybody right now is keeping their cards pretty close to the vest," Osborne said. "I think if I called somebody and asked, 'What are you going to do?' I may not get a very accurate answer."
In the next five to six months, he said, we'll probably have a better idea of what might happen.
"These are interesting times," Osborne told Lane Grindle. "I think fans are a little bit nervous. All I can tell fans right now is don't think for one minute that we're asleep at the switch, that we're just sitting here waiting for something to happen to us.
"It's much better to be proactive than reactive. I don't think I'm free to say much more than that. We are very aware. We don't plan to get left at the gate, although we could be. I just don't know what's going to happen in this environment."
Osborne did say "it's hard for me to believe that Texas could get a better deal" than it has in the Big 12. He cited the Longhorns' strong recruiting base, large population base, the way they're situated geographically in the Big 12 and the fact the conference playoff game is held at Cowboys Stadium.
"Now, with Missouri and Colorado -- that's a little different," Osborne said. "I don't know what would happen there."
Much of the conference realignment discussion is driven by television revenue discrepancies among so-called power conferences. Said Osborne: "I think economics are given way too much attention in intercollegiate athletics. That's part of it. But you can be very, very good without that extra $5 million, $10 million."
The key in that regard, he said, is to have athletic department employees who work smart and sacrifice.
LINK
"If you're focused and want to get it done, you can get it done without all that money," he said.
Osborne said he hasn't received any recent calls from Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe. As for discussions with other conference teams, "I think everybody right now is keeping their cards pretty close to the vest," Osborne said. "I think if I called somebody and asked, 'What are you going to do?' I may not get a very accurate answer."
In the next five to six months, he said, we'll probably have a better idea of what might happen.
