A South-West mega conference?

papersun87

papersun87

All-American
A new Stewart Mandel posting on SI.com:

One day down the road, however, I could see Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and maybe Nebraska breaking off and joining forces with the likes of USC and UCLA in something of a South/West mega-conference. Nothing lasts forever anymore.
Click to expand...
Thoughts? In a perfect, football-dominated collegiate athletics world, who else would you like to see in such a conference? Is Los Angeles too far away to share a conference with Lincoln? Do most West-Coasters even realize Nebraska is a state and not a country in Europe?

Discuss. :)

 
Haha. I just read that too. I suppose it would be ok as long as all the teams used Southwest Airlines to lower travel costs!

I would add Cal, Boise State, and Oregon.

 
Heck, we're already playing Texas and USC every year so let's get it started!!

It would only help Nebraska's recruiting because that conference would have an awesome tv package and kids would love the extra exposure.

 
Hmmmm...as I recall, once the current SEC came into existence and other conferences were forced to add members, there was talk of an eventual "super conference" kind of thing. So the idea isn't necessarily crazy.

However, for it to happen I think you'd have to see some major disparity begin to arise between the so-called BCS conferences. And I mean in terms of TV contracts and revenue. Currently, as I recall, the SEC deals are significantly better than any other conference - but not so better as to cause the other conferences to consider realignments in the near future. But I could see that changing. The Big XII has a significant lack of large media populations outside Dallas, and perhaps Austin. No other BCS conference has that disadvantage. So the issue would be not whether current Big XII members would want "in" so much as whether an existing conference would want to accept Big XII teams. If it happens, the only ones I see moving to such a conference are Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and possibly A&M. All four have the kind of tradition and booster backing to compete in such a conference. And unless and until the other schools begin to consistently win and draw TV interest, it means that those four teams carry the Big XII. It makes the Big XII less attractive to TV, and could cause some teams to bolt the conference if it keeps up. Again, the issue would be whether another conference would want those teams.

Interesting post.

 
It would never happen. Too far to travel for fans. Kick sCUm out of the Big XII and put in Iowa some other team. That is my 2 cents.

 
here's my idea let's send Nevada to the big east....that makes sense......right???

this is the time of year when guys like mandel need to fill articles so they write nonsensical gargabe like this

 
The only reason he wrote it was because someone asked about it, he didn't just create an article about teams changing conferences.

 
I think it would absolutely suck to be in that conference. The teams would be so beat up year in and year out from playing such a lights out schedule that probably none of them would make it to the title game because more than likely they'd all have at least one or two losses. You could have a pretty good team and still end up around .500. No thanks, I like wins myself. In just about all conferences now, you have good teams and you have bad teams. That conference looks to only have good teams. Considering how the past 5 years have gone, NU would be among the bottomfeeders in the conference. The only cool thing about it would be seeing USC come to town in oh lets say around Thanks Giving with temperatures around 20 degrees and winds blowing in excess of 25mph and snow flying everywhere.

All jokes aside, I kind of like where we already are. I wasn't much in favor of going from the Big 8 to the Big 12 because I thought the Texas schools would drag us down. I guess I was wrong on that part. The only thing I'd change is the Big 12 title game. I never have liked it especially when it cost us a chance at 3 peating in 96'. It cost KState a chance in 98'. It caused a lot of controversy in 01' when we didn't even make it to the title game within our own conference but still played for a NC. It caused a lot of controversy when KState shell shocked OU and OU still made the NC game. The title game has caused more trouble than anything else. But I for one know that it's kind of fun to travel to away games once in a while. I can't see myself ever traveling to California for an away game.

 
It's interesting, but I think if NU were to break off and join another conference it would be the big 10, which is now the big 11, and would then have 12 teams. I think this would be good because it would mean more TV time for NU, plus more classic programs to compete against. I would rather play Ohio St., Michigan, Wisconson and Minnesota than Iowa St., Kansas, Oklahoma St., etc.

I think NU got the shaft in the Big XII anyway, because the whole damn thing is run by Texas, just as Dr. Tom feared. I wouldn't have a problem with us leaving. In fact, I wish it would happen.

I don't see us joining a conference with USC though.

 
They ought to just rename the Big Ten...

It's not like we're still the Big Eight. But anyway, I do rather like playing some of these teams year-in, year-out. KSU, CU, all pretty intense rivalries, and OU and Texas in the conference as well. If we move suddenly to another conference, it'll be playing with a bunch of teams we have very little history with.

Call me old-fashioned, but it'd take a while to get used to that.

 
well, all this makes for interesting talk, but there is no question we need to be more competitive BEFORE we seek to jump and we need to go wherever we can up the exposure. 3-4 years from now, maybe we can negotiate something that make sense, because living in the current conference is pathetic.

 
I don't think this is a great idea because having that many fantastic teams in one conference 1. is going to make winning that conference pretty damn hard!!!! 2. is going to make other conferences look worse than they already are! and 3. I like that we are in the Big XII...............

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top