Since the announcement of Nebraska's move to the Big Ten, various sources have tried to nail down who at NU initiated contact with that conference and when it all began.
For now, I would go with Bob Devaney in 1992.
Yes, it goes back that far, and it may have been even earlier for the Huskers' former coach (1962-72) and athletic director (1967-92).
Close associates of Devaney — a Michigan native and a protégé of former Michigan State coach Duffy Daugherty — said he long expressed fondness for the Big Ten and often wondered how NU could make the jump.
A dig through World-Herald files shows that Devaney spoke with Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany in 1992 about that league adding another team in light of the addition of Penn State in 1990 as the 11th member.
In 1992, the Chicago Tribune listed five schools as possible Big Ten expansion candidates. See if any of these look familiar with what you've read in the past six months: Nebraska, Missouri, Rutgers, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.
Some things never change ... speaking of which:
Many have expressed surprise at the speed with which this latest round of conference shuffling has occurred. Some seem shocked that schools such as Nebraska could make such a major move in three to six months.
Well, the same thing happened when the old Big Eight and Southwest Conferences put the Big 12 together.
A three-month chain of events in late 1993 and early 1994 — all involving football TV rights deals — "put the Big Eight in a vulnerable position,'' then-NU Chancellor Graham Spanier said, "and the Southwest Conference in even a more vulnerable spot.''
That reminds us of the two rules of major college athletics:
Rule 1: When those controlling the flow of football TV money talk, everyone had better listen.
Rule 2: If someone says otherwise, refer to Rule 1.
One other interesting note from going over old files is a question about the conditions Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor would require to join the Big Eight.
Bill Byrne, Nebraska's A.D. at the time, said the four Texas schools had agreed to accept the Big Eight handbook of rules, which covered eligibility, tournament play and finances.
That lasted about six months. During the first set of administrative meetings, things began to change on initial eligibility standards, a football championship game and cross-division scheduling.
Funny how all those old Big Eight schools voted with the newcomers from Texas, then wondered 14 years later why there was little sympathy when they reached out to Nebraska for help.
Tilting South
Here's a "what if'' to ponder:
What if the Big 12 had realigned its divisions to take care of the disparity that developed between the North and the South in football? Would this league have become more cohesive and remained intact?
Twice, in 2004 and 2008, I floated the idea of spread-the-economic-wealth divisions, with the following splits:
Big 12 West: Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, Texas Tech, Kansas, Kansas State.
Big 12 East: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Baylor, Missouri, Iowa State.
Then institute a 5-2-1 scheduling model to allow one cross-division game annually to preserve an old rivalry.
The Big 12 seemed content with having the strongest division in the country instead of better overall balance throughout the league. And that didn't help smooth the waves that eventually sent Nebraska and Colorado to the lifeboats.
Bits and pieces
• Fired Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach is working with espn.com writer Bruce Feldman on a book. This will be delicious. Leach is among those who always want the last word, so let the get-even tour begin.
• I've always liked new Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville. I like him even more now that he said out loud what everyone has been thinking: that the reformulated Big 12 (the Longhorn League?) won't last because of the disparity between schools.
• Sports fans in the state of Nebraska have a lot to process in the next couple of years. The Huskers go to the Big Ten. The College World Series leaves Rosenblatt Stadium for downtown. And NU will play basketball in a new arena. No time for nostalgia with all that to get used to.
• Nebraska coach Doc Sadler is looking at the Bahamas or the Czech Republic for an August basketball exhibition trip. NU scratched Cancun off its list for safety concerns. Also, Sadler and his staff are looking ahead on recruiting. The first stop on assistant Chris Croft's itinerary is Milwaukee — Big Ten country.
• After one of the wildest springs in my writing career, it's time to let the cell phone and laptop cool off with a couple of weeks of vacation. But keep the e-mails and messages coming. It won't be long before trips to Dallas for Big 12 media days July 26-28 and Chicago for Big Ten media days Aug. 2-3.
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