Word on the street (rumor) is that both are now interested in joining the Big Ten. This would be great if it happens but I remember all of the wild speculation from a year ago about Texas & ND joining the Big Ten. I would like to see it happen along with OU & VT, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
Mark my words, not great. Anyone who has been in a conference with Texas would not be happy about them joining a league they are in again. If you are wondering why, talk to Arkansas (or any of the ex-SWC teams Texas left in a still smoldering crater), us, and A&M. Obviously some people might think A&M has a little brother complex so their word is tainted, it's not.
I know the big ten members all think "we'll never let Texas run our league."
They'll start by asking for special considerations. You know like "hey why don't we go ahead and rotate the conference ccg down to jerry's world once in awhile" or "you know with all these extra games we'll probably need some new referees, the big 12 refs aren't doing anything now that we left, we'll fly them up from dallas."
Whatever, they just want something to prove they are better then everyone else so you think, meh what the hell, it is a lot more money and a big recruiting state so what's the harm in employing a couple refs out of dallas?
Then they start asking for a little bit more (or in the case of the big 12) get something like a ccg moved, offices moved *I'd put money on trying to get satellite offices down in dallas and/or austin working with ESPN a bit, since "hey we've already built this nice studio"*. Then they start holding the rest of the members hostage. "Indiana you like basketball right? well how would you like to have all the basketball tournements in Indianapolis, just vote with us when it comes time to give jerry's world a chance at more ccgs."
They don't work towards ends of anyone but Texas and once they gain just enough favor you'd see them support someone for Conference Commissioner, right out of the mold of Dan Beebe. He might seem well mannered with a lifetime of NCAA experience. What you don't see is he's got the Texas Athletic Director's hand up his a$$ like a sock puppet.
Read some of the tweets coming out of the people covering the big 12 offices over the last 24 hours, specifically tweets like this "
@kbohls: Texas AD DeLoss Dodds told me the UT staff 'is working on 20 names' for possible replacements for Texas A&M." They aren't even hiding who actually runs the show anymore. So either Beebe is crying in the fetal position in the corner somewhere or Dodds and the Texas AD has been running the show since the big 12 voted down creating their own network and the commissioner before Beebe bolted.
These people don't work towards common goals to better institutions they align with as equals. Nobody is Texas's equal in their eyes and I'd bet ND is exactly the same with double the ego since they are "National." They constantly work angles. Their real game isn't on the field, it's in their Athletic Department, trying to gain as much political power as possible just to let everyone around them know that they are better then you and they are running the show. Eventually when they actually are, they'll start flirting with the SEC or PAC again. While their conference implodes with what proud teams are left looking for somewhere to go without them. Texas's athletic department is a cancer that festers on every league its been a part of.
Might take 50 or 100 years in the big ten's case, since they cant make demands like the formation of the big 12 (but they'll try). It will happen though.
Ohh and just for fun, once someone gets sick of them and sacks up and leaves, those Dallas refs will make sure you get what Texas thinks you deserve on the football field. Ohh and they are running the AAU committee that votes to kick members out too. So enjoy that last parting shot at your dignity on your way out the door if they can manage it. Along with some disparaging press out of fox sports, Dallas Morning News, the statesman and orange-bloods.
Yeah Texas could make 'concessions' and join this conference, maybe even talk ND into it as some sort of prize (it's really a package deal bargaining chip to try and make bigger demands for entrance). If they actually wanted in as an equal, they'd just ditch their network and say "sign me up." They won't do that. ND won't either I'd imagine.
