Nebraska is headed to the Big Ten as the 12th member of a conference that will soon expand to 16 teams. The move kills the Big 12 conference which will break apart in several directions over the couple of days. The first move will be six members of the Big 12 accepting membership in what is now known as the Pac 10.
Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Colorado will all be invited to join the Pac 10. The inside scoop is all of the schools are expected to accept the offer but there is an outside chance that Texas A&M and the Oklahoma schools could be tempted by the SEC which is expected to land a counter-strike next week.
The sunny side of some Big 12 members moving to the SEC is more room for those left out in the Pac 10 but the smart money is that the original six offered follow Texas to the Pac 10. Officials from Texas and Texas A&M are meeting on Thursday to hash the details out.
Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds and president Williams Powers gathered UT coaches today at 2 p.m. CT to tell them they did everything they could to save the Big 12 but that they were unsuccessful.
Sources said the six Big 12 schools would begin participating in the expanded Pac-10 beginning in 2012. That should make for an incredibly uncomfortable next two football and basketball seasons with the schools who could be left behind.
The LA Times says the Pac 10 is locked and loaded.
With Nebraska reportedly headed to the Big Ten Conference, the Pac-10 is poised to extend offers to six current Big 12 Conference members, ramping up its numbers to 16.
Pac-10 Conference officials declined to talk about the deal on the record because of the sensitive nature of negotiations, but one with knowledge of the plan said, “It’s locked and loaded."
Ted Miller says Colorado is already in.
Colorado already has received an invitation to join the conference, while five other invitations will be extended to Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
USC to get a two year bowl probation?
Word is floating around tonight that USC will receive a to year bowl ban, a reduction in scholarships, and retroactive action which will strip them of a national championship while Reggie Bush was on the roster. so those of you who thought it would be just a slap on the hands are wrong. It will be the most significant penalty to a program since Washington was penalized for lesser infractions back in the early 1990's.
If this holds true the Trojans won't be in a bowl or eligible for a conference championship until 2012. a penalty like that can impact recruiting immediately. a lot of kids are going to wonder if they can trust Lane Kiffin and USC after they have been telling everyone the penalties would be minimal.