[Husker] UT is doing NU an favor

[Rod Wellman]

Referring to the Texas legislature, it's amazing to me that any State legislature would get involved in such things.  It's even more amazing to think they might actually try to force Baylor (not even a public school) into the arrangement.  That just really seems to be out of whack, especially in Texas, where they pride themselves on a lack of strong central government regulation.

Another puzzling thing to me is when I see mention of the Big 10 being interested in Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.  They would have to overlook the fact that T Tech is not an AAU university.  I find it hard to believe they would do so, but even so, would they possibly be interested in taking these three schools to create their 14 team league?  Or do they go further and get Oklahoma and Nebraska, too, for 16?  Or Nebraska and Notre Dame for 16?  Or two other schools from the East?

There are still so many different ways this thing can go, with many combinations and scenarios.  Seems like the Big 10 better have a really, really good plan now moving forward.  They want and need a "home run", and settling for 3 to 5 schools just to grab them before the Pac 10 does doesn't seem to be the correct motivation for a "good fit".  Is Nebraska in any kind of driver seat?  Or are they just along for the ride?  

I don't know if an offer has or will come from the Big 10.  But even so, if I was Osborne and Perlman right now, I'd bargain with the B12 from a position of strength.  The doomsday scenarios where NU gets left out of a major conference I think are pretty far-fetched.  And like you mentioned below, with the changing times of broadcast television, there are other TV revenue options for forward-thinking minds.

Rod W.
Sioux City, Ia.


On Jun 7, 2010, at 8:29 AM, Jim5417P at aol.com wrote:

> I posted the following on a message board.  I wanted to share it here  
> because I am looking for feedback on my thoughts.
> ------------------------------
> 
> 
> 
> Regardless how this thing shakes out, NU is going to be better off than 
> they  are now.
> 
> Perpetuating the Big 12 as is the same as a long slow lingering  death for 
> Nebraska. 
>    *   UTA is dominating the conference politics because there are few  
> programs that can challenge them.  KU, KSU, CU, OSU, ISU, and MU don't  have 
> the athletic programs (not just  football) to do anything but  go along for 
> the ride.  OU, TAMU, TTU, and BU actually benefit  by riding UTA's coattails. 
> 
>    *   Thank goodness our NU leadership has refused to bow down to UTA,   
> 
> UTA is pushing their own agenda and forcing action and hopefully some  
> decisions. By threatening to leave and take five other programs with them unless 
> NU commits to perpetuate the Big 12 they are forcing the other  
> conferences to declare their positions.  
>    1.  If the Big 10 offers NU now I hope we go.  It is good for NU both  
> athletically and academically.  Plus it shows they really want NU and  don't 
> want to leave us hanging.  
>    2.  If the Big 10 doesn't flinch and offer NU an opportunity then we 
> clearly  find out where we stand with them and know right now it is time to 
> move on to  other alternatives. 
> 
> If NU doesn't gain entry into the Big 10 I hope  our leadership does NOT 
> knuckle under and give the Big 12 their  commitment.  Continue to abstain and 
> stand pat. That forces UTA to act on  their threat. 
>    1.  Then we will find out if the PAC 10 really will take the 6 schools  
> named.  It will be interesting to see if UTA has enough clout to get the  
> PAC 10 to accept TTU and OSU.  
>    2.  Even better we might find out if the PAC 10 will let the Texas 
> legislature  dictate what they do by forcing them to take BU instead of CU.  
> That will  tell you a lot about the integrity of the PAC 10 schools and show 
> the rest of  the country that crap we have had to deal with for the last 14 
> years.  
>    3.  I wonder how good CU feels right now, knowing that the Texas 
> legislature  is trying to stab them in the back by potentially forcing the  BU for 
> CU  swap.
> 
> If NU does not go to the Big 10 and UTA does carry out their threat  we 
> will still be fine. 
>    1.  We would still have five of the original Big 8 schools to partner 
> with and  use as the foundation for forming a new conference or joining an 
> existing  one.  Yes we would suffer financially for some period of time but in 
> the long run we can rebuild a revenue stream,   
>    2.  We were members with those same schools in the same conference for 
> many  years even before the Big 6, Big, 7, Big 8, and Big 12  
>    3.  We would be rid of the bad marriage to UTA  
>    4.  No guarantee that all those schools would be accepted by the PAC 10 
> and we  might actually get CU, OU, and/or OSU back.  TAMU and TTU might  
> decide they want to get off their UTA leashes as well.
> 
> if nothing else the sake of Internet streaming of the football program  
> could create the same revenue stream.   
>    1.  The NU fan base is spread out. We show well on TV and will still 
> get  appearances.   
>    2.  Setting up a Cornhusker cable network (CCN) probably would not be  
> successful.  Not enough TV sets in Nebraska and the dispersed nature  of  
> our fan base leaves us with a large viewer-ship but not enough  concentrated 
> in any given geography to get cable companies to buy in on the  CCN.  
>    3.  But the Internet is a whole new ball game.  Right now the Big  12 
> TV contract prevents NU from selling our games through  video-steaming.  If 
> NU is not encumbered by that contract they  could easily generate the same 
> revenue that they could get by joining the Big  10  For example.100,000 
> households paying $200 for annual access to the  Cornhusker Internet Broadcast 
> (CIB)  would generate $20 million dollars  annually.  Throw in advertising 
> revenue and that number  doubles.  It more than pays the cost of producing and 
> distributing the  broadcast.
> 
> Go Big Red.  TO please continue to play the hand you have been  dealt,  Get 
> us out of this Texas relationship.  They are not our  kind of people.  
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