[NU Sports] Pac 10 to invite 6 Big XII schools to join?

[Mike Nolan]

> I don't think that the Pac-10 rumors are true, just like those who said Big
> Ten invites were sent to Pitt and later Mizzou were jumping the gun thanks
> to a rumor on sports talk radio.  I think there's a chance that the dominoes
> fall this summer, but a much bigger chance that it happens sometime in the
> first half of 2011.  I guess we'll see who's ready to jump the gun first,
> but the Big Ten likely has a head start and is doing it the right way by
> studying it to death first.

I'd be surprised if the rumors are AS true as some seem to think, but I
would NOT be surprised if the Pac 10 has those six schools on its 
double secret short list.  

As I have said all along, Notre Dame is the key.  When that domino falls,
the rest will go quickly.  To be honest, all the other 'name' schools 
combined (and that really means 'football name schools', sorry Rutgers
and Syracuse) don't have the same power as Notre Dame in terms of 
jump-starting things.  It may not happen tomorrow, or next week or even
next year, but I honestly believe the Big XII is a terminal case, probably
along with the Big East and maybe even the ACC, though I suspect what's
left of those two will be the 4th 'superconference'.  

Here's how I phrased it on the Husker List recently:
--
Mike

> Sounds sensible to me. I hope the whole things gets done by football season
> (who knows?).

I still believe the key is Notre Dame.  If they said tomorrow that they'd
be willing to join the Big Ten, then the conferences and schools would 
begin a mad dash for each other, which may wind up looking something 
like pirhannas after a steer.  

However, under the best of circumstances it will take several years for 
the changes to take effect, as schedules will have to be redrawn, contracts 
for non-conference games revised or broken, TV contracts renegotiated, etc.  

And then there are the nearly inevitable lawsuits, from a variety of 
sources, possibly including the schools that are left standing after
the music stops.  

(I think--or is that pray?--that Nebraska will not be one of those, I'm 
less sure of the future for schools like Iowa State, Kansas State and 
Baylor, and maybe even Kansas and Texas Tech.)
--
Mike Nolan