[NU Sports] Conference Realignment continues

[Mike Nolan]

Nebraska has announced that it will apply for Big Ten membership, which
it expects to receive quickly.  (Boy, it'd be a real downer if they
got turned down at this point!)

Chancellor Perleman told the Regents that the University of Nebraska
Lincoln will become an academic member of the Big Ten immediately upon
acceptance and expects to begin athletic competition in the 2011-12 
academic year.  

So throw out all the 2011 football schedules, kids!

Yesterday Colorado beat Nebraska to the punch by announcing it was moving 
from the Big Twelve to the Pac 10.  The University of Texas Regents are 
expected to meet some time next week to examine their options, Pac 10 
stll sounds like their best bet unless the politicians in Texas throw in 
too many monkey wrenches.  

My guess is that once UT makes up its mind the Big Twelve will have no
choice but to announce it is dissolving, both of which I think will
happen next week.  

Boise State just announced it is leaving the WAC for the Mountain West
Conference, too.

The 12-18 month timetable that the Big Ten said it was committed to is 
completely out the window now, and the only real question is which 
schools will still be standing when the music stops playing, which 
will probably be before the end of June, and whether Notre Dame will
choose to remain independent.  Right now I suspect that answer will 
be 'yes'.  
--
Mike Nolan