Ground Rules for Superconference Realignment

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, arguably the biggest powerbroker in college football, could create the first superconference if he is able to lure the Texas Longhorns to an expanded Big Ten.

A move by the Longhorns would likely mean the end of the Big 12. The league's other brand-name properties — Nebraska, Oklahoma and perhaps Missouri, Colorado and Texas A&M — would be swallowed up by other big conferences.

Teams like Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State and Texas Tech would be left out and reduced to competing in a lower-level league.

Tim Stephens of the Orlando Sentinel breaks down the ground rules for superconference realignment, starting with Rule No. 1 — money.

He also examines motives behind any moves that might occur, including forgetting everything you know about "conventional wisdom." This is a brand-name game.

Comments

[Anonymous]

Tim Stephens is a tool who has barely any idea what he's talking about.

[meatybob]

Yeah, this Orlando Newspaper blog is ridiculous. Um, no, UT is not going to the Big Ten and definitely not the Pac Ten. There is no rational reason why UT would, esp since if they are really in play, the SEC would only be more than happy to extend membership and since the SEC can provide far more than either conference to UT, and talk of UT moving to the Big Ten is simply wishful/delusional thinking by Big Ten fans.

[Matt]

Agreed. And frankly, the Big 10 wants UT for its athletic prowess just as much as it wants a Texas footprint (which it already has with the Big 10 network--just not ABC/ESPN games). Problem is, Texas is looking suspect, Mack won't be around for much longer, and Mushchamp will likely bolt for Georgia when they fire their coach after 2010.

Despite all their talent, they are having problems, and they have no plan of succession. Would you really want to throw that into the Big 10 and have it go up against tOSU, Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State on a yearly basis? Texas can barely handle just OU and NU right now--add two more heavyweight teams, and Texas would crumble.

No way Texas and their state-sized egos would be able to handle that, no matter the paycheck.

[Nathan]

Texas State Legislature would NEVER allow Texas to go anywhere without its kid brother, A&M. It's never going to happen without A&M. Does the Big Ten really want A&M too? I hope so, because that would likely lead to OU & OSU going to the SEC.