To Nebraska, Texas Is the Axis of Evil

It has been a rocky 2010 for the Big 12. Nebraska and Missouri have lobbied to become members of the Big Ten, and Colorado is ready to snuggle up with the Pacific 10. Commissioner Dan Beebe has suggested that he will draw a line in the sand, wanting to know who's in and who's out when league meetings begin Tuesday in Kansas City.

Division among league members has never been greater, and Beebe might best be served trying to be a uniter instead of a divider.

Money aside, the out-of-league flirtations of Missouri and Colorado are likely wrapped in fear. What would become of the Big 12 if Texas and Nebraska were to leave?

In Nebraska's case, its motivation to flee is more the result of a deep distrust of Texas. It started in 1996 with the formation of the Big 12.

Nebraska was king of college football back then, in the midst of a remarkable run that had Tom Osborne's Cornhuskers staking claims to national titles in 1994, 1995 and 1997. With victory came power and Nebraska, the marquee member of the Big 8, called the shots. That was until Texas got a seat at the new Big 12 table.

Texas led a parade of former Southwest Conference members Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor into the Big 12, and the Longhorns and Cornhuskers haggled over the direction of the new league.

A veteran writer recently shared background of this strained relationship:

"There were several disagreements between Nebraska and Texas at the time. The most contentious was over academic qualifications. Texas said no to Proposition 48 recruits (those who didn't meet minimum requirements, since amended), and Nebraska wanted them on an exception basis. Three who started Nebraska's romp over Florida for the '95 national championship were Prop. 48. But in fairness to Texas, the league voted 11-1 to not allow Prop. 48s. Still, Nebraska cried foul because Texas had junior college kids on its roster, and you could get to Texas as a Prop. 48, if you started in JC.

"Both coaches at the time, Tom Osborne and John Mackovic, opposed the Big 12 championship game, but when the presidents voted for it, Mackovic came on board and ruffled Osborne's feathers when he said coaches should let presidents do their jobs.

"Texas wanted Southwest Conference commissioner Steve Hatchell as the new Big 12 commissioner and wanted the office in Dallas. Nebraska wanted Kansas A.D. Bob Frederick and the office in Kansas City. Texas prevailed on both counts.

"There was also disagreement on how the conference came together. The old Big Eighters believed they were throwing the Texas schools a lifeline. Texas and Texas A&M had other conference options and framed the Big 12 as a new start for everybody. Remember, at the time Nebraska was the college football kingpin. It was in the midst of one of the most dominant eras ever and figured it had clout. Texas proved the Huskers wrong."

To this day, Texas continues to get its way. The site of future Big 12 title games is the latest example. According to Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman, a member of the Big 12 board of directors, the board has authorized Beebe to begin negotiations with Cowboys Stadium on a three-year extension that would keep the game in Arlington, Texas, through 2013.

Osborne wants the game rotated annually, "but I don’t think many people are listening to my thoughts on it," he told Steven M. Sipple of the Lincoln Journal Star.

Texas officials have stated that the Longhorns are in the Big 12 for the long haul, but Osborne and Cornhusker fans don't believe it. Texas does what's good for Texas. That's the view from Lincoln.

Now that his football program is returning to national prominence, Osborne would like nothing better than to add to his legacy. He can do it by leading Nebraska into the Big Ten and leaving Texas behind.

Comments

[yumtoad]

Nice job with the photoshop! Well done!

[C.A. Steward]

Goooo! Biiiig! Rrrrred! GO! BIG! RED! Time to ditch the douchehorns and head to the Big 10!

[il cativo]

I guess if the Cornholers can't beat Daddy Texas, they should just pull up their tampon strings and run.

Of course the Big 10 isn't going to let Osborne's Hens let anyone with a pulse and no IQ play either, which will be a bad break for the Steinkuhler progeny.

So say adios to Texas, and hello to Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State. You'll be in the same shoes, times three. Idiots.

[yumtoad]

Since the Big Ten actually does allow partial qualifiers, which was stupid for the Big XII to dismiss anyway, Nebraska will be able to recruit anyone they want.

Texas is just pissed off that someone actually stands up to them. Most elitist bullies think that way.

[nilgai]

It is so pathetic that Nebraska still wants/needs partial qualifiers. Y'all were the only ones who cared that little about academics in '96, and you're still the only ones. What does that say? Texas hasn't even recruited a JUCO kid since Mack's been in Austin. Oh, and how can we control all the conference decisions when everything is voted on by all 12 schools? That would be like the conservatives saying that Obama being democratically elected is a dictatorial conspiracy. It comes across as equal parts insanity and ignorance.

[il cativo]

Ahh, yes. It's all Texas' fault that NU can't have its beloved partial qualifiers. Nevermind that 10 of the 12 conference schools voted against pq's.

As for the Big 10, that league puts more emphasis on college work than high school grades, and has much stricter rules once student athletes enroll in member institutions. Therefore, although the rules are more lax for pq's, taking a partial qualifier is a risky proposition and therefore less frequent.

But, we know the real story. Nebraska can't compete with Texas on a level playing field, and playing second fiddle doesn't sit well with Tom Osborne's oversized ego.

[Travis in Texas]

"Texas officials have stated that the Longhorns are in the Big 12 for the long haul, but Osborne and Cornhusker fans don't believe it. Texas does what's good for Texas. That's the view from Lincoln."

So.....Nebraska doesnt believe that Texas is in the Big 12 for the long haul, and they believe that Texas only does what is good for Texas.....yet, Nebraska is the one packing its bags for the Big 10??

That seems backwards to me. It appears that Texas is in the Big 12 for longer than Nebraska, and that Nebraska is doing what is best for Nebraska. (Not that I can fault them, but its an odd thing to say about someone else when your doing it too).

Oh well.....I guess after going 8-1 with Texas since 1996 (in the Big 12) Nebraska has grown tired of getting beat down.