Conference Shake Up Summary

As it turns out, the NCAA did not undergo any catastrophic changes to its conference alignments. Changes were made however, and there will be more to come. This is a quick rundown of what has happened so far and what still might happen in the next year or two.   

-Realignment proceedings got off to a very unorganized start. It was rumored weeks ago that the Pac-10 would invite the entire Big 12 South division to join their conference, leaving the teams of the Big 12 North to scramble for conference affiliations. When rumors circulated that both Missouri and Nebraska had found a home in the Big Ten, Colorado jumped ship and joined the Pac-10. The move was supposed to be a precursor to Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M all joining the Pac-10. Colorado's acceptance was slated to scratch Baylor's involvement in the expansion plan. Unfortunately, no one joined the Buffs in the Pac-10, leaving them as a member of an eleven team Pac-10 that financially can't compete with a ten team Big 12.   

-Nebraska made a very tactical move by becoming the 12th member of the Big Ten. The Huskers give the Big Ten the opportunity to host a conference championship game, and the logistic ability to expand their groundbreaking Big Ten Network into more households. Wisconsin has already contacted league offices, requesting that they annually play Nebraska at the end of the regular season with the hope of starting a rivalry.

-Shortly after Nebraska made their move, Missouri realized that they would not get an invite from the Big Ten. The Tigers had no choice but to rely on Texas to keep the Big 12 Conference together.

-Boise State made a regrettable move by going from the WAC to the Mountain West. The Broncos could have been patient and landed in either the Big 12 or the Pac-10.  

-Fortunately for Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and previously mentioned Missouri...Texas did decide to save the Big 12. The Longhorns chose to stay put and the rest of the Big 12 South followed suit. As repayment for breathing life back into the conference, Texas will receive an inordinate percentage of the conference's revenue and will be allowed to start their own television network (tentatively named "The Longhorn Network").  

-Texas A&M made the most ego driven move in the past month. In an effort to hide the fact that they planned on following the lead of their arch rival Texas, the Aggies decided to flirt with the idea of joining the SEC and leaving behind it's geographic rival. There was no way that A&M would ever separate itself from Texas, but the ruse was put in place to portray Texas A&M as a school that could make decisions without the consent of Texas. In the end, the Aggies embarrassed themselves by staying with Texas when they had every reason to leave.

-Utah just received an invitation from the Pac-10 to be the conference's 12th member. BYU and (later) Boise State are possible candidates for further Pac-10 expansion.

-Notre Dame is safe for now, but eventually conference expansion will force the Irish to join the Big Ten for all sports. Notre Dame's football program carries too much prestige to play in a Big East football conference that may not even exist in a few years.

-The Big East desperately needs to add football programs. Connecticut West Virginia, Louisville, and South Florida are all destined for either the ACC or the SEC at some point. Even though it makes absolutely no geographical sense, the Big Ten could possibly take away Rutgers and Syracuse. Teams like Marshall and East Carolina are beating down the door to get into the Big East, but the conference would be better off transitioning established winning programs such as FCS National Champ Villanova and perennial FCS power Richmond. Georgetown also has a FCS football program that can be upgraded. The addition of those three teams along with ECU and/or Marshall could possibly be enough to save the Big East football conference.
TCU is an ideal candidate to join the Big 12. They are already bitter rivals with Baylor, and would be a great addition. Right now, the Frogs are a better program than Colorado or Nebraska.