According to Orange Bloods, citing a member of the Nebraska Board of Regents, Nebraska has agreed to leave the Big XII and join the Big Ten, and that a formal announcement would take place tomorrow. Even ESPN News is jumping all over this one right now, so I imagine it's true.
Specifically, the following quote appears (free) on the front page of Orange Bloods:
A source close to the Nebraska Board of Regents told Orangebloods.com Wednesday Nebraska regents have informally agreed to leave for the Big Ten and will make a formal announcement on Friday. Several sources in the Big 12 South have said if Nebraska leaves, the Big 12 is dead. The league has until June 14 to decide if it's staying together. ... Texas and Texas A&M will meet Thursday. ... Possible schools to add to the Big 12 have been identified. ... Baylor may be facing resistance from the Pac-10. ... And a government warning. ... It's the latest bombshell in possible realignment from the source that broke the story - Orangebloods.com.
And if it is true, here's your weekend forecast for the current structure of college football...
Random thoughts on all of this...
- Texas and Texas A&M are apparently going to meet to discuss all of this tomorrow. I'd bet good money the Pac-10 issues them official invitations to join by tonight.
- If in the very, very small chance that the Big XII can survive as a conference, the other eleven teams stay in the Big XII, and they only need to add one more member... bet the farm they will go after Arkansas. Total implosion is more likely, though.
- The USC scandal and investigation goes on for four years and on the day of the release of the Committee on Infractions Report, it will not even be the biggest story in college football. Surreal.
- Dear Notre Dame, I really hope you were serious about that whole "Man, being an independent is just the greatest thing since sliced bread" thing. Enjoy the bachelor lifestyle, Domers.
- That sound you hear? That is the sound of Kansas fans crying at the thought of having their powerhouse college basketball program stuck in the Mountain West Conference making road trip after road trip in January and February to such wonderful destinations as Provo, Laramie, and Fort Collins.
- That other sound you hear? The is the sound of Big East fans crying... their conference probably just died.
- The athletic directors of Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina all probably have Mike Slive on speed dial right about now.
- Sign of the times? Twitter has blown up. I guess that is how you know that expansion is a big deal.
More Obituaries: From Pete Thamel of the New York Times:
UT and A&M pres/regents/ads to meet in Austin tomorrow to try and save Big 12. "I can’t see Humpty Dumpty coming together," says an B12 AD.