Nebraska Accepts Big Ten Offer, Notre Dame Next?

Just in.

According to Orangebloods.com, Nebraska has informally agreed to move to the Big Ten Conference, and a formal announcement of departure is coming on Friday.

The Big 12 as we know it may come to an end, followed by a new powerhouse Big Ten Conference.

The University of Nebraska will now be a part of the Big...wait, what number is it again?

With the University of Nebraska accepting the offer to join the Big Ten Conference, there will be 12 teams all together in the "Big Ten" Conference.

But is there more to be added to the conference?

The Big Ten has now reeled in its No. 2 recruit but has bigger plans than just taking Nebraska under its wing. 

Who is their No. 1 recruit?

The Fighting Irish.

As the Big 12 seems to be crumbling to pieces with the departure of Nebraska, Notre Dame is left scrambling for a conference that will still allow them a BCS bowl bid.

Potentially, after this media conglomerate-like expansion being pulled by the Big Ten, there would only be four conferences that would dominate collegiate football play.

If Notre Dame does not join a conference soon, the Big Ten has said it will go after the Big East conference (where, besides football, Notre Dame's other sports play) and absorb two or three teams from that conference as well.

This would leave Notre Dame very alone, and could potentially ruin its tremendous football reputation.

With the Big Ten hungry to expand and full of threats toward Notre Dame, it seems to be a stalemate at the moment.

Notre Dame will not budge, but the Big Ten will not wait much longer.

The only option that will avoid the four-conference domination of collegiate athletics for Notre Dame is that they join a conference, and fast.

However, money is always first these days, and they do have a contract with NBC/Comcast which makes it hard to give up their independence.

Notre Dame doesn't appear to want to leave its current situation, which has them on its own, but if it wants what's best for its organization, it will join a conference.

The Big Ten has promised Notre Dame it will stop their absorption at 12 schools if Notre Dame agrees to join a conference.  And as the Big 12 continues to crumble, Notre Dame is being attacked from all sides.

Notre Dame is losing the Big 12, while the Big Ten continues to breathe down its neck.

The Fighting Irish are cornered, the fate of their organization's reputation is on the line, and they are running out of lifelines.