Big Ten Expansion: Iowa State's Futile Bid for Consideration

If your team is lucky enough to be one of the favorites for conference expansion in the Big Ten or Pac-10 (and possibly in future months in the ACC and SEC) then the back-and-forth discussions over the past six months have been exciting.

Now, if your team is on the outside looking in, the conference discussion has been frustrating and scary. That's why speculation has been all over the place, and also why so many are trying to play out every scenario.

The news today is that Nebraska is going to take the offer from the Big Ten and become the 12th member. Does the Big Ten stop there? Not if Notre Dame decides to join. Then Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany must figure out if he'll add Rutgers and stop at 14 or go all in and bring in two more and go all super conference on us.

Orangebloods.com is also reporting that Missouri, once considered a no-brainer for the Big Ten, may be the odd program out of the expansion plan.

So does this mean the Big 12 is kaput?

Probably. And Texas has found a nifty way to make it all appear to be Nebraska's fault.

The Longhorns, who have been manipulating the entire process by sitting back and taking calls from the Big Ten, SEC, and Pac-10, told Nebraska to commit to the Big 12 or the conference is dead.

Nice manners, babe.

So let's see if we have this right: The Cornhuskers and Bo Pelini look like they'll be playing in the Big Ten real soon. Now we wait on Notre Dame to see how the rest of Delany's plan unfolds.

It also appears very likely that Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Colorado will end the Big 12 officially as each heads to the Pac-10.

Sorry, Baylor. That was a nice try by the state legislators to put pressure on UT to include you in the package, but Colorado appears ready to accept the bid and close the door.

What remains of the Big 12 (and that could include Mizzou) will be searching for a home. Depending on what happens with the Big East (poached or not) there could be a home for some. However, the Big East's future isn't much better than the Big 12 right now.

At least one fanbase is making a pitch...no matter how unlikely it is. A group of Iowa State fans have put up a Web site called isutobig10.com.

A little late, but nice try.

Sorry, but Iowa State is no Nebraska. Heck, the Cyclones are no Rutgers.

Tom Perry is a VIP columnist on the Fan Broadcast Network and the editor of the blog Eye And Eer.