The Three Linchpins To College Expansion: THIS Year

In the 1970s, three schools were always in the college football discussion.

With the expansion talk going on this off-season, they’re back. Notre Dame, Nebraska, and — to a lesser extent — Texas are the three most important players in the discussion. And here’s why….

Notre Dame does not want to leave their independent status, with their Athletic Director stating many times that their goal is to remain independent as long as that is viable. But suppose they decided to join the Big 10 right now.

That would give the Big 10, 12 teams and four of the biggest names in college football — Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame.

The prestige of that league would be immense. Ratings beget TV contracts.

TV contracts beget more money and more money is what the Big 10 is ultimately after. Make no mistake; if Notre Dame were to jump to the Big 10 tomorrow, expansion would be done.

But Notre Dame is not going to jump. So that brings us to the Huskers.

Along with Missouri, Nebraska has been given an ultimatum to determine whether to stay in the Big XII or to try to join another conference (presumably the Big 10.)

Nebraska has historically been unhappy with the Big XII since its inception because it is felt that the conference caters to Texas far too much, both in academics and financially.

There have been rumblings about Nebraska going to the Big 10 before — back in the late 1970s when Tom Osborne was Head Coach. “The Good TO” is back in Lincoln now; this time as AD.

If Nebraska leaves the Big XII North, the conference will need realignment. While Missouri is a good program, and K-State and Kansas have made uneven progress toward respectability over the past 15 years, the Big XII North needs Nebraska to remain viable enough to sell the conference’s pay-per-view packages.

Colorado has not been a major player for at least five years, and then there’s Iowa State.

Nebraska could decide to make the move if the Big Ten is serious about its overtures.

Which leads us to Austin….

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Mark is a Jabberhead and an SJ contributing author

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