NCAA Conference Realignment Questions Answered

All the talk of NCAA Conference realignment had my head spinning.  At one point, I decided just to stop listening to all the speculation and just wait for the dust to settle, primarily because I don't have an in-depth understanding of it to where I could make good predictions, nor do I fully grasp the ramifications behind some of the moves.

That's why I enlisted the help of some of my friends from across GuysNation whose perspective on college sports I respect.

I posed them 9 questions, and while only one of the guys answered all 9 of the questions (one answered 8, the other 7), we did get a good perspective on everything I was wondering about.

How big is the loss of Nebraska and Colorado for the Big 12?

Scotty (Pennsylvania) Nebraska Colorado are hits, but not crippling. They have "draw" as far as being football schools, (more so Nebraska than Colorado) but with Oklahoma, OSU, and Texas in there, they'd each be maybe 3rd at the highest every given year as far as how they rank in the Big XII.

Greg (Iowa) Colorado isn't that big of a deal. Nebraska is because they help solidify a weak north division and give UT/OU a SOS boost. Colorado has been historically bad with only a few winning seasons, where as Nebraska is a storied program.

Dube (Kansas) Most people (including higher-ups in the Big XII) don't seem to think losing either of those schools is a big deal. Nebraska had football tradition, but outside of that they offered very little and Nebraska isn't exactly a big media market. Colorado gave the conference the Denver market--and I guess we see how much that meant since there's no fussing over them leaving. People are actually saying losing those teams has made the Big XII BETTER. There's a stat out there that if you removed NU and CU from the Big XII this past season in basketball, the Big XII would have had the highest conference RPI. Not that that means anything, but again--when something like that is brought out--just shows you how much those schools 'meant' to the conference.

Which school was the most important for the Big 12 to have kept?

Scotty (Pennsylvania) Texas. It all laid on Texas. Texas goes and the Big XII doesn't exist. They not only have a Big XII network coming, but also Texas is getting their own network to keep them in the Big XII. They are one of the biggest "money makers" in College sports... They are in the top three for sure, and may be #1, not 100% on that number.

Greg (Iowa) Hands down, Texas. Biggest money maker now that the program is good.

Dube (Kansas) Texas. Texas is by far the largest school in the conference and because of it's success in football and basketball, and oh yeah, the large alumni base--they held all the power in negotiations. Texas had wanted a TV deal for itself, something the Big XII looked down on. In the end, the conference conceded because it knew if Texas left, the conference was basically dead. I guess the people in the Big XII decision-making areas felt it was in their best interest to see they still had a job at the end of the day.

How weird is it going to feel to have Nebraska in the Big 10?

Scotty (Pennsylvania) Nebraska is a perfect fit from a stylistic standpoint. They play tough defense, and run the ball. They are a "Big 10" team.

Greg (Iowa) Honestly, for me? Not very weird at all, but that's because they're in the same region, play the same style of football (which is different than the Big XII's) and their fans, the majority of people in Nebraska, are blue collar workers just like most of the Big Ten's.

Dube (Kansas) Probably as weird as when Penn State joined in 1991 for most people. For me it takes a double dose of weird since I have rooting interests in their old and new conferences. It'll be strange not seeing NU on the schedule for K-State anymore. Ever since the late '90's when K-State football reached a high level of prominence, KSU fans/students saw NU as a huge rival in football. Now that game is gone. Now NU gets to play Ohio State and Michigan and Penn State on a yearly basis. They'll fit in--but seeing Herbie Husker hanging out in the upper midwest?? Surreal.

Who would you think would be a fit to be a good conference rival for Nebraska?

For the answer to this question plus a perspective on Iowa, Kansas basketball, the impact on the PAC-10, the Mountain West Conference, Boise State, Utah, USC and Notre Dame, follow this link to the full article at GuysNation.com
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