Pac 12 Expansion, Big 12 Implosion: Who Will Speak for the Fans

The Big 12 seems determined to implode on itself and it's fans are the one's who will suffer. It's like a really bad divorce where the kids pay the ultimate price.

I had a friend, who is nothing more than a casual sports fan, ask me why the Big 12 is breaking up. I felt like he was one of those poor kids in the divorce. The sad part is that as much as I follow sports, I could not answer that question.

It's easy to give the answers we read about and hear about on the radio and television: t.v. contracts, the Longhorn Network and some teams are tired of being bullied by other teams. It's just that if you take a step back and look at the entire situation, there really is no logical explanation.

Three seasons ago the Big 12 was the biggest show around. Three way ties were being worked out to decide who would play for a birth in the BCS Championship and the South Division alone dominated the polls.

Even today the number one football team in the country resides in the Big 12 and three of it's teams are ranked in the Top 10. Regardless of it's strength, most of the country now sees the Big 12 as a company going out of business.

How did this happen? None of this makes any sense.

Nebraska and Colorado left last year despite the fact that being in the Big 12 was paying off for both programs.

Nebraska was a virtual lock to play in most Big 12 Championship games and Colorado showed that even with an average team they could compete in the Big 12 North. In fact, they won the title with a very average team in 2001.

Now Nebraska has thrown away one of college football's greatest rivalries with Oklahoma and The Buffaloes are about

Oklahoma may or may not want to go to the Pac 12. That changes by the day.

Oklahoma State wants the Big 12 to stay together, but they are going to go wherever their big brother takes them.

Texas and Texas A&M can't get along, so the Aggies are wanting to run away.

Meanwhile, schools like Kansas and Missouri have to be standing there wondering what in the world has happened. To be honest with you, so are the rest of us.

The Big 12 was great. It was fun. It was successful. Most importantly, it was a vehicle to get you to a national championship.

Common belief was that if you won the Big 12, you had a great shot at playing in the BCS Championship. For the most part, that was true.

Just ask Oklahoma and Texas. The Sooners have played in 4 BCS Championships since the inception of the Big 12. They even played for a championship in 2003 when they lost the conference title game. Texas has made two appearances in the BCS title game.

Oklahoma has spoken up. Today they have said they would work to help save the Big 12 if Commissioner Dan Beebe is replaced and something is done about the Longhorn Network. Finally, somebody sees the importance of this league.