Conference Realignment: Can the Big 12 Trust Texas?

So about that whole Pac-16 superconference thing...

Apparently, after weeks of talking about the major landscape-shifting repercussions that a Pac-12 expansion would have on college football, it seems that it was all just a bunch of wasted concern.

On Tuesday night, commissioner Larry Scott announced that the Pac-12 would stay at 12 teams, and that his conference would not seek expansion at this time.

That means that the much-rumored Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech migration to the west coast will not happen.

That is, at least not right now.

For weeks, we’ve been hearing that it was "only a matter of time," but it just goes to show that speculating about these types of moves is a colossal waste of time.

Now that the one big bomb that was supposed to explode and send college football into chaos turned out to be a dud, where do we go from here?

What does it mean for all of the conferences east of the Rockies?

For the Big 12, specifically, it at least means hope.

Even if the Pac-12 had just sent invitations to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, that would have likely been enough to destroy the conference, as there would have been just seven teams remaining, since Texas A&M has already been accepted into the SEC.

Now, with nine teams remaining, there’s at least a chance for survival.

The Big 12 has already been in contact with teams like BYU and Louisville to gauge their interest in becoming the conference’s 10th piece.

As long as all nine teams commit to the future of the league, the conference's prestige can certainly be repaired. However, you have to wonder if there are going to be any hard feelings after all of this. Schools like Oklahoma and Texas showed little faith in the stability of the Big 12 when times got a little tough.

Texas has been walking a fine line recently.  

The new Longhorn Network has become a major point of contention within the Big 12, and it was reportedly the deal-breaker that turned the Pac-12 away.

We’ve already seen Texas A&M get all worked up over the LHN, which resulted in the Aggies severing ties with the rest of the Texas schools for a shot to make a name for themselves in the SEC.

It’s true that Texas is a revenue giant, and the Austin school has made the Big 12 what it is today. However, even though the conference’s schools have enjoyed some more financial stability because of Texas, that still doesn’t mean they’re pleased with how the Longhorns do business.

Texas has made it clear that the best thing for them is if the Big 12 stays together, which would allow them to keep their current Longhorn Network contract intact.

But why should Big 12 schools feel obligated to commit to Texas, if Texas was so neglectful of them during all of this?

If the Pac-12 had overlooked the LHN matter, Texas would probably be gone right now and the Big 12 would be dead.

Why should a school like Missouri, who is reportedly receiving interest from the SEC, feel safe in committing to the Big 12 after all of this?

Can Texas really be trusted?

With the addition of the Longhorn Network, Texas has clearly shown that its first priority is to protect its own interests. 

Yes, every team in the country has their own agenda, but not every team in the country has as much power as Texas.

Sadly, because it is such a powerful program, Texas has most of the leverage in this situation. Even if Big 12 schools don’t want to trust Texas, their alternatives are limited at this point. The sensible option is to give the Longhorns what they want and keep the Big 12 train rolling.