Left the Big 12 for Big 10? Sounds like they might jump somewhere else. I think Big 10 jump the gun and may regret it .
I thought it was the Longhorn network, on top of the already unequal $ distribution-that everyone has always had to endure, for the “honor” of playing in conference with the Longhorns. I’m sure there are more details.
GHG
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Interestingly enough, Spencer Tillman was on Finebaum a few minutes ago talking about Nebraska. The reason they gave for leaving was a combination of the Longhorn issues, and the “higher academic” status of the Big 10. Also, there would eventually be more money distribution. I sure would like to see them back in the Big 12 though, that Nebraska/Oklahoma rivalry was fun to watch, especially in the 70’s.
Absolutely no chance Nebraska is leaving the Big 10. Zero. None.
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Nebraska left for the same reason every conference switch is made: money.
The Longhorn Network hurt the Big 12’s position in the TV marketplace, which hurt the potential revenue each school could receive. It’s no coincidence that Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri and Texas A&M all left within a short time of the LHN launching, and that the Big 12 couldn’t attract better teams than West Virginia and TCU.
At the time Nebraska left the conference, the Big Ten Network was the only league-specific channel on TV, and the Big Ten has been really profitable because of it. Nebraska received $54 million in conference payouts last year. Compare that to $38.8 million per Big 12 school last year.
The Big Ten presidents loved Nebraska’s standing as an Association of American Universities (AAU) member, a high honor for research. I think an AAU standing was required for new membership. Ironically, Nebraska has lost its AAU standing since joining the Big Ten and is the only conference school without that status.
I never thought Nebraska was a good fit in the Big Ten, but given the money it stands to lose by moving elsewhere, I’m not sure it can do better in the conference structure. It won’t command the attention needed to be a football independent, it is doubtful it moves back to the Big 12, and it is a worse fit for the SEC or Pac-12 than it is the Big Ten.
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Thanks for the info Matt. It is unfortunate that the LHN has screwed up a pretty good conference the Big XII. They would be a much better conference if it wasn’t for LHN! Colorado, Missouri, Texas A&M, and Nebraska all left for basically the same reason!
Nebraska also learned that ut was quietly negotiating a move to the Pac12 while at the same time ut was publicly telling the other Big12 teams that is was committed to staying in that conference.
Not sure the ut/Pac12 deal would have happened since Pac12 required that ut give up their Network which was a deal-breaker in those negotiations.
Understand the learning about the ut/Pac12 negotiations was the last straw for Nebraska in addition to their frustration with the Big12 giving favoritism to ut.
None of the Big12 teams trust ut, but most have no other options - at least until 2025. Those that did have options (NE, MO, CO, & aTm) departed the Big12.
My Nebraska friends say it was the league’s decision to allow the Longhorn Network and what it did to the league’s revenue. Matt nailed it.
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Going along with Texass arrogance is never a good plan.
I suspect Yew-tee is going to eventually find itself isolated or it’s going to have to swallow its pride and share revenue. It’s fortunate other B12 teams have few options. I bet OU and OSU would love to join the SEC. WVa might prefer the ACC or Big 10. The others are probably stuck.
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Four 16-team conferences remains a possibility. COVID-19 may have brought that closer. It also may have laid the groundwork for the P5 telling the NCAA to kiss off. But the P5 would then have to replace March Madness and the CWS, both of which have the charm of the little guys going against Goliath and occasionally succeeding (Coastal Carolina, Fresno State, Gonzaga before Gonzaga became a big guy).
Yeah, I know that’s a possibility. I don’t like the idea, but I could see it happening. When it comes to football, 16 is just too many teams. It’s less a conference than it is just a financial arrangement when it’s that many teams. The 8-team divisions within the conference would be more like a conference. Regardless, I see it as a possibility.
As for the P5 breaking from the NCAA, like you said, the big drawback would be how to treat the other sports. I’d kinda like to see a P6 or maybe P7 for football–the 80-90 schools that compete at a higher level than the MAC’s & Sunbelt. I suppose it’s possible for the football conferences to split off from the NCAA for football but stay attached for the other sports. The question would then become how willing the smaller conferences would be to put up with that arrangment.
AAC and CUSA would seem to be the next tier, and they’re the ones hanging on with the SEC, LD and ACC for this fall, along with the Scum Belt.
Right now there are 76 schools in FBS who still plan a fall season. Subject to change.
OU fans would love to move to the SEC & consider it likely except that OU is tied to OU/Okie St as a package deal per OK legislators. Less that great Okie St academics make them a hard sell.
Supposedly KS is hoping to go Big10 someday & upgrading their football facilities & staff are in hopes that is a possibility. They would be a good fit due to basketball.
It was publicly discussed that hiring & keeping Campbell at Iowa St football head coach was in efforts to make ISU attractive to Big 10.
There is still talk in Norman of OU interest in Big10 if SEC is not an option.
TT has discussed Pac12 option if Big12 splinters.
West Virginia in Big12 makes little sense due to distance other than they have no place to go in part due to bad academics. That is why SEC rejected them in the past.
Uof Houston would be viable in the Big 12 & wants to be in, but ut does not want to risk sharing the Houston recruiting market (already shared with aTm) plus UH embarrassed ut during their short stint in the SWC.
Like SWC, Big12 is dysfunctional for obvious reasons & may be at risk of imploding when their contract expires in 2025. The good thing for the Big12 teams is that there are only 10 schools sharing in the big Texas tv market & revenues.
In my opinion, academics are a bullet point item in trying to sell the public on adding a new university, but they really play little role in the actual selection process for conferences. The main determining factors are whether the new team can add to the league’s overall football product, and how many new TV markets the team can provide.
When the SEC added Missouri and Texas A&M, it also added significant interest from TV markets in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, St. Louis and Kansas City. Those are all top 40 markets, with Dallas and Houston both in the top 10. That helped the next year when the SEC began to shop the concept of the SEC Network to cable and satellite providers.
Nebraska provided the Big Ten a mid-size market (Omaha), but a big football fan base that stretches into surrounding states. Rutgers and Maryland have had occasional football success, but delivered top 10 markets in New York and Washington.
Yup. That’s the only reason Rutgers and Maryland got into the BT.
Pac-12 made a lot of noise about academics, but Utah and Colorado are tied for #104 in US News rankings. Still better than Molester State and Wazzu, but hardly adding academic gems to the league.
You have to wonder at what point geography becomes a real obstacle. WV in the Texas League doesn’t make sense. It’s a long enough trek for football, but when you throw in the other sports, well, it’s halfway across the country. Even though we & TAMU are a long way from Gainesville & Columbia, SC, overall the SEC is relatively compact. Same with the Big 10.
The PAC 12 is spread out. It’s a long way from Tucson to Washington. It’s even a long way from LA to Washington. I always had a hard time imagining Texas being a good fit there. TT even less so even though it’s relatively close to CU & the AZ schools.
Seems like CUSA is scattered all over the country. I lose track of who all is in it & in the AAC, though.
CUSA is scattered from El Paso (UTEP) to Norfolk, VA (Old Dominion). In different divisions of course, but still. Big Twelve doesn’t have divisions.
American stretches from Houston in the southwest to Philly (Temple) in the northeast.
Old Dominion is in FBS!? I did not even know that.
Finished 3-5/5-7 in 2019, sixth in the East Division. Joined C-USA in football in 2014.