Herbie Husker could be joining Herky the Hawk in the Big Ten.
The Omaha World-Herald reports that one Big 12 exec expects Nebraska's defection to the Big Ten to come as early as Friday. That's when Nebraska's regents are expected to meet. Nebraska A.D. Tom Osborne expects the expansion talk to be put to bed soon.
"There's a lot of information we really don't have right now," Osborne said during an appearance on the Husker Sports Network. "Hopefully we'll get these put together in the next few days."
Like say, an invitation? ESPN reports that the Cornhuskers are leaning toward the Big Ten -- even though they haven't been invited in.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Missouri has until June 17 to pledge loyalty to the Big 12 or else. What the "or else" is is unknown. But you better believe Missouri will bolt to the Big Ten if given the opportunity.
Kansas sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts are expected to
hold a press conference today at 10:45 a.m. to urge
Nebraska to say in
the conference (KMBC Channel 9 will
have a live feed) to save the asses of Kansas and Kansas State.
"We believe as charter members of the former Big 8Conference and as current members of the Big XII Conference, it is
important Kansas State University, the University of Kansas and the
University of Nebraska continue to partner with the Big XII Conference.
We remain hopeful the Nebraska Board of Regents will come to the same
conclusion as the Kansas Board of Regents, that member institutions
should join efforts to sustain and advance the Big XII."
Odd, no mention of Missouri in their plea to keep the Big 12 together.
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver is promising
to help the Cyclones land in a good conference, perhaps even the
Big Ten. One can dream.
Texas' Rivals site Orangebloods.com
is reporting that Colorado could be on the verge of abandoning the Big
12, although they may just be announcing that the school is losing
scholarships in basketball and football due to poor Academic Progress
Rates. Not good for a school hoping to jump to a conference that places a
premium on academics like the Pac-10. By the way, the Buffs still haven't
received an invitation.
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The real competition and drama, however, could be between the university attorneys arguing over the penalties of leaving the conference.
Big 12 bylaws require a two-year notice for leaving, and that school forfeits 50 percent of its revenue, derived mostly from television contracts, bowl games and the NCAA Tournament for those two years.
For instance, if a school receives $10 million from the conference in each of those two years, the $20 million total would be cut in half and the penalty money would be distributed to the remaining schools.
The penalty escalates if notice is given in fewer than two years, but Nebraska made it known Friday at its Big Ten party/Big 12 mortgage burn that it had no intention of paying one penalty dollar even though it will join the new league after next season.
Chancellor Harvey Perlman said it would be �inappropriate� for the Big 12 to enforce the penalty because of the conference�s impending doom. Beebe wasn�t going to let the Cornhuskers off the hook.
�That�s contrary to our bylaws to me,� he said.
On this matter, Beebe will have considerable support from Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Baylor, the five schools that as of the moment aren�t being openly courted by another conference.
Say seven schools jump ship and penalties are enforced. The Big 12 will have handed out $139 million to its 12 schools this year. Under the league�s bylaws the lion�s share of that money will be withheld from the lease-breaking seven and awarded to the leftover five.
As much as $20 mil a pop. Nice seed money to start a new life, yes?
Ah, but there�s a snag. The Big 12 is incorporated in Delaware because of the state�s friendly corporate laws.
And where it takes nine votes to change any Big 12 bylaw, there�s nothing on the Big 12 books about dissolution. In Delaware, majority rules, and seven votes could dissolve a conference.
With all the hand ringing and hubris being raised about the major conferences expanding maybe the NCAA will also implode.
And maybe Congress will look at why season tickets, luxury box suites, donations to the athletic departments of universities are tax-exempt as donations for education.
The athletic departments keep all the money. Few (if any) share funds with the educational side of the schools.
Perhaps BCS will just become a professional league (officially).
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