This summer, there was much talk about sports conferences realigning into some kind of super-conference. The sport that garnered the most attention was NCAA football, and it controlled how conferences would be realigned. After over-hyped daily media coverage and theory after theory of what universities would join other conferences, the University of Nebraska decided to join the Big Ten Conference.
There were a few reasons for the change, one of which the media stated (over and over again) was money. The other reason for Nebraska was spite; the football program was sick and tired of falling into line behind the University of Texas Longhorns.
The finances of the decision were simple for Nebraska. In 2009, the Cornhuskers raked in about $10 million for the athletic department. In 2009, Big Ten schools made approximately $20 million. That is $10 million that Nebraska was tempted with, through a better television contract and revenue sharing between the schools. It is really easy to bail on a conference when there is a $10 million greener pasture on the other side of the fence.
In the words of Neil Diamond, “Money talks, but it don’t sing and dance, and it don’t walk.” Well for Nebraska, the money came talking and they bolted. One of the most prestigious college football programs left the Big 12 Conference.
In the short history of the Big 12 Conference, Texas and Nebraska have a history of their own. When the Big 12 formed back in 1996, Nebraska was coming off back-to-back national championships in 1994 and 1995, and thought they would be able to possibly bully around the behind-the-scenes occurrences based on success. Well, Nebraska forgot about one big thing: they might have been the most successful, but they weren’t the most glamorous. That badge of honor went to the Longhorns, the team with the biggest alumni draw, largest state, and most importantly, the most money.
Article comments
1 - daigoro1715
I think you need to hone your research skills and your editor needs to hone is title writing skills (the NCAA is not a conference). Descibing Nebraska's move to the Big 10 as a decision based on money and an acrimonious relationship with Texas may be icing on the cake, but the spongy middle of the cake is more revealing of the truth. Bob Devaney always wanted Nebraska to move to the Big 10 and Nebraska has been making the moves toward becoming a school known for their academic research. The potential dissolution of the Big 12 (stoked by Missouri and propagated by Texas negotiations with the Pac 10) stimulated Nebraska's discussions with the Big 10. This article is nothing more than a poorly thought out opinion that has no basis in fact.