Geoff

I honestly don't see how they didn't see this coming. Baylor and Iowa State may have been content to be quiet and take their money but Nebraska, A&M, and others wouldn't be silent and subservient forever. Hell even Stoops doesn't see the need to continue the Red River Rivalry if OU and UT end up in different conferences.

It's not going to be the PAC-12/16 Networks and Longhorn Network. The talk is to convince Texas to take a little less money and just shift the Longhorn Network into the PAC-16's Texas network that covers both Texas Tech and Texas.

I think it will still be run by ESPN people and use ESPN graphics, etc. The fact that they have deals to distribute it has nothing to do with who actually runs the production aspect.

For shame? I'm a Louisville fan so I will be perturbed if they are left out in the cold but football is the money maker in this modern age. Even with Louisville being the most profitable program, that doesn't guarantee a league that has them will be as profitable.

Not the mention the fact that WVU fits the academic landscape of the SEC.

Yeah, it's mainly about football but the bad blood might be toxic enough that A&M could convince them to block a move to even a sport like gymnastics.

Texas A&M would just join UF, UGA, USCe, and UK in blocking an in-state rival from joining.

A&M could go down tomorrow?

Academics may be the reason but I do know of at least one recruit who had iffy academics and possibly wouldn't have made it ND at all suddenly was a early enrollee. And oddly enough his mom suddenly had a new job in Northern Indiana.

Not quite. They still get love every pre-season no matter how bad they were the year before.

A football school breakaway or kicking out basketball schools (remember: the basketball teams would now be a minority as opposed to the current 8/8, or 9/8 when TCU joins, setup as it is now) will see the Big East lose programs like Nova (if they don't join in football), Seton Hall, and Georgetown but also the likes of Depaul and Providence. Big East/whatever a new conference would be called would still feature UConn, Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse, WVU, Kansas, and Kansas State in basketball and still be one of, if not the, top basketball leagues. More intrigue might be Notre Dame. If everything goes to 16-team football conferences where do they go? Take their entire athletic program to the Big 10, finally join the Big East in football, fall into irrelevance?

Given to option to put USF on less of an island or TCU on less of an option, TCU looks to be winning. Missouri, Kansas and K-State is a greater addition than UCF + whoever when you look at the whole picture. These three additions would be the nail in the coffin of Nova to FBS unless they find a 14th football member and that school would likely have to be football only.

That's why I said the Texas legislature, not the Big XII. There's difference between the league's wish-list and who is actually going to get into the league. TX Legislature is not going to be there issue; the Missouri Chancellor is the chair of the committee is Brady Deaton The Big XII is now Texas + 8. He's the Chair of the COMMITTEE. It's a group decision not just his and the Legislature will make as big a push as possible for another or multiple new Texas-based members.

That's why I said the Texas legislature, not the Big XII. There's difference between the league's wishlist and who is actually going to get into the league.

The Texas Legislature wants as many Texas schools in AQ conferences. TCU is about to be in one so they're not gonna want to move them from the Big East to the Big XII as that would be a logisitcal and financial nightmare and it takes away a slot for a potential 7th (or more depending on how far the Big XII goes) AQ school. They'll use it as an opportunity to get a Houston or a SMU into the league before they try to get TCU into the league. Also, UTEP?

So a week from tomorrow we could see the next major shift in college athletics.

When Utah left it cost them nothing so they will definitely make more than they lost. It wasn't until after TCU, Utah, and BYU left or announced they were leaving that the league adopted it's $5 mil penalty for leaving.

Supposedly this will all be done in 3 weeks.

And the SEC has said "Thanks for the interest, but no thanks," for now. Didn't decline but didn't invite.

But then there's this tweet. Big 12 source tells Tulsa World: "Missouri rumor is false...so far there is no real sign of (Mizzou) leaving." #big12 #sec The Big XII has said that if only Texas A&M leaves they could go on with 9 but will definitely be looking for expansion. There's also talk of the Texas legislature pulling strings and getting another current Texas non-AQ school into an AQ conference. It won't be TCU, mpst likely SMU or Houston since no other team is currently anywhere near strong enough (I'm looking at you UTSA, TSU, UNT, and UTEP). They'd gain another in-state AQ school, Texas A&M doesn't have to deal with Texas' in conference, everybody wins.

According to this, the SEC is about to jump to 16 with Texas A&M, Mizzou, Florida State, and Clemson.

It was never going to happen and their is no point if it were real. Clemson, Florida State and Louisville are alike in that they are in markets where the SEC already has a presence. What's the difference? FSU and Clemson have football history. The SEC would gain a school that's good in basketball and non-revenue sports, that's it. A few Louisville fans think that Louisville would eventually be a goodish and occasionally strong SEC football team, I don't. It's easier to pick up the South Florida kids and beat the rest of the Big East. Source? Source I was referring to the Big East side of things since the mention of feelings was concerning UConn blocking BC from rejoining.

The Big East has already extended a standing invitation. I'd say feelings aren't too hurt.

TAMU is a done deal, will be announced August 22nd. FSU is being talked about and sources say they would accept, pending an offer. However, look out for Florida to veto that move. I see Virginia Tech as a more likely candidate. Why does everyone think Florida would get in the way of FSU to the SEC? Florida was the sponsor to try and get them into the SEC in the 90s. The Maryland to B10 is done and was done before the B10 even expanded. The latest push involving the Terps is the Big East trying to get them to join and BC to re-join. Not really. Look at the 2011 class and the way the 2012 class is shaping up. If all they cared about was FSU hurting UF's recruiting, they would just keep rooting for FSU to win recruiting battles and the other SEC coaches would negatively recruit against Florida. All that said, I'd prefer the Noles stay in the ACC as it would be an easier road to the National Championship or BCS game.

The guy needs to do a little research. Yes TSU and UTSA are joining but he forgets South Alabama will fully be FBS in 2013. Also, Charlotte, after changing their initial plans of staying FCS, are now considering joining the FBS. And Villanova isn't anywhere close to being considered "likely" yet. They'll make their decision on the 12 and the last I head in an interview with the head editor of the Villanova Rivals.coim site that was conducted only about 2 weeks before the decision said that he is hearing that among people who matter it is only 51% for and 49% against. When considering a decision of this magnitude you can not just defer to a simple majority. This is why I think Villanova will stay at the FCS level.