Huskerzone.com reader Keith Balmer spit out a couple thousand words on the subject of college football expansion on his blog.
While I disagree on a couple of points, we find common ground on our dislike of Notre Dame, and acceptance of the power college football has – second behind the NFL.
College football is second only to the NFL in terms of power and influence. I don’t know why I’ve been so damn stubborn. I love the NBA. I have a love-hate relationship with MLB. But I never wanted to give college football the benefit of the doubt. Even though I saw with my own eyes (when I worked at a sports bar in Atlanta) just how P.O.P.U.L.A.R. college football is. Who are we kidding here? It’s a freaking professional sport!
Good perspective from outside of the cornbelt. You can also follow Keith on Twitter at @KeithSmooth
Citing an unnamed executive at a Big 12 school, the Omaha World Herald is reporting that Nebraska is expected to announce their joining of the Big 10 as early as Friday.
An executive at a Big 12 school relayed to The World-Herald on Tuesday that he expects Nebraska to become a member of the Big Ten as early as Friday.
NU Chancellor Harvey Perlman has declined all interviews about conference realignment and expansion. He is expected to address the topic with the Board of Regents at its Friday meeting in Lincoln.
Direct confirmation from Nebraska of a conference change for the Huskers wasn’t immediately available. Sources at two other Big 12 schools told The World-Herald that their athletic directors have instructed them to be ready by week’s end for a briefing on probable Big 12 changes.
Those following the @Huskerzone Twitter stream made note of a tweet I posted earlier today regarding rumors of a pending news conference. At the time, I had yet to receive any corroborating evidence and declined publication on Huskerzone.com. In the hours since, new issues have come to light, including numerous reports of Colorado Regents voting tonight on bolting to the Pac-10.
I still lack details at a level I’d be comfortable reporting. However, not being a professional journalist – nor pretending to be one – the ancillary evidence is becoming overwhelming that a change to the college football landscape appears to be rapidly approaching.
As always, if you have something to share, our email address is available over on the sidebar.
ESPN’s Big 12 Blog is reporting the compensation doled out the Big 12 Athletic Directors.
You might note that Tom Osborne is at the bottom of this pile. By design, I might add. He could make more if more was needed, but more isn’t needed. And few things say “NEBRASKA” louder than that.
T.O. also negotiated the new long-term extension with Bo Pelini without the use of agents or trustee members. ESPN notes that this old-school approach is a marked contrast to most high-level contract negotiations today. Something tells me these two could shake on it and that would be fine.
Thursday, May 22 was a dark day for Husker hoop fans. This was the day the Big 12 conference denied entrance to the highly touted basketball recruit, Roburt Sallie. Although the day will be remembered, the saga started in the fall of 2006.
Roburt Sallie committed to Washington out of high school but failed to meet academic requirements. He enrolled at prep school and after a year, committed to NU to play in 2006/07. The NCAA denied him entrance after Sallie could not produce any homework from his year at prep school. Sallie had provided test scores and transcripts, but after 3 appeals he was still denied. Here is what cost NU a shot at possibly the best player they have ever signed. Sallie, while waiting for the appeal from the NCAA in 2006, enrolled ( or someone else did on his behalf ) in NU, paying his own way. This was in violation of Big 12 conference rule 6.2 which reads in part ”any student-athlete who enrolls at a conference institution, part time or full time, must meet NCAA initial eligibility requirements”. Since the NCAA hadn’t cleared Sallie, he was in violation of this rule. Nebraska asked for a waiver from the Big 12 Board, comprised of faculty athletic representatives. A University would have to show extraordinary circumstances in order to receive a waiver, and the conference didn’t feel it was justified.
I am just appaled that the Big 12 conference wouldn’t consider this an ”extraordinary circumstance” since Sallie was getting the runaround from the NCAA in 2006. I am writing a strongly worded response to the Big 12 and if you would like to do that, you can click here. What on EARTH was the Big 12 thinking? Roburt Sallie would’ve run through a brick wall to come to NU and they deny him because of 3 DAYS? This man has gotten the run around since 2006 and this panel had the opportunity to right the wrong and for whatever reason, they chose not to. Do they want this player in some other conference? Roburt Sallie is the the type of player the Big 12 needs. In every interview he ever did about NU, it wasn’t about “I” or “ME” but it was about NU as a school, a team, a family. What is with the Big 12? NU made the Big 12 from 1996-2001, but as of late, the conference has been a HEAVY south conference favorite. What if Texas needed this waiver? NU gets no respect from the Big 12 in my opinion. I say we leave this conference and go somewhere else. They can change the name of the conference to THE OTHER 11. WHO’S WITH ME?
T.O.’s time in Congress may pay off for Nebraska’s student athletes.
According to Omaha World Herald, T.O. is lobbying the Big 12 Conference for more money for scholarship athletes to meet the true “cost of attendance” of going to school beyond tuition, books, room and board.
“When you see facilities expenditures rise 100-fold and coaching salaries increase tremendously,” Osborne said, “it’s my feeling that we should take a large portion of that NCAA TV contract and move toward the cost of attendance, which would be about $2,500 per student more.”
Nebraska has placed a whopping total of 298 student athletes on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Honor Roll. Of those 298, 114 are native Nebraskans, so there is some definite homestate flavor involved. Thirty-Nine football players were on that list, which included LaTravis Washington. This name stuck out to me a little bit. I remember him being recruited last year and people did not know if he was going to qualify academically to enroll at NU. Well he did at the last minute and this speaks volumes to the kind of help and support these students receive. In order to be on the honor roll, one must carry a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Of those 39, six received a perfect GPA of 4.0. Those students were Patrick Witt, Thomas Grove, Brett Byford, Ryan Hill, Jay Martin, and Wes Cammack.
Doc Sadler and the basketball team saw more than half it’s players earn a spot on the Fall Honor Roll with 10.
I have tried unsuccessfully to find who leads the Big 12 for the fall honor roll. If someone finds something, please post it up. I have to think NU is close, if not in the lead.
Three weeks ago I surfed the net to get some insight on the pending search for the next Husker coach. My search took me to an LSU message board. At first I was seen as an outsider, but soon I was welcomed as a college football fan. I have now developed long distance friendships with folks in Louisiana.
We just learned that Bo Pelini is the new Husker coach. The majority of LSU fans are disappointed to loose Coach and at the same time they are happy for him and his family. There are some, however, that are happy to see him go. College football is the same in Louisiana as it is in Nebraska.
We also just learned that LSU will play Ohio State in the BCS Championship game. Congratulations LSU! You earned the right. In a system that doesn’t work, it’s refreshing that a team can play its way into the Championship Game — unlike Ohio State. If only the so called “experts” would have gotten it 100% right and put Oklahoma in the game as well.
The Tigers haven’t had a winning record in the Big 12 during Gary Pinkel’s time, and they are 1-15 against Top 25 opponents.
Like Callahan, Mizzou’s coach is feeling some heat.
When Mizzou fans see two second-year coaches (Prince and Hawkins) engineering upsets, it’s only natural for them to wonder when Pinkel, already in his seventh season, will start to do the same and establish the Tigers as an elite Big 12 team.
The Big 12 North is having a big Saturday. First, Colorado beats No. 3 Oklahoma and then K State takes down No. 7 Texas.
It’s been that kind of day around the nation, as well. No. 10 Rutgers fell to Maryland at home; No. 13 Clemson lost to Georgia Tech in Atlanta; No. 21 Penn State lost to Illinois in Champaign and No. 22 Alabama lost to Florida State in Jacksonville.
USC and Florida are also in battles with Washington and Auburn, respectively. And No. 9 Wisconsin went to the wire with Mighigan State before pulling out a three point win. Maybe there is something to this parity thing, after all.
[UPDATE] USC won by three and Florida lost by three. No. 5 West Virgina also lost on Friday night to No. 18 South Florida. To recap, the numbers 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 teams in the A.P. Poll lost this week.
