Here we go......
I'm going to just go ahead and get straight to the point on this one, the Big Ten has gained Nebraska, the Pac-10 Colorado, and the Big 12 has dropped to ten teams, and a "lucrative" television deal. The reasons why behind each are very very simple...............MONEY.
I have heard all of the reasoning behind it, the moaning and speculation of many fans from all over the country, there is no truth to your reasoning, its just all about money. Why do you think Nebraska and Colorado left the Big 12? Why do you think the rest of the Big 12 had a summit and decided to create a television network? It's not about tradition, it's not about geographical location, its not about the integrity of the game.....it's about money.
The truth is that the revenue sharing amongst all the other leagues is split evenly at the end of every season. It just happens that the average revenue per team in every Big Six conference was somewhere around 10-12 millions dollars, with the exception of the Big Ten. The revenue sharing in our conference was around 20-23 million dollars per school because we have the Big Ten network, which is the reason behind all of this expansion craze.
A lot of folks have been speculating that the reason for expansion is to create a more competitive environment, to force the BCS system to crash and fail, and create an opportunity for playoffs. Some will even say that it will cost the schools more money because they have to charter a plane to travel further now in mega-conferences. I have heard it all, the truth is that all of these are possible results of expansion, college football is as competitive as it has ever been today, playoffs will eventually work their way into the picture, and let's be honest, most college teams have private jets or contract deals with airlines for travel already. As evidenced by the fact that PSU flew into Philly to face Temple a few years back when they could have just drove for three hours.
With all of this happening, I would go ahead and expect expansion to be a central theme for the near future because we're not done just yet. Yes, the Big Ten has Nebraska, which will eventually give us a Big Ten title game. Yes, the Pac-10 now has 12 teams including Utah and Colorado and a conference title game. Yes, the Big 12 has 10 teams and a new television deal, but there's one domino in this picture that will fall and ruin the whole picture of current expansion.
The Big 12 is that domino. The Big 12 went for a quick fix, putting all of its faith in one school, one program, and that was Texas. Commissioner Beebe might look like a superhero now, but mark my words, he will be looking more like Enron in the years to come. The Big 12 made the mistake of selling its soul to Texas, and the viability of the Big 12 relies on this new television deal, which was tailored to meet Texas' needs.
With the new television contracts, the revenue sharing will most likely double in the Big 12. It's genius, each program will receive more money, and each school's athletic program will benefit without a doubt. Now that sounds great, doesn't it? But the truth remains that Texas and Oklahoma will benefit more than all the other schools because the revenue sharing will not be split evenly. As part of the deal to remain in the Big 12, Texas and Oklahoma get a bigger share of the pot than all the other schools, and this creates a very big problem.
As you see, in the Big Ten, the SEC, Pac-10, ACC, and even the Big East, every program gets the same amount. Northwestern will receive 22 million dollars at the end of the season, just like Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan. It doesn't matter the name, it is split evenly in every conference but the Big 12. Now what do you think is going to happen when Jim Delany comes knocking on the door promising these other schools equal shares? Not even Jim Delany, think about the Mountain West, they just lost Utah, got Boise State, and have a great opportunity to pluck some teams right out of the lower divisions of the Big 12. Those schools are not just going to sit around and let Texas and Oklahoma create a conference that just benefits them, they will not sit around and be Yes Men.
The beauty of it all is that factors such as geographical location, tradition, and trust no longer play a factor. These other schools will eventually get what is right for their programs, and in the end, once Texas and Oklahoma have no other choice but to join other conferences, they will too. It is their pride that holds this conference together, and it will be their pride that will burn it to the ground. When it's all said and done, all those schools will get equal shares of around 20 million dollars per year, just from another conference.
We Are....................
