Texas saves the Big 12...or something

So it was just a few days ago, I and most of the sports world were pronouncing the death of the Big 12. The conference has sent a team to the BSC championship game almost every year. In this year's Draft, the first four picks were all from the Big 12. But as Colorado and Nebraska left for greener pasture, it seemed that the end was upon the conference. Then all of the sudden, the Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe came up with a plan to keep the conference together. He went right to Texas and basically offered UT what it wanted, more money. A new Big 12 (or whatever it is going to be) tv network contract will be drawn up and Texas will also be able to pursue the creation of the Longhorn Network.

I will give massive credit and lots of respect to Dan Beebe. The Big 12 was on the verge of dying just yesterday and he manages to save his conference. After seemingly outplayed by the Pac-10 and Big Ten, he managed to hold it together. He knew what to do in the end, he had to give Texas more money. For all the talking about wanting to be apart of higher academic standards and research institutions of the Pac-10, Texas really was happy with just getting more money.

So what could this possibly mean for the future?

The Big 12 might as well call itself the Longhorn Conference or the Big Texas Conference, cause its obvious that there is only one star in the conference, the Lone Star. Hook'm Horns!

The Big 12 is now at 10, and will have to add at least two teams to have a championship game. I'm not really sure who they would add, since coming in sort of means you agree to play second banana to Texas. Arkansas used to play with Texas and other schools when the SWC existed, and its a regionally good fit. The problem is Arkansas is in the SEC and it seems unlikely a school would want to leave that conference. Utah is possible but it might be courted by the Pac-10.

Pac-10, who looked the winner at the start of this, comes off not looking so good with just picking off Colorado. They do gain the Denver market but Colorado is not a national player in really any sport. If they can't add Utah or some high level school to bump them up into 12 schools, it seems like more of a bust than an achievement.

And unless something else happens, we all look kind of stupid for suddenly proclaiming the end of little conferences and the beginning of mega-conferences. As much as mega-conferences seem like the future, but it might not be in the best interest of each college. As long as some schools, like Texas and Notre Dame, can make far more money and leverage power on their own, they have no need for mega-conferences.

Kind sucks it all ended so anti-climatically.

A professional source.