Thunderstorms, some heavy during the morning hours, then skies turning partly cloudy during the afternoon. High around 85F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..
A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Updated: September 22, 2023 @ 5:07 am
As another college football season dawns, some thoughts about the ironies of conference realignment. Let’s see if I can keep just a few straight.
The Big 12 is formed in the mid-1990s, a planet revolving around two poles: Texas and Nebraska. Both of them football powerhouses.
But then Nebraska leaves the Big 12 to get away from Texas. In going to the Big 10, its football slide to mediocrity hastens dramatically. Then Texas decides to leave the Big 12 anyway, tired of getting beat by K-State rather than, say, Alabama. That’s the only motivation I can think of. Can’t be the money.
So, anyway, what was Nebraska leaving for?
Texas A&M leaves the Big 12 to get away from Texas. Then Texas joins the SEC, too. What was A&M leaving for?.
Missouri yammers on about joining the Big 10, an “academically stronger” league, then goes to the SEC, where they’re lucky to be able to spell “SEC.” What was the point?
OU jumps with Texas, presumably so as to remain a football power. Then their rock-star coach leaves to go to USC, obviously afraid of ending up a second-tier outfit in the new league. The guy they turn to in order to avoid that is, ironically, a K-State guy. Dude went to Salina South. Maybe he can reverse fortunes. So…what are they leaving for, again?
Anyway, the league now has lost the two poles that the planet revolved around, and also OU, the perennial title-contender. And A&M, and Missouri. And yet it ends up with a bigger TV contract, and with schools banging down the doors to get in.
Colorado leaves the Big 12 to, I dunno, I guess join up with Cal and Stanford in high-roller academic circles. Then, after a decade of mediocrity, hires Neon Deion as coach and jumps back to the Big 12 to get football players on better TV channels. Remind me…why did they leave? How is it they’re better off after all that?
As an aside: The Big 12 proposes a merger or an alliance with the Pac-12, which rebuffs that idea on the grounds that the Big 12 is not fancy enough, academically – despite the fact that a league is nothing but an athletic affiliation. Then four of their schools jump to the Big 12 and the rest – including the fanciest, Stanford and Cal, are left dangling with nowhere to go.
None of us here with any brains in our head relish their misfortune, or – more particularly – that of Washington State and Oregon State. There but for the grace of God go I, you know. It just so happened that in this round of musical chairs, we were left with somewhere to sit. Next time, maybe not.
But you have to laugh. You just have to. The irony is too thick to do anything else.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
