16 replies to this topic

[warthog]

Kansas chancellor urging Nebraska to stay put in Big 12
June 7, 2010
CBSSports.com wire reports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little urged her Nebraska counterpart Monday to remain in the Big 12 and help avoid a potential calamity for the Jayhawks.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Gray-Little said she got no indication of what Harvey Perlman might recommend when he meets with Nebraska regents on Friday. She said she also planned to call Missouri chancellor Brady J. Deaton with the same message.

In a rapidly developing story that's strained institutional relationships more than 100 years old, Nebraska and Missouri have both said they are interested in moving to the Big Ten. If they leave, that might prompt six other Big 12 members, including Texas and Oklahoma, to consider a possible linkup with the Pac-10. The death of the Big 12 could put Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State in danger of being left out of any major conference.

Kansas State and Kansas, even with its historically prominent basketball program, would have difficulty maintaining their status as major players in college athletics.

"There are some universities that survive and thrive without a large athletic program," said Gray-Little. "I hope we don't have to test that out."

Not being in a BCS school could hurt Kansas in several ways.

"Obviously, that would be a serious disappointment to our community, whether you're talking about students or alumni or other supporters of athletics," said Gray-Little. "Athletics are important to a university. Athletics helps develop friendships and allegiances to the university."

Gray-Little was in Europe last week when Big 12 officials failed to resolve the difficulties facing the league. She said she has been fully briefed by Kansas officials who represented her at the meetings, and was aware of reports that Missouri and Nebraska have been given until Friday to declare their intentions.

"If those things happen by Friday, we should know next week where we stand with regard to the conference and who's going to be in and who's not," she said. "I'm sure that for [Perlman] and for others, the conversation will involve a great number of issues. I did not get an indication from him on which way things were going to go."

Kansas and Nebraska have been members of the same conference for decades. Kansas and Missouri have a spirited, colorful football rivalry that began in 1891 and is the second-longest in the country. Their game has been played every year since 1919.

Gray-Little said she made sure that Perlman knew where she stood.

"I have not finished my conversations for the day. I intend if not today in the next two days to talk to the presidents and chancellors of other institutions as well," she said.

Led by athletic director Lew Perkins, Kansas is working to put together alternative plans in case the Big 12 does dissolve.

"We want the Big 12 to continue," Gray-Little said. "But because any one or more of these things could happen, part of our discussion also is what would be the next plan for us. I don't have any specifics to give you at this point, but that has to be part of our thinking. If the efforts to keep the Big 12 in fact do not work out, what alternatives will there be for us or K-State and the other universities that might not be part of some new organization?"

Kansas and Kansas State, fierce rivals for decades, have vowed to work together.

"That's been our commitment and our plan, to the extent that it's possible, that we would work together, that we would intend to be in the same conference and have the opportunity to play one another and continue a great tradition of rivalry."

http://www.cbssports...n-bar;btn-print

[warthog]

LOL. Panic much?

[AssKickingBoots]

Well, if anybody is going to get screwed in all this, it'd be Kansas and Kansas State. Iowa State and potentially Baylor (if they aren't rescued by Texas) or Colorado (if the PAC 10 takes Baylor over them) have alot at stake too. I'm really interested in seeing if this ultimatum time frame supposedly given to MU and Nebraska is real.

In the end, I think Kansas and Kansas State will be fine, even if it means joining up with the WAC, MWC, Conference USA, or some combination therein. Heck, just having the two Kansas schools would help make a pretty strong basketball conference. Due to geography, they're going to have a tough time finding a major conference that wants to take them should the Big XII fall apart.

In other words, I think they do have reason to worry, but it won't be the end of the world.

[Dom]

I think the MWC or C-USA would be great fits for the Kansas schools... Plus the Missouri Valley has a conference challenge with the MWC, so having KU or KSU come to Springfield would be pretty amazing

[warthog]

Tigerboard has a pretty funny countdown in their header:



It's like the old 'America Held Hostage: Day 52' shows that begat Nightline.

[Los Pollos Hermanos]

ESPN Radio is saying that Nebraska to the Big 10 is a done deal. Formal announcement will be on Friday.

That might screw Missouri if they aren't asked too.

[autodrummer]

Maybe KU being left out would bring all there fans back down to earth, and let them know they are not and KU is not the best school in the world.

[Los Pollos Hermanos]

Texas schools are leaving too.

That will leave KU, K-State and Mizzou f**ked.

[HG]

The big 3?

[AssKickingBoots]

DallasChief, on 09 June 2010 - 03:01 PM, said:

ESPN Radio is saying that Nebraska to the Big 10 is a done deal. Formal announcement will be on Friday.

That might screw Missouri if they aren't asked too.

I've heard that, but it doesn't make sense to me.

Missouri makes more sense in almost every facet besides football tradition. Geographically, Missouri is closer. Missouri's a bigger school. The state has far more TV sets. As far as I understand, Missouri is more highly thought of academically (both are AAU schools, but Missouri is also in the ORAU and the APLU).

Nebraska has some national name recognition in football, which is why the national sports media might be tempted to say that. I'll believe that it's just Nebraska when I see it.

HG, on 09 June 2010 - 04:43 PM, said:

The big 3?

Actually, that'd leave Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and maybe Colorado in the North alone. Regardless of what happens with the Texas schools, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State might not get offers in the South (at least not right away). There's a chance some Texas school(s) like Baylor could wind up stuck too. Adding some schools like Colorado State, TCU, UTEP, Houston, or someone else might maintain a viable conference, especially with Oklahoma sticking around.

[HG]

Biggest mistake made was going form the Big eight to the big 12.

[warthog]

Nebraska just being less tight lipped than Missouri. Both Nebraska's and Mizzou's board of regents are meeting today. Both Nebraska and Mizzou were given an ultimatum by the Big 12. There's too much there for it not to be both schools going. I think NU just let the cat out of the bag and MU is keeping mum.

[AssKickingBoots]

warthog, on 10 June 2010 - 07:17 AM, said:

Nebraska just being less tight lipped than Missouri. Both Nebraska's and Mizzou's board of regents are meeting today. Both Nebraska and Mizzou were given an ultimatum by the Big 12. There's too much there for it not to be both schools going. I think NU just let the cat out of the bag and MU is keeping mum.

That's what I'm thinking. If that's the case, the Big Ten (11) is probably going to 14 teams. I don't know who the 3rd new team would be though.

[Los Pollos Hermanos]

warthog, on 10 June 2010 - 07:17 AM, said:

Nebraska just being less tight lipped than Missouri. Both Nebraska's and Mizzou's board of regents are meeting today. Both Nebraska and Mizzou were given an ultimatum by the Big 12. There's too much there for it not to be both schools going. I think NU just let the cat out of the bag and MU is keeping mum.

Curator confirms MU has no Big Ten offer

COLUMBIA | Missouri has not received an invitation to apply for membership in the Big Ten Conference, according to a member of the University of Missouri Board of Curators.

"That was as of a week ago," Warren K. Erdman, a curator from Kansas City, told The Star on Thursday morning, adding that he had been in Washington, D.C., for a week but that he had not been informed that that situation had changed.

"I'm sure we'll get an update here," said Erdman just before he walked into a closed-to-the-media executive session of the Board of Curators on Thursday morning at the Reynolds Alumni Center.

http://www.kansascit...has-no-big.html

[AssKickingBoots]

Meh, I'm not worried. Worst case scenario, the Big XII survivors can join up with the Mountain West and it'd be a pretty good, BCS conference. Seriously.

[autodrummer]

well Colorado is gone. I don't see the big 12 holding together much longer. Everyone on ESPN is saying that the all of the south is pretty much going west to the PAC10.

[Coach]

HG, on 09 June 2010 - 10:34 PM, said:

Biggest mistake made was going form the Big eight to the big 12.

A-f**king-men.