Big 12/SWC Merger (Nebraska sucks)

[SunCoastSooner]

I've had t post this at least four or five times over the years. These events are as related to me by people who were privy to much of it as it occurred during the time period. Many of the Sooners and one of the whorns here knows how I have this information and it is reliable.


Let me start out like this, the Big 12 almost didn’t happen, or at least not in the form that it did when announced in 1994. But to understand you have to go back to where it all really began.

Circa 1978 the universities of Missouri and Kansas came out and said they wanted to get rid of exemptions. This would come to be known as Prop 48. Most people don’t realize this but Prop 48 still exists, it’s just been rewritten. Some schools were using academic exemptions more liberally than others. By 1982 OU had come around to agree with them. Colorado waffled by saying they only wanted them more restricted and more limited. Nebraska was adamantly opposed, as were Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and Iowa State (wonder why?).

1982 was also a big deal for something else. The University of Oklahoma filed a lawsuit against the NCAA that the University of Georgia later joined. They took the NCAA to the Supreme Court of the land and beat them to cede television rights to the universities, who in returned ceded them to the conferences. And the big money race started at a jog.

By 1986 the NCAA redefined prop 48 itself and prop 48s were limited. Multiple Big 8 and SWC schools had been hit by probation. Which was the real reason Nebraska emerged in the 90s the way it did. It out survived everyone. Nebraska was forced to come along kicking and screaming like a little girl who didn’t get candy at the grocery store.

Also in 1986, Oklahoma was nailed by the NCAA. Everyone recalls the SI stories with Thompson on the cover and a lot is made of them. You know what Oklahoma was put on much more severe punishment for than Penn State? Coaches had organized paying for the funeral of player’s child who had died of cancer. That Barry Switzer had loaned the money to a player to fly home to a funeral and was paid back within two weeks. Those were two of three. The third was Larry Lacewell had bought three players in 1983. He did. I’m an OU fan and I admit it. But that also isn’t the whole story. Larry Lacewell was fired and all three players were removed from the team quietly. Barry didn’t report because we had just kicked the NCAA’s ass in court. He knew what was going to happen. We did try to cover it up. Can you blame us? Think about how the NCAA operates now and consider that it was WORSE then!

Then it happened, Arkansas, who was completely sick of Texas, quietly negotiated the destruction of the Southwest Conference and joined the SEC.

Texas and A&M began to immediately contact the Oklahoma schools to open discussions about a possible merger. Television money and national exposure was now driving the train and Texas needed to enlarge its footprint. It was down and it was not coming back in the SWC in its form at the time.

Texas and A&M said there were two catches that were nonnegotiable, Prop 48 had to go (the NCAA was going to ax it as an exemption permanently shortly anyway), and Baylor had to be a part of the package as well. Baylor was a very powerful entity in the Texas Legislature and higher.

Nebraska was opposed to both. They weren’t getting rid of Prop 48 until the NCAA damn well told them they had to do so. They also only wanted the exposure in Texas and television market but not Baylor (as well as Tech). They wanted a sweeter pot, they ran the conference now, Oklahoma and Barry Switzer, were put in their evil places. They’d accept Texas and their cash but only under their conditions. They wanted some combination of Colorado State/Air Force, BYU, Tulsa (Nebraska used to recruit the state of Oklahoma heavily), or even Wyoming. NU also wanted SEC scheduling so they could beat on OU while it was down on national TV. They wanted it all, everything, and a bag of chips with a blow job.

Here’s where it REALLY gets sticky. Kansas and Missouri wanted rid of Prop 48 but they weren’t thrilled about Baylor and Tech either. Colorado didn’t want them either; the prospect of CSU in the conference was appealing to them because they already HAVE to play them each year anyway. Making it a conference game makes it easier to schedule. Kansas and Missouri saw that football was beginning to drive the bus but they were afraid it was going to be at the expense of their basketball programs.

Nebraska saw this as their opportunity. They convinced Missouri and Kansas that they could arrange a revenue sharing package to their benefit and they had all the control together. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State could do nothing alone. Nebraska said they knew they would lose Prop 48 but it was a bargaining chip. MU and KU agreed.

Texas agreed to revenue sharing that mostly benefitted Nebraska in football and Kansas in basketball. Texas was down and was bringing the most viewers; basically opening Pandora’s Box of Texas recruiting to outsiders other than the Oklahoma and Louisiana small schools. But they could not budge on Prop48 (which really didn’t matter) or Baylor and Tech. That’s the only way they could get the legislature to go along. Nebraska agreed to the Prop 48 but not the schools.

Negotiations stalled at that point in 1992 . . . Until OU and OSU called Nebraska’s bluff. OU and OSU did what Nebraska never expected. They notified the Big 8 that they understood the other school’s positions and that they appreciated that everyone was doing what they felt best for their institution. Having said that, a new day was dawning in college athletics and they feel that there are too many opportunities being tied to Texas schools rather than the Midwest. Besides recruiting and athletics opportunities they felt there is too many cultural similarities between the states of Oklahoma and Texas that their marriage seemed to make sense for the future of their programs. They wished the Big 8 well and told them they hoped they had a bright future. Oh, and by the way, there are at least two slots open because we want a title game too, if anyone wants to apply.

Want to know who shit bricks? Go take a gander at Kansas basketball rosters and Kansas State football rosters the last forty years (longer in KU basketball). KU basketball doesn’t exist as you know it without exposure in OKC and Tulsa. Kansas State football doesn’t exist without in-roads to Oklahoma JUCOs and lower three star recruits. Have you seen the Hopper commercial with Brian Bosworth where they say they’re going back to college and he says, “Take me with you.”?

Nebraska overplayed its hand. Nebraska eventually caved on all but revenue sharing. Texas was going to make a ton of money on the way it was arranged as well anyway. Prop 48 was gone and Baylor and Tech were in.

The announcement was supposed to be made in June of 1994. Donnie Duncan and DeLoss Dodds were both as shocked anyone when CBS, in between games of the NCAA Final Four that involved the school that set it all in motion (Arkansas), announced that they had obtained information that Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Baylor intended on dissolving the SWC and merge with the Big 8 . . . The cat was out of the bag. Nobody at Rice, Houston, TCU, or SMU, had a clue it was coming. The other schools still had not been notified yet. They still thought the Oklahoma and Kansas schools were coming to them. Their administrations found out on the Saturday night CBS nightly news show that was wedged in between Final Four matches. Texas had given the conference it had once ruled like a Russian czar one final chump pump.

By 1998 Kansas realized that revenue sharing was really not beneficial to them despite the basketball money. They and Oklahoma State led their first effort for equal revenue sharing. They both brought it to the table. Texas and Nebraska blocked it.

Another funny thing happened in 1998. Tom Osborne retired from Nebraska and Texas hired Mack Brown. A year later OU hired Bob Stoops.

In 2000 Oklahoma upset Nebraska and went on to the title. Texas finished in the top ten. The power was shifting. Kansas and OSU brought the revenue sharing back to the table. Texas and Nebraska had it blocked.

The power continued to shift. OU and Texas were getting the larger checks. By 2006 they were much larger checks. Then it was unfair to Nebraska.

The structured revenue sharing was perfectly fair, and even insisted upon, by Nebraska as long as they were reaping the lion’s share of the money. It suddenly wasn’t fair when it was OU and Texas that were cashing those checks. The only thing fair in Nebraska’s eyes is whatever made them the most money at everyone else expense. They were totally happy cashing those checks when OU was scrapping by for a decade. Sorry, it’s your turn now. Live on our scraps while we carry you. Oklahoma was a little vindictive about it I admit, but rightfully so in my eyes. Nebraska had been that way for a lot longer.

Nebraska threw a fit about how “unfair” the revenue sharing was the next four years until they left.

Ask the B1G fans how happy they are to have Nebraska now, and it’s only been a few years. Have fun with them. I think you’re already finding out their egos are every bit as big as Texas’ and their fans aren’t as classy when they aren’t winning by 40 every Saturday.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Nice post, but what are your sources?

[Screw_Michigan]

I'm not reading all that.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Ask the B1G fans how happy they are to have Nebraska now, and it’s only been a few years. Have fun with them. I think you’re already finding out their egos are every bit as big as Texas’ and their fans aren’t as classy when they aren’t winning by 40 every Saturday.

I don't really have a problem with Nebraska or their fans. Yet. A few of them were all "we're gonna roll the B1G" before they joined, but every fan base has a certain percentage of delusional types. I've also come around a bit on Pelini. The dude's hilarious (both intentionally and unintentionally) and contrary to popular belief, is not an awful coach by any stretch. He's been pretty damn consistent, just can't seem to turn the corner from good to very good.

[Left Seater]

The dude's hilarious (both intentionally and unintentionally) and contrary to popular belief, is not an awful coach by any stretch.

Agree, but it is 95% unintentional on his part. Laughed AT him at least twice on Saturday night.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

The dude's hilarious (both intentionally and unintentionally) and contrary to popular belief, is not an awful coach by any stretch.

Agree, but it is 95% unintentional on his part. Laughed AT him at least twice on Saturday night.

The cat thing was pretty funny, and he likes to pull pranks on his team. He's not as serious as he appears.

[SunCoastSooner]

The dude's hilarious (both intentionally and unintentionally) and contrary to popular belief, is not an awful coach by any stretch.

Agree, but it is 95% unintentional on his part. Laughed AT him at least twice on Saturday night.

Pelini, Spurrier, and Pelini, have the best press conferences in the country hands down.

I really enjoy watching the disdain that Stoops shows for the local Oklahoma media.

[Harvdog]

Nice post, but what are your sources?

History. I agree with 99% of this. Nebraska was perfectly happy as long as they were King of the conference. Once Texas and OU passed them by, they were pissed. That's when they started whining about the revenues dropping and they wanted more. Since they were no longer in charge, they had no power and the only thing they could do was leave. They did.Colorado decided to follow.

aggy decided they wanted to finish third in another division in another conference and claim they are far superior to all the other schools that kicked their ass for 19 years. Amazing to me how they are now a "power" and they haven't won a fucking thing.

The Big XII will win 2 MNC's before aggy ever plays for one.

[SunCoastSooner]

History........

They did.Colorado decided to follow

Colorado Left first

Sin,

History

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5271438

Colorado and the Pac 10 had flirted since the 1970s when they brought in the Zona schools as well. People had been talking about Colorado going west since before I was born.

Nobody fought or gave a second look to them. Their Athletic Department in its best years was in shambles now it is worse. They barely meet D1 requirements and are operating in the red every year for over a decade. Everyone talks about Baylor and ISU but I was waiting for the day the Big 12 HAD to kick CU out because of the financial burden.

I'm still scratching my head why the Pac took them.