Big 12 Chaos

One year later, it appears Texas may finally succeed in destroying the Big 12 Conference after all.

The advent of the Longhorn Network – and the financial and recruiting advantages it seemingly offers to Texas over the rest of its conference mates – is the proverbial last straw for Texas A&M. The Aggies have always been overshadowed by the Longhorns in winning tradition, talented players, facilities and deep pocketed alumni.

Texas A&M has had enough. The Aggies are making a bid to join the SEC. If they are accepted into the nation's toughest football conference this week, expansion chaos is about to break loose.

The SEC will likely go to 14 teams or 16 teams. Rumored leading candidates to join A&M are Missouri, Clemson and Florida State. If the ACC loses a pair of teams, they will likely raid the Big East for some combination of Rutgers, Syracuse, West Virginia and Pittsburgh to get back to 12 teams.

You can bet if the SEC moves to 16, the Big 10 and the Pac-12 will not be far behind. The Pac-12 could go after Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Big 10 could set its sights on Maryland, Notre Dame, Missouri and Pittsburgh. The ACC could respond by absorbing the last of the Big East to move to 16.

Four super conferences and the end of the Big 12 and Big East as we know it. The gap between the BCS and non-BCS schools will widen and college football will enter a new era. It will not be a good era. A select few teams having a stranglehold over money, the best coaches and the best athletes is not good for the long term health of the sport.

College football needs teams like Utah, Boise State and TCU to break through the barrier erected by the sport's traditional powers. It needs a more level playing field that college basketball provides. No one can deny the excitement generated by March Madness.

Think of the possibilities for a “December Delirium” with college football playoffs at the FBS level. Fans and players would embrace it in an instant and these playoffs would instantly become one of the nation's most popular and most anticipated sporting events.

All of this started because of Texas-sized greed from the Lone Star State's flagship school. It was given new life because of a Texas-sized temper tantrum from their rival with an inferiority complex.

Everything hinges on what Texas does next. If the Longhorns are committed to saving the Big 12 and can keep the other seven schools from jumping ship, it can prevent the six BCS conferences from consolidating into four 16-team super conferences for at least a few more years.

If Texas and Oklahoma decide to cast their wandering eyes elsewhere, the end is already here.