While there are still some i’s to dot and t’s to cross, it’s official — Nebraska is leaving the Big 12 and moving to the Big 10. And, before they left, they took some powerful shots at their now-former conference.
Chancellor Harvey Perlman and athletic director Tom Osborne recommended to the full Board of Regents that the university shift their athletic programs to the Big Ten beginning in 2011, not 2012 as was expected.
A motion was put before the regents and passed unanimously.
Perlman and Osborne will appear at a press conference at 6 p.m. ET this evening, although it will be hard to top a board meeting that featured the pair absolutely hammering the Big 12 conference in general and Texas specifically.
Speaking on the reasons why Nebraska was looking to leave for another conference, Perlman stated in making his case to the regents that “this will bring Nebraska the stability the Big 12 cannot.”
When it was Osborne’s turn to speak to the regents, he delivered the lines of the night.
“One school leaving a conference doesn’t break up a conference. Two schools leaving a conference doesn’t break up a conference. Six schools leaving a conference breaks up a conference.”
Osborne was obviously referring to a report from a week ago that had six Big 12 schools — most notably Texas — being in talks with the Pac-10.
Another major note to come out of the meeting? Perlman believes that any financial penalties that would be placed on Nebraska for leaving the Big 12 would be inappropriate. For some reason, we don’t think that the jilted conference will fall in line with that position.
UPDATE 4:04 p.m. ET: The Big Ten Network will carry the Perlman/Osborne press conference live at 6 p.m. ET. So, yeah, it’s a done deal.
Welcome to the Big Ten corn lovers!!
Hey now the Illini can be 12th in the league in football!
So what’s the divisions going to be? East vs West? North vs South? How about naming the divisions after legendary Big 10 coaches?
i love corn. i am looking forward to the first Big Ten Championship game between Nebraska and Ohio State. have they ever played each other?
On behalf of all Husker fans:
We are pleased to join a conference who appreciates us.
I believe they have played twice, with both coming back in the fifties.
Six schools leaving a conference after two arrogant ones talk about it for well over six months is what destroys a conference. I just hope Mizzo gets an invite to the Big 10.
Because they’ll be holding the bag!!!!!
Welcome Nebraska… I look forward to laughing at my brother-in-law when Michigan kicks your ass! =)
Hey…..The Big 10 is now the Big 12 and the Big 12 is now the Big 10.
Good luck Husker fans:
Will you leave in 3 years if some of the schools in the Big 10 conference decide not to appreciate you?
Well on behalf of Longhorn Nation I must tell you “grandavenue ” you will be sorely missed. Husker fans are probably the classiest football fans I have ever seen. Thanks for making the Big 12 so memorable! No hard feelings mmmnkay?..
If they stop at Nebraska, I think:
North
Illinois
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Northwestern
Wisconsin
South
Indiana
Iowa
Nebraska
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
This is great news!!!! It now makes my summer. One more team to kick Michigan’s a$$.
East
Penn State
Ohio State
Michigan State
Michigan
Indiana
Purdue
West
Nebraska
Iowa
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Illinois
Northwestern
Wait, the Big 10 had 11 teams, now that it has 12 teams, are they going to call it the Big 11.
edgy1957 – we in Badgerland will take that lineup
To BCS+1
Texas, while business wise they were unappreciative of Nebraska, on the field they were a great program to see almost every year. They demonstrated lots of class and lots of respect for the team and players.
I still look forward to Texas in Lincoln, and maybe again in Dallas this year. Everytime they get together, it’s a great game.
To the rest of the Big 12, you will be missed, but all good things must come to an end. OU/NU ended, and slowly the Big 8 traditions died with it.
It’s a great day for many people. It will all work out for everyone.
Maybe now you stand a chance bc lord knows you haven’t been good enough to keep up with teams as good as OU and Texas. But you’ll probably look pretty fast in the Big Ten.
I grew up a BIG XII fan, grew up in Oklahoma, Houston, TX, and now live in Indiana. I’m a Sooner still at heart, and love the rivaled games from history btwn OU and Neb and UT. I’ll miss the special side of those that came from conference play, but as a person who also respects and appreciatiate Neb’s tradition…I for one am very glad for Nebraska. Its a bitter sweet day. I’m not a fan of the BIG 10 and I’ll be hoping Nebraska DOMINATES!! Go big red..
When I was at Minnesota, Nebraska and the U played every year. Nebraska fans are the classiest I’ve ever met (and I currently live in Austin Texas). I welcome the Cornhuskers to the Big (whatever it ends up at). We should also grab Kansas and K-State while we’re at it.
We look forward to joining the Big 10. We have respect for the conference and look forward to playing with some of the best teams in the country.
Let’s hope the conference has the sense to keep Michigan and Ohio St. in the same division. They should continue to play each other every year even if it means they don’t meet in the championship game. If ND comes to their senses and joins also, we could have Mich. OSU and PSU in the east. Nebraska, ND, Wisconsin and IA in the west and arrange the others however makes sense. Adding Kansas wouldn’t be terrible idea either. Great basketball and with Turner Gill coaching, the football program will be improving a lot.
As for reasons for leving, even Texas sportswriters admit TX and the Big 12 commish are joined at the hip. TX says jump and the commish says how high. One factor was this unfair influence and untenable arrogance of TX calling the shots. Besides, you just can’t trust a university that has a uterus for a school logo.
edgy1957, I wouldn’t doubt that they mad it that way just so Michigan and Ohio State have the possibility of meeting in the championship game.
@ jp ryan….how much ass has michigan actually kicked lately? i think you are a few years away from competing against nebraska.
Welcome on board, Nebraska! Maybe the B10 will also take Mizzou, but for now, looking forward to 2011 and seeing the Huskers and Buckeyes get together on the gridiron.
I heard that NE would probably leave the Big 12 because they always felt TX had to much power in the league. HELLO…..have you heard of Ohio State???? Good luck NE….things aren’t going to be any different. BTW all you people who talk in terms of WE as in WE are glad to be part of the Big 12…. or WE look forward to playing you. YOU ARE NOT ON THE TEAM…..YOU ARE JUST FANS…YOU DON’T PLAY.
To enrique2010
Wow are you stupid. Have you been listening to any of the things that have been said over the last couple of weeks abot the reasons for this. Texass has always been looking to leave the conference, 3 years ago there was a report about them going. The Pac 10 has had a hard on for Texas for 15 years. Oh and who do you think busted up the old Southwest Conference, it sure wasn’t Rice or TCU, It was Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor, HMMMMMMMM . . . sounds like 3/4 of the teams that said they would jump to the PAC 10 during the freaking Big 12 meetings, so don’t be poking fingers at Nebraska about how they were talking about leaving. First off NU did not say one word about leaving for the Big Ten, THAT was Missouri who was spitting that junk, secondly it was a report from some one in Kansas City who said NU and MU were heading to the Big 10. NU denied and never said anything about it until Texas started getting all frustrated that NU would just ignore their beck and call. Then Texass had the balls to ask for a pledge of loyalty. Then of course Colorado jumped the gun and went to the Pac 10 ahead of everybody else and the dominoes started to fall. NU was simply looking out for its BEST INTEREST. To go to a conference that really cares about graduating its football players and just not giving lip service to it. Compare the graduation rates between Texass’s players and Nebraska’s, NU kicks their ass, not to mention that NU holds the record for Academic All Americans in the NCAA for the sport of football( As a matter of record NU has 98 CoSIDA Academic all americans Texass has 35 in football overall sports NU has 274 to Texass 118, over two to one). Of course Texass wanted the Big 12 to stay together They wanted to continue greedily devouring all of the revenue it could out of the Big 12 and not sharing a bit of it, and they controlled everything in the conference including the commissioner. NU simply could not take any more of their bullshit litterally. Being in the Big 10 is a better fit for NU, hell even coach Bob Devaney wanted NU to join the Big 10 in the sixties so this is just a long time coming. You want to blame anyone for the breakup of the Big 12 blame Texass and their massive ego. Believe me it is the size of Texass and like they say “everything is bigger in Texass” including the lies, bullshit, deciet, and me first attitude.
pm52, Ohio State doesn’t dominate the decision making process of the Big 10. It’s a pretty collegial relationship, actually, based on consensus and common interests. Rivals on the field, partners everywhere else…the Big 10 way. Oh, and “we” is a common statement amongst fans that demonstrates their emotional connection to the team. Besides, if you’ve ever been to a whiteout game in Happy Valley, then you’d know that fans can have a direct impact on the game.
OUTSTANDING!!!!! Welcome to the Big Ten Nebraska!!!! This is going to add some big time regular season head banging smash mouth football games to the regular schedule!!!! I’m totally pumped for the games to begin.
two more teams yet to come.. Missouri and then the big east coast market which is going to be Rutgers.
two more teams yet to come.. Missouri and then the big east coast market which is going to be Rutgers.
Steve W….we can agree to disagree about Ohio State’s domination. Where I haven’t been to a white out game specifically in Happy Valley, I have been to white out games both football and basketball, and I’m on board with you on the home field/court advantage, but the fact remains that none of these guys are out there sweating thru practice, and sacrificing their bodies in games, so they have no place in the whole WE conversation.
Im literally looking at Nebraska right now and shaking my fist at it. Happy they are in the big ten its just going to make the big ten network that much stronger. and by stronger i mean more profitable. profit the big ten shares. equally. unfortunately its still Nebraska and being a well raised Iowan its still my obligation to steal their women and pee in their yards.
“We”
Who cares? Cynics are so insufferable sometimes.
if pac 10 goes to 16 the big ten is irrelevant to the national stage. it will be pac 16 vs sec every year for the NC. PEACE OUT BIG TEN
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