“Jane! Stop this crazy thing!” -- George Jetson, circa 1962
Amen, Mr. Cartoon Character. Amen.
As the college football world continues its collective attempt to catch its breath from the events that unfolded throughout the day on Thursday, the Columbus Dispatch has done gone and added some very interesting kindling to the expansion bonfire already roaring out in Big 12 country.
Through a public-records request, the Dispatch has obtained emails sent from Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee to Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany regarding the conference’s expansion plans.
One of the emails is very interesting, if not utterly cryptic, regarding a conversation between Gee and Texas’ president William Powers.
“I did speak with Bill Powers at Texas, who would welcome a call to say they have a ‘Tech’ problem,” Gee wrote in the email.
Pardon me for a minute... hold on... huh?
Obviously, the “Tech” Gee referred to in the email is Texas Tech. Just what is the problem, though?
Would Texas be amenable to a move to the Big Ten, but would have to pull Texas Tech along with it? Is the fact that Tech is not a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities -- seemingly a prerequisite for any school to join the Big Ten -- the problem Powers is referring to, and is seeking some guidance from Delany and/or Gee? Or is this all somehow intertwined with Texas politics and OMG my head’s gonna explode in three... two...
Regardless of what it actually means, the salient point in the terrific job done by the Dispatch is probably the fact we now have verified contact between some of the most powerful people at both Texas and the Big Ten conference.
And that Texas is playing all sides of the expansion fence, as well they should given the position of utter strength they currently hold.
Another interesting email unearthed by the Dispatch is in relation to the timeline for Big Ten expansion.
Many, many a time in the past, Delany has preached a steady approach to the expansion issue, publicly adhering to the 12-18 month timeline laid out last December even as multiple reports of the conference fast-tracking the college football apocalypse were making the rounds.
Based on at least one email, Gee seems to think that the fast-track is the proper tack to take. And Delany seems to push aside his public thoughts and privately agrees with Gee, albeit with a hint of caution that the conference not make a decision just to make a decision.
Gee wrote on April 19 that he was “of the mind that we control our destiny at the moment, but the window will soon close on us. Agility and swiftness of foot is our friend.”
“We are fast-tracking it but need to know the $ and observe contracts,” Delany wrote in response. “Also need to make sure we leverage this to increase chances of hr additions. Finally double chess # of moving parts including not harming brand as we executy.”
(Executy? Spellcheck is your friend, Mr. Delany.)
In other words, Delany is the proverbial duck swimming across a pond -- calm and tranquil on the surface, paddling like a mother ducker underneath.
And needless to say, Texas, at least as of the middle of April, was very much in play for the Big Ten.
Where do things stand now, a month and a half after the emails in question? Nobody knows with any degree of certainty, other than this: Texas is the hot chick at the club, and will have its choice of conference beds to lay down on at the end of the night.