Nebraska is the cautionary tale of expansion. They fled Texas but also fled their main recruiting ground. Ever since they have been a shadow of what was.

Once the new Big 12 has established itself, playing 1-2 years as a 14 team league with TX and OK (my guess is 1), when TX and OK move over the B12 can go with 12, or they can do another round of expansion.

At that point, they will talk to NEBRASKA.

Let's pretend the new B12 TV deal is $22 million. Now add Nebraska, how much would it be? It won't be B1G level, but how much more does Nebraska make playing NY6 and Nat Champ games - which it can only do if it recruits Texas and Oklahoma.

Team #16 isn't important - Co State, SMU, Memphis, USF, whoever.

The B12 would be foolish not to act.

Nebraska was NEBRASKA because of Devaney and Osborne, because they were at the leading edge of strength training, and because they built their huge brand in the age of limited TV windows.

Now everyone has sophisticated strength training, and even KU is on national TV regularly.

They probably lost something with the loss of old rivalries (Will Shields went to high school in Oklahoma for example) and TX recruiting, but I don’t know how likely it is that they’ll return to past glory, except by making a great coaching hire. I doubt that they’d leave the B1G, particularly now that OU won’t be in the Big XII.

At least half the posts and comments on this board are beyond ridiculous to the point where I dont know where the trolling ends and the sheer insanity begins

Nebraska would literally never leave the B1G unless they were kicked out. That's certainly not gonna happen anytime soon and probably not ever.

(09-08-2021 04:47 PM)BewareThePhog Wrote:  Nebraska was NEBRASKA because of Devaney and Osborne, because they were at the leading edge of strength training, and because they built their huge brand in the age of limited TV windows.

Now everyone has sophisticated strength training, and even KU is on national TV regularly.

They probably lost something with the loss of old rivalries (Will Shields went to high school in Oklahoma for example) and TX recruiting, but I don’t know how likely it is that they’ll return to past glory, except by making a great coaching hire. I doubt that they’d leave the B1G, particularly now that OU won’t be in the Big XII.

Being able to play community and junior college kids that otherwise could not get in elsewhere also helped a great deal.

I'm not saying leaving the Big 12 didn't hurt their program, but people have easily forgotten...

Nebraska was pretty mediocre for about a decade before they left. They got killed in the 2001 title game after not winning their conference and being equally demolished by a strong Colorado team that year. Think about that for a moment, that's how long it's been since Nebraska was reasonably relevant...the Buffs were actually pretty good back then. In other words, it's been a while.

They're not going back to the Big 12 for a lot of reasons although it could certainly be argued they're not a great fit for the Big Ten.

(09-08-2021 05:35 PM)Statefan Wrote:  

(09-08-2021 04:47 PM)BewareThePhog Wrote:  Nebraska was NEBRASKA because of Devaney and Osborne, because they were at the leading edge of strength training, and because they built their huge brand in the age of limited TV windows.

Now everyone has sophisticated strength training, and even KU is on national TV regularly.

They probably lost something with the loss of old rivalries (Will Shields went to high school in Oklahoma for example) and TX recruiting, but I don’t know how likely it is that they’ll return to past glory, except by making a great coaching hire. I doubt that they’d leave the B1G, particularly now that OU won’t be in the Big XII.

Being able to play community and junior college kids that otherwise could not get in elsewhere also helped a great deal.

Bingo! Straight from the football field to the Federal Penitentiary.

(09-08-2021 06:20 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  I'm not saying leaving the Big 12 didn't hurt their program, but people have easily forgotten...

Nebraska was pretty mediocre for about a decade before they left. They got killed in the 2001 title game after not winning their conference and being equally demolished by a strong Colorado team that year. Think about that for a moment, that's how long it's been since Nebraska was reasonably relevant...the Buffs were actually pretty good back then. In other words, it's been a while.

They're not going back to the Big 12 for a lot of reasons although it could certainly be argued they're not a great fit for the Big Ten.

Yep. Nebraska suffered a drop off between 2001 and 2011 before they left the B12. They got worse once they moved to the B1G.

But, for the future, the goal is to be in either the SEC or the B1G. Those two conferences are separating themselves financially from the rest. Nebraska is in the B1G, for better or for worse. Sure, it'd be nice for them to play their old rivals, and perhaps be more successful in the process. But they're not going to take a pay cut to do so.

Nebraska was doing ok in the B1G. Theyve just totally gone off the rails the past 3-4 years.