The Big XII is slowly starting to disband. After months of rumors that two schools could be leaving the conference for the Big Ten new rumors are hinting that the conference may be soon done for good.
The PAC 10 has reportedly extended offers to six Big XII schools to become members of the conference. A possible departure could mark the end for the conference with Texas and Oklahoma being among those reportedly receiving offers.
Throughout the history of the Big XII Texas and Oklahoma have been the two schools the conference depends on. If the Sooners and Longhorns would leave the Big XII the conference would quickly slip to mid-major status.
A possible Nebraska and Missouri move to the Big Ten would make the Big XII into an average mid-major. Coupling those departures with Colorado, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech leaving the conference...the Big XII would become a shell of a conference.
The remaining members of the Big XII would include Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, and Kansas State. Even with those schools remaining the conference would be forced to bring in new members or disband completely.
Just as a reminder for all those reading this that this is a worst case scenario for the Big XII conference and in all likelihood will not become a definite reality for a long time. But what does this mean for the Big Ten with it's expansion dreams....a lot.
If the PAC 10 were to take in six new members from the Big XII it would make the Nebraska and Missouri decisions a lot easier for those schools. And the possibility of at least a couple of the other four remaining looking to join the Big Ten.
Kansas and Kansas State would make an easy addition to the Big Ten right off the bat. They feature an instate rivalry that comes already in a nice package. Couple that with the recent success in basketball for Kansas State, and basketball tradition of Kansas and you have a great addition to the Big Ten.
Iowa State could add a whole new dynamic to the whole equation. Iowa would more than likely rather keep the cyclones in the Big XII rather than face them with conference consequences, and have to recruit against them in the conference. This would be a minor detail, but would not make a difference in Iowa State becoming a Big Ten member.
So the Big XII versus PAC 10 discussion does make a difference in the Big Ten. It could make Big Ten expansion a done deal, or it could severely mess up expansion and extend the process. I'll place my bet on this taking a while longer.
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