Nebraska Officially Makes Big 12 Jailbreak
College football conference Armageddon has begun.
It started when Colorado announced its intentions to join the Pac-10. Then Boise State announced its intentions to join the Mountain West.
Now, the Nebraska domino has officially fallen.
On Friday, Nebraska announced that it intended to leave the Big 12 and apply for admission to the Big Ten. Chancellor Harvey Perlman announced the school's plan during a meeting of the University's Board of Regents.
"We thought Nebraska was in a very vulnerable position," Perlman stated in the open session. "By geography, we sit with not a lot of options."
Regents unanimously approved the move to the Big Ten.
Perlman is confident Nebraska's athletic program is in good hands. He explained that he believes Nebraska is more aligned with the Big Ten when it comes to academics and culture, as well as athletics.
"This will bring Nebraska the stability the Big 12 cannot offer."
A Big Ten spokesman said that the league has received a letter of application from the University of Nebraska and that the Big Ten Council of Presidents will review it. The Huskers likely included their five National Titles in football and three Heisman trophies on the application.
Nebraska has long-standing ties with many of the schools in the Big 12, having battled Kansas and Missouri in football since the 1890s, but they look forward to getting a quick start on building new traditions, like a border rivalry with Iowa.
Perlman also mentioned that he hoped to be involved in Big Ten athletics as soon as the 2011 season, something Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany confirmed at a press conference this afternoon.
Nebraska will officially be a member of the Big Ten Conference as of July 01, 2011.
The Nebraska and Colorado departures add further proof that the Big 12 is likely to evaporate
Colorado to the Pac-10. Nebraska to the Big Ten. Something tells me this insanity isn't over yet for the Big 12.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the College Football Expansion Wars.
Interesting Note: Iowa and Nebraska had a bit of a rivalry going back in the 1930s and 1940s that briefly heated up again in the 1980s. The Cornhuskers lead the all-time series against the Hawkeyes, 26-12-2. The first time they played back in 1891, Iowa won handily. The last time the Hawks faced the Huskers (2000), Nebraska was ranked No. 1 in the country and won by a score of 42-13.
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