A vase of flowers in the lobby of the Big 12 Conference offices, sent by the Big East Conference, had a card attached with only one word written – Unity.
It's the biggest challenge facing the Big 12 Conference as it moves ahead with 10 schools after the recent defections of Colorado (Pac 10) and Nebraska (Big 10).
“There were lots of people around the country wanting the Big 12 to stay together as a 10-team conference,” Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe said in a press conference earlier this week.
“I''m grateful for their help and support. We've landed in a good place, not just for the Big 12, but for all collegiate athletics, in my opinion.”
Indeed, the Big 12 has landed on its feet like a cat with nine lives – well, make that 10. The schools that remain are still a very powerful conference and should bid for the national spotlight in every NCAA sport.
Television execs should be more than willing to snatch up the rights to the millions of television sets left that will turn to a Big 12 Conference game over that of the Big 10 or Pac 10.
Beebe's 11th hour plea to the remaining 10 universities was a brilliant move toward unity and will keep regional rivalries alive. Bedlam games in Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma (which always seem to land on the major networks or cable television channels) will still be played.
The question I have heard the most this week is what will the loss of Nebraska and Colorado do to the conference?
Other than lost revenue from bowl games or NCAA Tournament appearances, to be perfectly honest, nothing.
Let's face it: In the four major revenue-generating sports of the Big 12 Conference (football, basketball, baseball and wrestling), the two lost universities had a combined total of 13 league championships. Seven of those were by Nebraska in baseball – which has regular season and postseason tournament championships. Colorado does not play baseball.
In football, Nebraska won the Big 12 title in 1997 and 1999 but failed in the 1999, 2006 and 2009 title games. Colorado won the title in 2001 but came up short in 2002, 2004 and 2005.
Neither university won conference titles in men's basketball and one each in women's. Nebraska won one Big 12 title in wrestling.
The two mutineers have won 95 combined Big 12 titles in the 14-year history of the conference, with Nebraska grabbing 68 of those. The majority of the Cornhuskers' titles (22) have been in track and field. Volleyball collected 11 titles, followed by soccer and gymnastics with eight each. Colorado's main push has been in cross country with 23 of the Buffaloes' 27 league crowns.
So if the old mighty dollar and the ability to generate television revenue was one of the factors for Colorado and Nebraska leaving for what those universities see as greener pastures – then I say – “See ya later.”
Oh, but wait, it might not be on television – unless they are playing one of the new conference bigwigs. I guess we will have to see Colorado and Nebraska on the highlight reels, after watching a live Big 12 game.