2010 NCAA conference realignment

Background
Talk of conference expansion began in December 2009, when Big Ten Conference commissioner Jim Delany announced that the league would consider adding one or more teams. Media reports indicated that the Big Ten had two major motives for expansion. First, adding one or more schools would increase the reach of the conference's cable network, the Big Ten Network. The conference reportedly receives as much as 88 cents per month for every subscriber to the network in the Big Ten member states, and in the 2008–09 fiscal year, the Big Ten Network alone distributed $6.4 million to each of the conference's 11 schools. Second, expanding to 12 or more schools would allow the conference to launch a potentially lucrative conference championship game in football.[1]

Shortly after the Big Ten announced its intention to explore expansion, the Pacific-10 Conference, under new commissioner Larry Scott, announced similar plans. As with the Big Ten, television played a major role in the Pac-10's plans, although for a different reason. The conference's current deal with Fox Sports Net expires after the 2010–11 school year, and in the wake of lucrative TV deals recently signed by the ACC and SEC, the Pac-10 apparently felt a need to expand its footprint to gain more leverage in broadcast negotiations.[1]

[edit] Conferences affected
[edit] Big Ten Conference
See also: Big Ten Conference#History
On June 11, 2010, the University of Nebraska announced that it would apply for membership in the Big Ten.[2] Hours later, the Big Ten unanimously accepted.[3] Nebraska will join the Big Ten Conference beginning in July 2011.

[edit] Pacific-10 Conference
See also: Pacific-10 Conference#Pacific-10
On June 7, 2010, the universities that comprise the Pac-10 approved potential expansion plans and authorized commissioner Larry Scott to move ahead with expansion and issue invitations to six prospective teams: Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.[4]

On June 10, 2010, the Pac-10 announced that Colorado would be joining the conference in 2012.[5] Rumors continue to circulate that Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State may follow suit and join the Pac-10 as soon as June 15, 2010.[6] If Texas A&M decides to join the SEC, the Pac-10 may be prepared to take the Utah Utes in their place. If Utah declines, they will more than likely invite the Kansas Jayhawks.[citation needed]

[edit] Big 12 Conference
See also: Big 12 Conference
With the loss of Colorado (who had been a member of the Big 12 and its predecessor the Big Eight Conference since 1947) to the Pac-10 and Nebraska (whose association with the Big 12 dates back to the 1907 founding of what was to become the Big Eight) to the Big Ten, the Big 12 will be down to ten teams at present and still faces more possible attrition. Colorado will transfer to the Pac-10 for the 2012-13 season.[7] Nebraska announced that they would leave the Big 12 Conference for the Big Ten Conference effective 2011, becoming the second Big 12 member to leave the conference in 2010.[8][9]

Other Big 12 schools are currently rumored to be candidates for expansion by other conferences including further expansion by the Pac-10 or Big 10.[10] Speculation and rumors center on Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State following Colorado to the Pac-10. Texas A&M is also reportedly considering a move to the SEC.

ESPN reported on June 11 that Texas, Texas Tech, and the two Oklahoma schools were prepared to accept an invitation from the Pac-10. The report also indicated that Texas A&M was torn between the Pac-10 and SEC and was given a 72-hour deadline to decide on its future destination. However, one of ESPN's sources indicated that A&M's flirtation with the SEC was driven by "ego purposes" within the school, namely avoiding the appearance that A&M was merely following Texas' lead, and that A&M would ultimately join the Pac-10.[11] The remaining Big 12 schools (Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor, Missouri) may be left to find new leagues, with early speculation pointing to a possible move for some (or all) of those schools to the Mountain West.