Bears

I came across this blog item concerning rumors that some state legislators with too much free time may try to intervene in future conference realignment to ensure that Baylor is included in any deal involving movement of the three major state football schools (Texas U, the Aggies, and TexTech) to other venues. If memory serves, it was the same kind of meddling that got the Bears into the Big 12 South, where they are usually cellar dwellers (or contending with TAMU to avoid that role). The most likely outcome would be to kill the deal for the Pac-10, which already has Stanford and doesn't need Baylor. But...

Just assume that Nebraska and Missouri join the current Big Ten, with Texas and Colorado moving to the Pac-10, and OU heading to either the SEC or Pac-10. The remaining seven schools might try to lure some of the better schools from conferences like the WAC, MWC and CUSA, and change their name to the Big West. The potential lineup might be TAMU, Texas Tech, TCU, Houston, Baylor and Oklahoma State in one division, with Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Tulsa, Colorado State, and UTEP in the other. In terms of prestige, the Big West would be below the Big East, but above the old Southwest Conference. The TAMU Aggies suddenly become contenders for a conference championship instead of a team trying to stay out of the cellar. At any rate, it's something to think about. Beats oil spills and tea parties.