Earlier on Wednesday, Chip Brown from Orangebloods.com reported that Nebraska had agreed to an offer to join the Big Ten, with an announcement expected to come on Friday (he also declared the Big 12 dead while he was at it).
Fox Sports Ohio: Big 10 Has Formally Extended Invite To Nebraska
Now, Fox Sport Ohio is reporting the Big Ten has indeed made a formal invitation to the Huskers, and sources are telling ESPN that Osborne “informed athletic staff members within the past 24 hours that the Cornhuskers were going to make the move to the Big Ten conference.”
This all comes after the Big 12 conference asked its teams for a “loyalty pledge” over the weekend, and just nine schools complied, with Nebraska and Missouri opting out. The league responded to those teams with an ultimatum that a decision must come by Friday if they decided to stay. Apparently, Nebraska AD Tom Osborne had enough:
“I think before too long - I don’t know exactly what that time frame is - we’ll be able to put this to bed,” said Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne, “because I’m getting tired of it.”
Assuming the Big Ten adds Nebraska -- at this point, it sounds like a done deal -- the conference may not be done adding teams. Chip Brown details in his report that Notre Dame could be the next target.
The future of the Big 12 appeared to hinge on the Big Ten’s deliberations with Notre Dame. The Big Ten has promised Notre Dame it will stop its expansion at 12 schools if Notre Dame agrees to finally forgo its independence and become part of a conference, an athletic director with knowledge of the Big Ten has told Orangebloods.com.
Notre Dame is apparently locked in a battle among its Board of Trustees about what to do. There are some who fear the Irish being left out of the formation of what could well become four, super conferences in college athletics. That could cost Notre Dame its access to a BCS bid.
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