And so it comes down to this for the Big 12 and, as a result, the rest of the college football landscape. On Monday, meetings were convened at Texas and Oklahoma, and the president of each school was given the power to make conference alignment decisions, though the regents still have the final say in any decision. The Big 12 is sinking, and it's possible that in the next month, it's cornerstone schools abandon ship.
Monday's moves don't mean the death of the Big 12 is imminent, at least not yet. Instead, they're precautionary, giving the two major players in the Big 12 the ability to react, or proactively seek out a more stable home.
The stable home, however, could be the Pac-12. Oklahoma president David Boren had the following to say, which addressed some of the swirling rumors about the Sooners' interest in the Pac-12.
Boren: "We've had informal discussions w Pac-12, very warm, very constructive discussions." "Beyond the Big 12, the principal focus for us is the Pac-12."
At this point, the Big 12 is a bit of an afterthought, with the lower-tier teams hanging on for dear life, hoping to keep their home in tact, and the bigger teams seeking greener pastures. Teams such as Iowa State and Kansas State are at the mercy of Oklahoma and Texas, just as they were last spring.
With teams beginning to pack up and move -- Syracuse and Pitt quietly joined the ACC on Sunday -- it's certainly looks like superconferences are inevitable. Luckily for Pac-12 schools, their home is stable and seems to be an aggressor in conference expansion.
We'll be back with more on conference realignment as it becomes available. For all your Pac-12 news needs, head over to Pacific Takes. Be sure to visit our local college blogs: CougCenter, for Washington State fans, and UW Dawg Pound, for Washington fans.