The Big 12 should be realigned, for three reasons:

1) The imbalance of power. I know, I know, the North ran roughshod over the conference in its formative years. Nebraska was the conference champion in 1997 and 1999 (and was the best team in the conference in 1996 before being upset in the title game. Same for K-State in 1998).

But, the power is firmly entrenched in the South now. Since 2000, the North has won just two titles, one in a monumental upset (K-State in 2003). Of the six South wins this decade, only one was by less than double-digits (2000, when K-State scored with six seconds on the clock to narrow Oklahoma’s victory margin to 27-24).

This season is no different. The four best teams in the conference are in the South.  Only Missouri in the North is ranked, and they’ve been beaten by both Texas and Oklahoma State.

2) The schools in the South are spending more to stay on top. As of 2005-06, Texas’ athletic budget was nearly $100 million. The next two schools in line were Texas A&M ($70 mil and change) and OU ($64+ million). Only Nebraska ($64+ million) and Kansas ($62+ million) from the North were even in striking distance of the Top 3. OSU and Texas Tech are next in line in the $53 million range, and then there’s a drop-off for the rest of the North (and Baylor).

Boone Pickens seems likely to keep OSU at least in the top half (even if his hedge fund took a huge hit). And, Texas Tech has recently received big donations as well. Missouri is likely a little higher on this list, as they’ve been receiving some big bucks, as well.  Still, the financial firepower is pretty heavily tilted towards the South, as it stands now and for the foreseeable future.

3) The OU/Nebraska rivalry. This one is personal. That this rivalry, once one of the greatest in college football, has been relegated to a cross-divisional meeting twice every four years is absurd. Michigan and Ohio State would tell the Big 11 where to go if a 12^th team came in and the teams were not guaranteed a game every year. OU and Nebraska should do the same. The proposal by the Omaha World-Herald, linked below, would allow every rivalry in the Big 12 to be played every year, if the Big 12 used a 5-2-1 scheduling format like the SEC does. It would also open the door to an OU/Texas championship game, only fair since those teams would have provided the best matchup in 2002, 2004 and 2006.

A modest realignment proposal, from the Omaha World-Herald: 

Boone Pickens’ donation takes a hit:

2005-06 Big 12 athletic department budgets:

Texas Tech set to expand stadium:

Mizzou gets a big donation: