A JERSEY GUY: Nebraska Testing Big Ten Shutdown Edict

Of all the strange things that have happened in college football the past few days, none jumped out at me more than Nebraska Coach Scott Frost's suggestion that even if the Big Ten shuts down football for the fall, the Huskers wanted to play.

Even if that meant playing a season in another conference, which is now an option for Nebraska since the Big Ten voted to suspend football for the fall season.

The Huskers apparently pushed it further when sources said the Huskers worked out in full pads shortly after the Big Ten ruling was released.

At first glance, that might seem like a rant from a frustrated football coach.

I disagree. I think it was a scripted statement, worked on and approved by Nebraska officials.

I think it was a cry for help from Nebraska, which no longer wants to be part of the Big Ten and would prefer the more successful days of life in the Big 12.

And, I think it could work and should work if the financial penalties of leaving the Big Ten are not too stringent.

Nebraska and the Big Ten are not a good fit. The move was made--as most moves are because of money and on the academic side, Nebraska is in a much stronger environment in the Big Ten than it was in the Big 12.

But Economics 101 or 401 do not drive the bus. Money and football do, which is why the Huskers are in the Big Ten West, bringing in approximately 50 million dollars a year in television revenue, which is approximately 10 million more than they would be making in the Big 12.

The problem, which Scott, who is a Husker and came back from UCF to coach his alma mater a few years ago, is that Nebraska is on the Western fringes of the Big Ten West.

It is not a factor.

It has no presence and that is unlikely to change any time soon. The Big Ten is dominated by the presence of Ohio State and Michigan and tilted towards Penn State, Michigan State and Wisconsin.

Nebraska, not so much, even more so with the Huskers struggling to rise above the mediocre level in football.

It is time for the Huskers to come home--re-establish rivalries with Texas and Oklahoma.

It is time for the Big 12, which has never quite had a real identity and has been prone to raiding from other conferences to re-establish its own footprint.

Add Nebraska and then pluck UCF and plant a Florida flag in the conference and you have a true Big 12 with some teeth and a presence.

Or the Big 12 could go back into Texas and pick up Houston or SMU.

Even going back to Arkansas is a possibility.

Nebraska has made the first move and asked for help.

Now it's the Big 12's turn to forget past slights and open the door.

The Big Ten can take the hit of losing Nebraska and it would give them an opportunity to erase a major mistake--reach out again to Notre Dame as a full time member.

Notre Dame, which has established roots in the ACC, would be a much more comfortable partner in all sports in the Big Ten.

The Big Ten would do handstands to get Notre Dame, which would achieve a financial windfall by joining the Big Ten and still maintain some of its independence.

Win, win.

In a time when college football needs some good news, from anywhere, letting Nebraska escape from the Big Ten and getting Notre Dame back in more familiar and comfortable settings would qualify.