The big news today is conference expansion. The Pac-10 has invited six Big 12 schools to join them, and Colorado has accepted that invitation according to reports. There has also been a report that Nebraska has joined the Big Televen Whatever but that is apparently unconfirmed at the moment. The big question is, if Nebraska and Colorado leave, what will the rest of the Conference Formerly Known as the Big 12 do? The biggest question of all is WWTD (What Will Texas Do?)
Stay tuned to SBNation.com for updates. Now, for the news:
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The Trojans prepare for the hammer to drop.
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Travelling [sic] to Canada appeals to U.S. schools because under NCAA guidelines, they're allowed 10 extra days of practice to prepare for an out-of-country trip.
This is pretty cool. I hope the 'Cats are ready.
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Utah Jazz: Kentucky's Patterson benefitted from extra year | Deseret News
"I have no worries at all with my size going into the league, going into the next level," said Patterson, one of six draft prospects who worked out for the Jazz on Wednesday.
"If you can play, you can play," he added. "It doesn't matter how short you are. It's all about your heart and how well you compete on the court."
Two words in support of Patrick's point -- Chuck Hayes.
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Dick Vitale says Izzo's staying, baby | detnews.com | The Detroit News
'I don't care if (Izzo) has LeBron James, he's going to get fired in the NBA,' Vitale says. 'A guy (Cavaliers coach Mike Brown) goes (61-21) and he gets fired.'
I think Vitale is right about this. I'd be shocked if Izzo took the job.
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Terrell Mitchell - Yahoo! Sports
Thanks to Wild Weasel for linking this earlier. This guy has SEC size and speed for a tight end. -
Letters: A history of caring for the kids " The Commercial Appeal
During my husband's 41/2 years battling cancer, Cal invited us to participate in several team functions, came by to see David at home when he was too weak to go by Gibson's doughnut shop, and finally came to the hospital to talk with him and pray for him. Upon David's death, he came to the visitation.
Calipari's reputation is belied by random acts of kindness like this.
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Kentucky will play Notre Dame in Freedom Hall | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
The University of Kentucky-Notre Dame men's basketball rivalry has been revived.
The Wildcats will play the Fighting Irish on Dec.8 in Freedom Hall in the SEC/Big East Invitational. The teams have met 32 times in Louisville, the first time in 1937.
That is awesome! I am so happy to have a chance to see the Wildcats play a meaningful opponent in my home town. Freedom Hall needs to be renamed Rupp Arena West now that the dirty birds are out of there.
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Adams: New chapter in rivalries begins with Kentucky " GoVolsXtra
Or at least, it was Florida or Alabama. Now, Kentucky should be higher on the reading list of UT fans.
That's right, Kentucky - the team UT has beaten 25 consecutive times. But don't count No. 26 just yet.
In fact, UT football has slipped to the point that it has more in common with Kentucky than it does with either Florida or Alabama. In coach Derek Dooley's first season, the Vols are in no position to contend for a conference championship. Like Kentucky, they will be trying to become bowl eligible.
Well, this should be yet another prime opportunity for Kentucky to break that embarrassing losing streak to the Vols. As far as basketball goes, well, it's always been a bit of a rivalry anyway, and it looks to be heating up.
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Forget the NBA, stay at Michigan State - Seth Davis - SI.com
My sources at Michigan State told me that Izzo has actually been talking with the Cavaliers for more than a week now, but the story has only broken in the last couple of days. It reached a fever pitch on Wednesday when a couple of blogs erroneously -- and irresponsibly -- reported that Izzo held a meeting with his players to tell them he had accepted the job. Izzo did meet with his players in the coaches' offices on Tuesday, but only because he knew they were following the story through the media and wanted them to hear what was going on directly from him. I'm told he also spent part of the meeting talking about what everyone was doing to get ready for next season, when Michigan State's Final Four roster will return largely intact, making the Spartans a preseason top-3 choice.
Wow. Looks like Izzo really is seriously considering the move.
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OU, OSU move west seems imminent | NewsOK.com
One high-placed OU source indicated to The Oklahoman that the Sooners were headed West.
"Load up on your sunscreen," the source said, referring to the sunny climates of Pac-10 cities.
Interesting. But there is more to this story coming further down.
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Why No Yum Center for December SEC-Big East Challenge? Because ESPN Rules The World, That's Why. | Arkansas Sports 360.com
Heh. The Evil Empire strikes again! -
Andy Staples of SI.com is reporting that the SEC and Texas A&M have been involved in talks for several months. I am not sure if Slive has been including Texas in his conversations as well but it is important to remember that in past expansion talks, the Texas state legislature have been insistent on both Texas and Texas A&M remaining together. So this raise the question of whether the way to Texas is through Texas A&M?
Interesting. It seems unlikely Slive will sit on the sidelines while the Pac-10 gobbles up the biggest football market in the land.