The Nebraska football team suddenly has a couple of new rivals joining the conference in a crazy whirlwind Friday in college sports.
Remember when Nebraska football was a member of the Big 8? Good times. Good times.
Remember when the name Big 8 meant that there were eight teams in the conference? Those were the days.
The Big Ten, which already has 12 teams, was slated to have 14 teams in 2024 when USC and UCLA joined. And it was still gonna be called the Big Ten. News broke today that the Big Ten is adding Washington and Oregon officially.
Welcome to the Big 18 Nebraska football! I imagine it will still be called the Big Ten. Because why in the world have your conference name make sense? For that matter, why have your conference alignment make sense? Before the Trojans and Bruins signed up, the westernmost school in the B1G was, the Huskers.
Now, barring a sudden and abrupt stop to a train that is quite a way down the tracks, there is a chance that Rutgers and Maryland will travel to Oregon and Washington state in 2024. Literally across the country, to play a conference rivalry game. Make it make sense.
Nebraska football should join the Pac-12 just for fun
According to Sam McKewon of the Omaha World-Herald, adding Washington and Oregon alongside USC and UCLA was something Kevin Warren always wanted. He was told no by B1G bosses last year.
Now new commissioner Tony Petitti has to tear up all the work he and his people did to figure out schedules with 16 teams and return to the drawing board. Nebraska football fans get to back to wondering who they will play in the Big 18 next season.
Because when Oregon and Washington join, it will be immediate. Just like Colorado and Arizona with the Big 12. Things are moving faster than they used to as well. Nebraska fans had to wait a few years before they joined the Big 10.
Oklahoma and Texas had to wait a few years before joining the SEC.
But things happen immediately these days. For Nebraska football and the rest of the sport, it feels like a rush to a version of college football that no one really likes all that much.