Nebraska football fans, and really fans around the country have often talked about needing a College Football Commissioner and there is one “candidate” who has an idea I’m fulling on board with.
Podcaster and college football analyst Josh Pate has had a running joke for the last few weeks that he wants to be the commissioner. Earlier this week, he ran with that joke and launched a kind of campaign promise on social media.
Pate’s promise is that he would restructure the conferences in the sport. And that reshuffling has the Nebraska football team back home, of sorts. Pate has them back in a conference called the Big 8. His plan also includes almost all the original members of that conference, though there is one big historical rival missing.
When I am CFB Commissioner these are your new conferences via executive order day 1
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) February 3, 2025
Do whatever you want with the playoff pic.twitter.com/nAiP1OXERF
Nebraska football back in the Big 8 according to ‘College Football Commissioner’s’ new plan
Pate’s new Big 8 would have the Huskers joined by Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Colorado and then a new addition in Utah.
So where does Oklahoma go in this scenario? He’s got them in the Southwest conference, which is an odd choice since they were never a member of that conference the first time around.
Pate also brought back the Big East in his “Perfect CFB Conferences” scenario, but since this is only Power conference teams and he wanted to keep the Pac-10 at 10 teams, it appears Utah made it to the Big 8 instead of Oklahoma simply because he didn’t have anywhere else to put them.
It’s a plan I can get behind, even if Nebraska football wouldn’t get to play Oklahoma. Of course, it’s not one that’s ever going to happen. Pate isn’t ever going to be commissioner. But it’s still fun to dream on a return to the Big 8 and simpler times in Lincoln.