Oklahoma vs. Nebraska--Case in Point of What is Wrong With College Football Today

Tomorrow is the official end of the Oklahoma-Nebraska rivalry.  As an Oklahoma alum, there's a bit of nostalgia to the ending.  The truth is, though, this rivalry ended years ago.

In 1994, the Big 12 was born.  It was a marriage between the old Big 8 and the old Southwest Conference.  Like any marriage, though, it certainly had its challenges.  Unfortunately, like a lot of marriages these days, it was doomed from the start. 

The Big 8 teams had the majority going in.  The conference was to be headquartered in Kansas City, the championships would be held in Kansas City and St. Louis and the Big 8 records would be intact.  It was essentially the Big 8+4.  That would quickly change, though.

Before the conference even commenced competition, the Big 12 offices had moved to Texas.  The Texas schools and AD's began flexing their muscles and Big 8 traditions were the victim.  The most visible tradition to go by the wayside was the Oklahoma-Nebraska rivalry.  Tom Osborne was against it from the start.  He knew the end game and it wasn't good for Nebraska.  He was right.

So, in 1996, the Oklahoma-Nebraska rivalry died.  The two powerhouses no longer played everyday.  Oklahoma was down at the time, so the impact was large on a national scale.  If you weren't an Oklahoma or Nebraska fan at the time, it didn't mean that much.  The impact it had on the conference, though, was huge.

I blame the original setup of the divisions for the demise of the Big 12.  You can't separate Oklahoma and Nebraska and expect everyone to be happy with it.  Nebraska wasn't.  Eventually, the money started flowing south.  Nebraska, from the start, felt like an afterthought in the Big 12, and rightfully so.  They were.  It was all about the money, and the money was in Texas.  Texas, and most of all The University of Texas, was in control.  It still is.

As an Oklahoma alum, I understand some of the Oklahoma-Nebraska rivalry.  I am enough of a student of the history of college football to understand the impact the rivalry had on the rise of college football in this country.  I'm not old enough to truly remember the great matchups of the 70's and early 80's, but I hear about those legendary games on a regular basis.  It is a

As Oklahoma and Nebraska meet for one final time (noting that they are working on a home and home series in 2021 and 2022), it's important for other conferences to keep the Big 12 in mind as inevitable expansion takes place.  If you want a functional, happy conference, don't let a few dollars get in the way.  Figure out a way to make everyone happy.  One or two teams can't get fat while others starve.  It will fall apart in the long run.

If you're not 40 years old, you don't have a great memory of the Oklahoma-Nebraska rivalry.  After 1988, in was on its way downhill.  Tomorrow night will be a great night for the networks to reminisce.  One last game to end the regular season for a conference championship.  The only thing that would make it better would be a trip to a national championship in the Orange Bowl at stake.  Since it's not, though, take it in and enjoy the end of a classic rivalry and the beginning of the end of college football as we know it.