Jackson Free Press

It was supposed to happen last summer when the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Colorado Buffaloes left the Big 12 for the Big 10 and Pac-10, respectively. The thought was that Pac-10 (now Pac-12) was going to sweep in and cherry pick the Big 12 of more teams than just the Buffaloes. The Big 10 would take Nebraska and possibly sweep up what was left of the Big 12 conference. The linchpin to the whole deal depended on what the Texas Longhorns would do.

Texas A&M showed resistance to joining the Pac-10, and the Texas Legislature stepped in to help save what was left of the Big-12. Problems began to arise again for the Big-12 when Texas announced the formation of the Longhorn network. Texas was getting its own TV network and a huge deal from ESPN, which peeved the Aggies.

With the 2011 season less than a month away, Texas A&M started talks to join the SEC. When those talks came to light, a rumor started flying that Florida State, out of the ACC, was also thinking about joining the SEC.

If the SEC can get the Aggies and Seminoles into the fold, it is likely they would want two more teams to form a 16-team super conference. Texas A&M joining the SEC is a double edge sword as far as recruiting is concerned. The Aggies get access to the fertile recruiting ground of the SEC, i.e. Mississippi, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana. It also gives the SEC, and in particular Mississippi and Mississippi State, access to the state of Texas, one of the best states for recruiting along with Florida and California.

The Pac-10 wanted to form the first 16-team super conference when they added Colorado, but Texas stayed in the Big-12, and the SEC announced plans not to expand. Those two things forced the rest of the schools to stay put.

Texas A&M might also come in and steal some recruits from the Bulldogs and Rebels. MSU and UM get to steal recruits from the Aggies, Texas, Oklahoma, SMU, Baylor and more.

There are plenty of Texas players who get passed over. One prime example is New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Brees ended up at Purdue because the major schools in his home state overlooked him. In the new SEC, players such as Brees could fall in MSU or UM's lap. The Aggies jump to the SEC could also affect Southern Miss. Follow my logic here and try not to get bogged down.

The SEC will try to add two more schools (if A&M and FSU join) and move to 16 teams. Word is that Missouri and Clemson could be in the works. As the Big 12 continues to fall apart, the other major conferences would gobble up what is left in an effort to form 16-team conferences and strike major TV deals.

If the Big 12 stays together in some form, it still would not stop the other major conferences going to 16 teams. The Pac-12 would need four schools, the Big12 would need at least seven schools and maybe more, the Big 10 would need four schools and the Big East (TCU joins in 2012) would need seven schools as well.

In this mad scramble to form these super conferences, schools from the Western Athletic Conference, Mountain West Conference, Conference USA, Mid-American, Sun Belt and Independents would all be up for grab. What is left over will join into two or more conferences. The smaller conferences could push harder for inclusion into the Bowl Championship Series

There is a decent chance USM will be able to join one of the major conferences. This is good for USM since their athletic budget would increase. It would also give the Golden Eagles a chance at a BCS Bowl game and a major payday.

Personally, I would like to see the SEC add A&M, FSU and Oklahoma with one of the following, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech or Clemson. Miami would be great but like adding USM, the SEC would not want three teams from the same state.

The Big East has bandied around USM's name for a while now. It would make sense for either the Big East or the Big 12 to land the Golden Eagles.

Finally, these "super conferences" would make the most sense for the athletes. If more schools got a piece of the big-boy pie, it would allow them to offer the true cost of a scholarship, including a stipend for day-to-day expenses. If athletes can get more money and guaranteed scholarships, I am all for it as long as we do not lose sight that college is for education and not just for athletics.

In the long run, if my vision pans out, super conferences would allow Mississippi schools to become more competitive financially and athletically. The athletes would win if these new super conferences spread the wealth around.