In a move that surely elicited a deep belly laugh from Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney, Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne announced Thursday that should the Big Ten decide that the Huskers and the greater Omaha area's 37 television sets are just too lucrative to pass up they might possibly be willing to entertain the notion of teaming up with those fellows and their $270 million yearly television revenues and prestigious and lucrative CIC membership. Maybe.
"We haven't entered into any formal talks with anybody right now," Osborne said. "We're focusing on the Big 12. But I don’t think that means if somebody wanted to pick up the phone and call us, that we'd hang up on them. You listen."
Right. Like HenryJames is focusing on White Power Bob right now but if the Parole Board calls, he'll listen.
Now obviously this is Osborne's way of letting it be known that should an expanded Big Ten scenario come about that involves a number of Big XII teams the Huskers would love to be a part of it and who can blame him but they're obviously in a tough spot here as TTR and others have pointed out many times; They're a school with great tradition and no television markets that has to recruit out of state. That's a tough sell to any established conference. Neither do they have an instate partner to piggyback on and as conference realignment comes more into focus one of the most interesting loose ends will be where Herbie winds up.
Contacted Thursday, Vasherized refused to rule out the possibility of the mattress dance should Ms. Rafaeli inquire.