I wish I'd paid attention in math class

Life got weird for the NCAA today.  The University of Colorado decided to leave the Big 12 Conference (formerly known as the Big 8) to join the Pac 10 Conference (formerly known as the Pac 8).  So the Big 12 is the Big 11, but it's about to shrink more, because Nebraska is rumored to be headed to the Big 10, which has 11 member schools, so it really is the Big 11, but if Nebraska joins the Big 10, it becomes the Big 12.  The current Big 12 isn't done losing numbers, though, since Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech are rumored to be joining Colorado in the Pac 10, which would make it the Pac 16.  Meanwhile, the only school in the country that isn't already in a conference is Notre Dame, who may (or may not) be pondering joining the Big 12, I mean 10, which actually would then become 13.

Got it?

So the teams left in the Conference Formerly Known as the Big 12 would be Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State and Colorado State.  Nobody in their right mind would call them the Big 4, because there's nothing big about them.  They'd be left out in the cold, unless perhaps the Mountain West (no numbers in the name, isn't that strange?) is interested.  But seriously, schools from Kansas and Texas in a conference called the Mountain West?  That would make as much sense as inviting them to the Ivy League.  No wait, that would be worse, actually.   Boise State, which is currently in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), is potentially being considered for the Mountain West, but you didn't really care about that, did you?  No, I didn't think so. The truth is the Big 12 is going to become extinct.  So they'll be the Big 0.

So to sum up:

• The Big 10, which really has 11, is about to become the Big 12, or possibly the Big 13.
• The Pac 10, which used to be the Pac 8, is the Pac 11 today, but they are probably going to become the Pac 16.
• The Big 12, which used to be the Big 8, is now the Big 11, but they could shrink to as few as 4, at which point they're really not a conference anymore.

The reason for all of this has nothing to do with athletics.  Actually nothing in the NCAA has anything to do with athletics.  Or academics, for that matter.  It's all about money.  Big money. Billions of dollars for tournaments, bowl games and TV rights.  Speaking of money, the University of Southern California (USC), which is in the Pac 8/10/16, was slapped across the face by the NCAA today because, in essence, they're unclear on the whole idea of discipline. Current NFL running back and former USC tailback/Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush is at the center of the storm, and chances are good that Reggie could kiss his Heisman goodbye, because technically he wasn't an amateur when he played for USC.  Reggie's former coach, Pete Carroll, can't really be disciplined, since he's now running the Seattle Seahawks, and they don't play in the Pac 8, Pac 10 or the Pac 16. They play in the NFC West, which is a division in the NFL.  So kids at USC today, who weren't even in high school when Reggie Bush was raking in cash and gifts while at USC, are going to be penalized.  That makes sense, don't you think?

I would actually recommend that all the schools who have been disciplined by the NCAA be put in their own conference.  Sadly, that would get unmanageable, since it would include USC, Kentucky, Colorado, Southern Methodist, Memphis, Boston College, Michigan, Connecticut, Florida State, Miami, Auburn, Indiana...you get the idea.