Since the schools themselves seem to only be concerned about their football programs, mainstream media cannot be faulted for making that the centerpiece of coverage in the clusterbomb conference destruction that's breaking upon us. It remains unclear what will happen to the rest of the teams as football makes new alliances. But we assume for the moment that it's easier for programs to move everyone en masse, and so where football goes women's sports follow.

While the Big XII was apparently an uneasy alliance for the men's moneymakers, it was a growing powerhouse for women's teams. In basketball it was one of the most fascinating conferences, producing surprise national champion Baylor, now perennial Final Four contender OU, the break-out year for Nebraska, and the up-and-down fortunes of once proud Texas, as well as alternating years of success for the rest of the teams. Nebraska women's basketball might take a major step back if asked to compete in the rough-and-tumble world of the Big Ten. The arrival of Texas teams in the Pac-10, whence Colorado has already bolted, will cause a massive realignment in the powers out there. That might be a good thing in basketball, where the conference remains something of the red-headed stepchild until someone might be able to challenge Stanford's dominance. But what of the traditional Pac-10 strengths, softball and soccer? The programs of the Big XII have produced at least one successful team several years in a row in soccer, but having to regularly face UCLA or Stanford could hurt their development. Likewise in softball, where almost every team in the Pac-10 is dangerous and could stifle its opponents. Then again, this whole thing could be a great opportunity for Texas schools to raise their programs to a new level (and for Baylor to encounter school cultures a little more welcoming than its own). It's potentially a much bigger problem if the Texan programs bolt and leave OU, Kansas, and Mizzou to try to reorganize on their own. As for all the talk of Notre Dame finally joining the Big Ten, playing in the Big East has been a boon for them in terms of level of competition and exposure. They already face their major Big Ten rival, Purdue, at least once a year, so there's no particular upside to switching formally.

The news will keep pouring out today, but probably none of it will address the concerns of women's sports fans. Thank God, once again, for the blogosphere, where we can share information and voice our views among compatriots.

View Original Post at ftlouie.typepad.com/womensports

• Filed Under:  
• Sports, SportsPLUS, College, Student-Athlete

• Tags:
• Soccer
• Other Sports
• college hoops
• Softball/Baseball

This post is related to the following ongoing stories:

• Conference Realignments