Country Roads Confidential

I know most will disagree with me on this, but my preference in order is: FSU, VT, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Maryland. Now, I wouldn't mind to take 4 or even 5 of those mentioned, but only take the fifth with the assurance of ND being ALL IN. BTW, I'm looking at the benefit of the conference as a whole, not my personal likes and dislikes.

Incoming Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby says he'd prefer that conferences hit the pause button on realignment.

"My opinion," he told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday, "is college athletics would be well served by some period of smooth water and not all of the angst and disorganization that goes with moves from one league to another."

That said, Florida State is churning the waters. Its president, Eric Barron, confirmed Monday that the school is weighing options, laying out the pros and cons of leaving the Atlantic Coast and specifying the Big 12 as a potential destination.

Bowlsby declined to address FSU specifically or whether the comments are likely to heighten expansion sentiment in the Big 12, but acknowledged, "Conference realignment will continue to be an issue and one we all have to be vigilant about."

In the Big 12, Bowlsby said, "I think the topic of expansion will be on every agenda going forward. But it's on every other conference's agenda going forward, too."

Texas athletics director DeLoss Dodds, a member of the league's four-man expansion committee, was close to dismissive of FSU's posturing in remarks to the Austin American-Statesman. "There's no traction" he said of the speculation.

"They're a long ways away," Dodds said of the Seminoles. "There've been no conversations between Florida State and the Big 12."

Bowlsby, athletics director at Stanford since 2006, will take over as the Big 12's commissioner around the middle of next month. He'll attend the league's spring meetings in Kansas City, Mo., starting May 30.

The league is wrapping up its first year with 10 member schools, downsized by the defections of Nebraska to the Big Ten and Colorado to the Pacific-12. Texas A&M and Missouri are headed out, as well, to the Southeastern Conference, but are being replaced by TCU and West Virginia. The question of whether to return to a 12-school alignment has bubbled, with speculation revolving around Louisville and, to some degree, Notre Dame.

"It's all about driving value for the member institutions," Bowlsby said. "There is a case to be made for optimal value being driven by the status quo, and there is a case to be made for some form of expansion. And I'm not prejudging or adopting either side of that right now."

Any takers on the Big 12 raising credit hours for their student athletes at the B12 meetings like the SEC did a couple years ago? That could be a tell tale sign of appeasing the academic argument that gets thrown around especially for an ACC school or two that may be interested no?

I'm just thankful we are in a spectators position and get to enjoy the continuing ineptitude of Pitt.

Ok does the Big 12 gut the ACC alone or does the SEC and BIG join in? Thats my biggest question now..

I believe the Big 10, Big 12 and SEC will all join in. I could see Boston College going to the Big 10 and them also getting Rutgers from the Big East. I also have to believe the SEC gets 2 unless they have their eye on someone else or a combination.

I believe we are in a good position with ND if they move and I think they now have to. If they miss this boat the ship may not be back for them. The reason I believe we are in good position is the 3rd tier rights. Everyone else has sold their rights and ND could start their own channel and still feel like they are the big dog.