There’s lots. I mean lots going on. Not a lot of solid info, but everyone knows that things are in motion. This doesn’t mean, this week or even before July 4. It does, however, mean before the end of summer in my view. For something this chaotic and political this is moving fast. It involves various state politics, conference politics, individual schools and their politics. Then there are donors, boosters and lots of money. The more you try to look at this the bigger and messier this gets

The pace will likely pick-up for Big Something expansion. Especially with Pac-10/16 planning to move with some aggressiveness.

Pacific-10 Conference commissioner Larry Scott said Sunday that he has been given authority by the league’s presidents and chancellors to advance the process of possible expansion, adding there is no rush to do so before the end of the year and that the league still could remain at 10 schools.

Speaking to reporters after the close of three days of Pac-10 meetings in San Francisco, Scott acknowledged a nationwide atmosphere of anxiety, alluding to recent reports out of the Big 12 suggesting that conference could lose schools to the Pac-10 and/or the Big Ten.

That’s huge. The Pac-10 schools are essentially giving their commish the green light to do what he thinks is best. No need to go back to them for approval on his actions. This is the Pac-10. The ultra-conservative and cautious conference, and they are not fooling around.

This aggressive move to get Texas has the Big Something picking up the pace — probably.

“Our announcement in December has caused institutions to consider their future and conferences to consider their future,” said Michigan State President Lou Anna K. Simon, the chairwoman of the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors. “As a result, that has had an impact on our deliberations.”

The expansion process was originally expected to last 12 to 18 months.

“It’s possible that the timeline may be altered, but not the process,” Simon said.

She said the fundamentals of expansion deliberations have not changed. Candidates must apply for membership. They must be deemed to be an academic fit with the Big Ten, all of whose schools are members of the prestigious Association of American Universities. They must be competitive athletically on a national level and fiscally responsible, she said.

Texas to the Pac-10 just makes more sense than to the Big 11. Texas can bring a lot more playmates west. Plus, the Pac-10 plays competitive college baseball that fits better with Texas.

The Pac-10 seems willing to compromise on academics (read: Texas Tech and OK St.) to make it happen. No way will the Big 11 go that far.

What the Big 11 does, though, seems to conflict. As much as the college presidents of the conference members there stress being, “deemed to be an academic fit with the Big Ten, all of whose schools are members of the prestigious Association of American Universities. They must be competitive athletically on a national level and fiscally responsible…” The Big 11 commissioner is made it clear what the truth is.

Delany declined comment after a meeting of the conference’s presidents and chancellors when asked if the conference was considering Pitt, saying the Big Ten always declined to talk about specific institutions.

Seventeen percent of Pennsylvanians do not have access to the Big Ten Network, the largest percentage of any state that is home to a Big Ten university. Delany said last month that expanding the reach of the network was one of the biggest factors as the conference explores expansion.

Back to the Pac-10/16 and Big 12, the Big 12 does not seem to be long when they get desperate.

The Big 12’s counter-punch? To put the pressure on …

Nebraska.

That’s right, instead of a show of solidarity at last week’s Big 12 meetings, the league has put its fate in the hands of the folks up in Lincoln. Nebraska and Missouri have been flirting with the Big 10, which covets Notre Dame but would accept the Cornhuskers as a boobie prize.

The Big 10 met over the weekend and took no proactive measures on expansion, which puts Nebraska in a bind. The Big 12 is giving Big Red a Friday deadline to announce its intentions:

Commit or Quit.

If Nebraska goes, so goes the Big 12.

I’ve read these bits about demanding a declaration of loyalty from Mizzou and Nebraska, but I fail to see the “or else.” The conference doesn’t have the real votes to kick them out. They can embarrass them. Ultimately, though, the Big 12 needs them. And if something goes wrong with Big 11 expansion, they need the Big 12.

Oklahoma and columnists in the state that had been pooh-poohing the whole expansion for others and supporting keeping the Big 12 together. Well suddenly they find religion now that Oklahoma and OSU could find a home.

Run. Don’t walk.

The latest rumor to surface, that the Pac-10 might look to expand by adding six Big 12 teams including OU and OSU, is easily the best option for our state schools.

It is fine to say the right things and pledge to make the Big 12 work.

But, if the big domino falls, which is Texas, then the Sooners and Cowboys should be on the plane headed west.

Make no mistake. If the Big 12 starts to crumble, and every indication is that the league is coming apart at the seams, then the Pac-10, or whatever you want to call it, should be at the top of OU and OSU’s wish list.

Texas is the key to everything. That may not be the popular thing to say in this state. However, the Longhorns, because of television sets and population, are driving this bus.

If the Longhorns jump, the only question the Sooners and Cowboys should have is where.

The issue for Pac-10 expansion could be Baylor over Colorado. Baylor may not have Ann Richards or any other alumni in the governor’s office in Texas. They may be a small private college. But they know politics in Texas.

“If you’re going to have an exported commodity involved in this, do you think we’re going to allow a school from outside the state of Texas to replace one of our schools in the Big 12 South? I don’t think so. We’re already at work on this,” the site quoted a a high-ranking member of the Texas Legislature as saying.

The source said that there is a block of 15 legislators working to make sure that Baylor, not Colorado, is invited to join the Pac-10. The source pointed to the political and economic importance of keeping the Big 12’s Texas schools together as well as Colorado’s recent athletic struggles and lack of sports such as baseball, softball and men’s tennis.

This could be very interesting. It would be in Baylor’s best interest for the Big 11 to still go slow. If the Big 11 moves first, then it is more likely that the backing of state political power for the other 3 schools — Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Texas — could still overwhelm the much smaller (though well-organized) Baylor influence. I just don’t see the Pac-10 willing to take Baylor.

Here’s something to show that the whole thing is crazy. Libertarian online mag, Reason has a piece decrying the Big 11 expansion because of bad geography.

Other Americans want nothing more than to go to heaven. A Midwesterner is someone who would trade it for a trip to the Rose Bowl.

The advocates of conference realignment, however, are willing to blow up this comfortable, unifying framework. In pursuit of more television exposure and revenue, they are casting their eyes far beyond our region to identify potential new members.

Among the schools mentioned as possible additions are ones where most students couldn’t find Minnesota on a map, such as Rutgers, Syracuse, Connecticut, and Texas. Any of these additions would be as natural as the Tea Party nominating Nancy Pelosi. The first three belong to the Eastern seaboard. The Big Ten is the heartland.

Texas? Why, of course. And while we’re at it, let’s grant statehood to Guam. Bringing in the Longhorns would be like releasing alligators in Duluth, Minn.: not comfortable for either party.

The Big Ten already has some experience with trampling over its natural boundaries, from admitting Penn State in 1990. Nothing against the Nittany Lions, but it was a mistake.

Penn State is now and will always be the equivalent of your cousin’s ex-husband who keeps on coming to the family reunion 20 years after the divorce. He’s greeted politely then but forgotten any other time. But what good could have come from squeezing 11 schools into a conference with “Ten” in its name?

Going to have to start drinking early today.