you are right, it was K-State and Nebraska in the big 8. Nebraska was all for the revenue sharing agreement when that was the case. When NU started losing the big bucks because their teams weren't as good, suddenly Texas was the evil money grubber. Yes, Texas has a ton of power in the Big 12. Yes, we make less money than they do. But the fact of the matter is that we don't have a national following and we are a small market program. We are much better off with the support of Texas than in trying to go it alone.
The difference here is that We get that. We understand that we are not the power brokers. We're OK with that. We take pride in the fact that we accomplish our success with less than others may have to. On the other hand, Nub fans seem to think they are the center of the universe. Boo Hoo, we don't get as much money as Texas. Sorry buddy, you don't generate as much money as Texas does either. No, you are that kid on the playground who is so used to winning, you think you are entitled to it. When another kid comes along, who is a little bigger, a little faster, and a little more attractive to the girls watching on the sidelines, you pick up the ball and run home whining about how unfair the world is.
You are right, CU is leaving too. Nobody has the venom for them because they left quietly and made no bones about it. What bothered people about the Nebraska situation has nothing to do with football, basketball, or any other athletic venture. It is the petty way you did it. Your school "leaked" so much trash about their superiority to the rest of the big 12 that it really was shameful. Now you expect us to sit back and be happy for you, respect you, applaud you? You were a family member who decided to hitch your wagon to another train and strike it on your own. Yes, we may have left too had a better deal come along and that's fine. We all need some change now and then. But on their out the door, your school crapped on the floor, told the world we deserved it because we aren't your equal, and were shocked when people took offense.
The funniest part of all of this is that as tradition focused as NU and the Big 10 are, both are going to regret this move. The state of Nebraska almost revolted when a stripe was added to the football uniforms in 03. How are they going to feel when those old cozy rivalries they've loved for so long are suddenly over. NU is quickly going to realize they're second fiddle again to Mich and OSU. They are now out of the Texas recruiting links. The foundation of their tradition is over.