The University of Nebraska could decide today to leave the Big 12 Conference in favour of the Big Ten, which could lead to sweeping changes across collegiate sports in the United States.
If Nebraska defects from the Big 12, the entire conference would likely disband, reports have said.
In anticipation of Nebraska leaving, ESPN.com reported that Colorado has been invited to leave the Big 12 and join the Pac-10. Five other Big 12 schools - Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech - would also be invited to join the Pac-10. That would leave the remaining five Big 12 schools - Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State - without a home.
"Nebraska is the key," one coach told ESPN.com. "If Nebraska leaves, everyone has to look."
Tom Osborne, Nebraska's athletic director, said a decision has not been finalised, and he declined to comment on whether the Big Ten had formally invited Nebraska to join the conference.
The university issued a statement to counter media reports that the Board of Regents met informally on Wednesday and had agreed to a move to the Big Ten.
Officials, however, do want a quick resolution on the future of the school's athletic programmes.
"The conjecture and all the intensity surrounding it is not positive," Regent Jim McClurg said of the impending decision. "Everybody needs to know and has a right to know. The calamity and opportunity that's conjured up by not knowing sometimes exceeds reality, so I think it's important to get a decision done."
The Big 12 reportedly has given Nebraska a deadline of today to affirm their commitment to the league. The Big Ten said last year they considered adding at least one school to allow for a lucrative league championship game in football and broaden the reach of their cable television network.
Based on 2009 figures, Nebraska would double the money it receives from conference distributions in the Big Ten. Big Ten schools received about US$20 million (Dh73m) a year in revenue compared with the $10m Nebraska took in from the Big 12.
* Agencies
The First Monday in May
Director: Andrew Rossi
Starring: Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld, John Paul Gaultier, Rihanna
Three stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
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How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
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The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
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The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5