clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Hops Into Big 12 Debate; Wants Arkansas, Notre Dame

New, 2 comments

You knew Cowboys owner Jerry Jones couldn't see a lot of news reports in Texas without his name being thrown around in there.

Jones, according to a source familiar with his thinking, wants his alma mater to play in a league with former Southwest Conference rivals Texas and Texas A&M. A visionary, Jones sees the Big 12 expanding with Arkansas and Notre Dame. Such a conference alignment turns on TV sets across America and sends cash gushing out of Big 12 faucets everywhere.

By calling him a "visionary", I think Lawrence Journal-World's Tom Keegan has insinuated (at least in my eyes) that this is coming from Jones' camp -- and not anyone affiliated with the NCAA, so that's something to keep in mind.

Notre Dame, to date, hasn't fallen for overtures from BCS conferences that have pursued them. There's no reason to think Jones would change that.

How much influence can Jones have on the Big 12? Keegan apparently thinks a lot calling him a "big-time power broker in the world of professional and now college athletics."

What Jones wants and what he gets are two different things. This will be an interesting scenario to track.