Conference realignment: Big 12 athletic directors are fortifying the conference

“Beyond that, we'd be unwise to be oblivious to all that is going on around us. We need to be constantly vigilant. I think in coming out of these meetings we're prepared very well for that vigilance.”

The Big 12 knows where to set its eyes. A couple of East Coast courtrooms, and the Big Ten boardroom in Chicago.

Maryland and the Atlantic Coast Conference are engaged in legal battles over the Terrapins' $53 million exit fee to leave the league. If Maryland is held to the $53 million cost, it's a lot less like any other ACC school would jump.

But if there's a crack in the door, the Big Ten seems ready to pounce. Seeking to widen the geographic footprint for its Big Ten Network and to keep adding prestigious academic schools, the league soon could be courting some combination of North Carolina, Virginia, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech and Duke.

If the ACC lost two or four more schools to the Big Ten, you don't think Clemson and Florida State would have hot feet? That's what the Las Colinas meetings were about.

The Big 12 is going all Boy Scout on us. Being prepared. It's a nice change.

Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at btramel@opubco.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.