Well it looks like there won't be any odd schedules or awkward final visits to Boulder. Both Nebraska and Colorado will depart from the Big 12 following the 2010-2011 academic year and begin competing in their new respective conferences starting with the football season of 2011.
So now the question is, how did the Big 12(-2) come out? Well for starters the Cornhuskers made their announcement and declared their intention to leave for the 2011 football season regardless. The revenue losses weren't a factor, money wasn't a factor, plain and simple Tom Osborne and the Corn couldn't get out fast enough.
The result for the Huskers is a final settlement to the tune of $9.225 million in revenue distributions that would be retained by the conference. This amounts to just under half of Nebraska's $19 million in estimated revenue distributions for the final two years in the conference.
Colorado on the other hand initially intended to give a two year notice stating they would head for the West Coast in 2012. The reason? Money. Colorado doesn't have it, they can't afford it and they were willing to wait it out as a result. Now, obviously the fact that they were willing to stay presented some interesting scheduling challenges for the Big 12 and both the conference and the school were looking for a way to part.
In the end, Colorado get's rewarded for the fact that they have an athletic department without the funds to make a dignified exit. The negotiated settlement amounts to $6.83 million of their estimated $19 million in distributions over the final two years. Colorado had been negotiating with the Big 12 to lower a number that much more closely resembled that of Nebraska.
In the end what does it all mean? Well perhaps the sentiment of the conference mirrors that of the fans? The common feeling around the Big 12 seems to be that of disgust with Nebraska and indifference about the departure of Colorado. Nebraska pays, Colorado get's off a little easy. Just another reflection of where the conference stands? Either way, goodbye and good riddance.