In summer 2010, the Big 12 Conference was on the verge of dissolution. Nebraska was headed to the Big Ten and Colorado to the Pacific-12. At least four other schools — the Bedlam rivals, Texas and Texas A&M — seemed destined to follow the Buffaloes out West.

The proposed Pac-16 would include eight schools in an eastern division, plus the eight Pac schools in the coastal states of California, Oregon and Washington.

The plan eventually fell through, and the Big 12 eventually forged ahead with the Oklahoma schools, the Kansas schools, four Texas schools, West Virginia and Iowa State.

The merits of that Pac-16 proposal can be debated from a state of Oklahoma perspective. What can't be debated would be the vacation possibilities for fans from Middle America.