The Divided Conferences of College Football: If not now, will the Power Five ever get on the same page?

Player raids and another (miniature) round of conference realignment are not out of the realm of possibility

What, you expected unity? That would have required Nebraska seeking sympathy instead of another conference. That would have required the Power Five to acknowledge each other's existence. That would have required hope to be a strategy.

As this process has revealed, hope is never a good strategy.

The surprise Tuesday was not the Pac-12 joining the Big Ten in canceling their college football seasons. Nor that the Big 12 later held firm and is still chasing football this fall. It's how they got there that was so unnerving.

The way the season is structured right now, Ohio State star quarterback Justin Fields may have played his last snap in college. What incentive would there be for one of the NFL Draft's best prospects to risk injury playing college football now that the Big Ten is hoping to play in spring 2021?

Fields wasn't saying. But he was tweeting.

Smh..

— Justin Fields (@justnfields) August 11, 2020

The traditional, conservative Big Ten ended Tuesday in full crisis mode. Not only was the vote to cancel not unanimous, that fact became public. Fast.

Nebraska was not happy with the Big Ten's decision and let the world know.

In a joint statement, the school said it was "very disappointed" in the decision. Coach Scott Frost suggested the Cornhuskers would move forward hoping for "an opportunity to compete."

But where? Are we now realistically talking about Nebraska playing on its own schedule in 2020 and possibly looking for a new conference after that?

Don't blink. The Big Ten's TV contracts expire after the 2022-23 school year. Will the Huskers wait even that long?

One official from a Big 12 school said Nebraska would be welcomed back with "open arms." But what about the fact that it left the conference for the Big Ten in 2011?

"Nobody gives a shit," that source said.

Nine years later, would the Huskers be willing to walk away from $50 million in the Big Ten and peddle their brand again?

While we ponder that possible blockbuster, look for the Power Five raid to begin on players from the Big Ten and Pac-12.

"To the extent others think there's an opportunity to essentially come recruit our players, we would say, 'Have at it,'" Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson. "We're not going to change what's important to us."

OK, but what's most important to anyone right now?

Anyone notice that, as it stands, a legitimate College Football playoff cannot be played? Not because there won't be football. How do you award a trophy for 2020 when two of your five major conferences are not playing?

We told you unity was scarce. Proof?

The Big 12 will release its 2020 schedule Wednesday, the day after the Big Ten and Pac-12 and canceled their 2020 seasons.

As predicted, the taste for football this fall has come down to a conferences' risk tolerance and medical advisory boards.

The Big 12 is OK starting its conference season Sept. 26, the same delayed date as the SEC. A prominent Duke doctor, part of the ACC's advisory group, tweeted Tuesday that it's safe to play football.

In canceling its season, the Pac-12 cited the wise advice of its own doctors.

"We followed the science," Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said.

"We will be dealing with coronavirus for some time," said Doug Aukerman, Oregon State's associate athletic director for sports medicine, who advised the Pac-12.

Who's right? The coronavirus doesn't care. Find your own version of the truth.

"It is a microcosm of the country," said one trustee at a Big Ten school.

It might be frightening to watch the unpaid labor force become chess pieces in determining the answer.

Health? Safety? How do ask those Big Ten and Pac-12 players to play two seasons in one calendar year if football is approved for spring 2021?

"Great question," Scott said.

For now, the Big 12 has become the swing conference. If it had canceled its fall season, that would have given some cover for the SEC and ACC to do so as well. Now, don't be surprised if the American, Conference USA and Sun Belt all press on for the fall.

That leaves the sticky possibility of Ohio State-Michigan during March Madness and the Rose Bowl on Easter.

Insert giant, frustrated sigh.

This is already as disjointed a season as there will be. Mostly, because it could be parts of two seasons. Wednesday begins with 53 schools (of 130 total, 41%) having canceled their seasons with hopes of potentially playing in 2021.

Will these Divided Conferences of College Football ever unite?