Citing a confidential source, CN has learned that the Universities of Nebraska and Kansas are in secret talks regarding a plan to merge athletic departments. The result would bring great football to Kansas and great basketball to Nebraska while at the same time strengthening the earning potential for both schools. The Big 12 conference currently splits television revenues based on appearances, the idea is to leverage the best teams of both schools against other schools in the conference. 

As part of the proposed agreement, current Kansas basketball head coach of basketball Bill Self will remain as the head coach of the Kansas - Nebraska Jayhawk basketball team and will retain all control over the basketball staff. Current Nebraska football head coach Bo Pelini will remain as the head coach of the Nebraska - Kansas Cornhuskers football team and like Self, will retain all control over the football staff. The same rule will be applied to team staffing after a formal agreement is signed. It's not known at this time how the rest of the teams will be merged, although the source stated that the teams will be equally divided based upon their records over the past 20 years.

The football team will remain the "Cornhuskers" while the basketball team will retain the name "Jayhawks", although the new school colors will be a mixture of red, white, and blue with the hopes that the newly formed merger will generate a flurry of merchandise purchasing, driving further revenue into both schools.

It's not known at this time whether the merged athletic departments will make a plea to join the Big 10, or urge the Big 12 conference to stay intact and seek expansion by bringing in another school to join the conference.

When asked about the radical nature of the merger, our source stated, "Everyone knows there's a recession coming to collegiate athletics and the result is going to be a radical shift in how universities operate. You'd better prepare yourselves. We aren't the only schools talking about things like this."