The PAC-10 has stated rather matter-of-factly that they are confident that they can obtain from the NCAA a rule change to allow 10-team conferences to hold a championship game at the end of the year.  If this is the case, then the giant conference expansion news of 2010 may very well turn into the GIANT FIZZLE.

The simple reason for this is that a 1/10th portion is bigger than a 1/12th or 1/16th portion of most pies.  This mathematical fact, combined with the rumblings of potential TV deals or TV Networks between 'affiliated' conferences (PAC 10, BIG 12, ACC, etc.) would quickly eliminate the primary monetary motivation to expand.  In fact, it may result in the bigger conferences receiving LESS financial payout on a per team basis than some of the smaller conferences.

This may also completely change the attitude of the BIG EAST and the BIG 12 for instance if they are raided by the BIG 10 as is being heavily rumored.  If the Big 10 takes Missouri and Nebraska, the BIG 12 might choose to stay at 10 teams and simply wave and call out to their two departing former colleagues:  "SO LONG, AND THANKS FOR THE EXTRA PIE".

If the BIG EAST loses a team or two from their current 8-team football division, they can simply invite their top choices from Conference USA teams (East Carolina, Central Florida, Memphis, Houston) to reach the magic 10 number and, voila', they have their 10-piece championship game pie to divide amongst themselves (and maybe a stronger overall BCS football rating!)

Conference USA isn't nearly as devastated by the loss of a few teams, in fact - 10 teams has become the new SAVVY way to play college football.  They may need to grab only one new partner from the WAC or the Sun Belt, but that isn't a huge burden.  And in a ten team league, everyone plays every other team every year!  What a concept!  No more, "Well yeah, they have a good record, but look at who they didn't have to play this year."

The Mountain West Conference quickly invites Boise State to become it's 10th member, holds its own championship game each year and significantly strengthens its BCS challenging credentials even more.  It also keeps building its own existing TV network (the 'Mountain', little sister to the BIG 10 Network), and now they look to maybe 'affiliate' with other conferences as well (the ACC has the Appalachian Mountains don't they?)  I can hear the familiar theme song ringing out from TV sets all across America for the expanded MWC/CUSA/ACC TV Network -- "From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans . . ." sing it with me!

The Western Athletic Conference grumbles about losing their best team, but then quickly grabs a few geographically attractive Sun Belt Conference teams to plug up the 10 needed slots and they too are in the conference championship business.

Even if the mighty SEC decides to expand to keep pace with the BIG 10 and steals away Florida State and Miami(FL) from the ACC, in the long term - the rest of the ACC conference members may decide to go ahead and stay at 10 teams and end up laughing all the way to the bank.

So maybe the idea about allowing a championship game for 10-team conferences is actually a much bigger question with much broader implications than has been realized.  Maybe it is not such a slam dunk rule change after all!