Remember how we all said we'd revisit conference realignment once the playoff plan was set? Guess what! The playoff plan is set now, so now we have to pay attention to Big 12 expansion rumors again. Oh boy! Where were we? Still the Florida State and Clemson things?

Doesn't sound like it, according to a memo by outgoing commissioner Chuck Neinas:

Both representatives of ESPN/ABC and Fox Sports indicated that Notre Dame's involvement with the Big 12 Conference would increase the value of the conference relative to future television and also improve the image of the conference nationwide.

Our television partners agreed that the only new member that would enhance the Big 12 value for television was Notre Dame.

Remember when Boston College's AD denied TV partners play a major role in conference realignment? Neinas isn't talking about being instructed to pick up one or another team, and it might not matter to ESPN which conference Notre Dame joins anyway, since it owns ACC inventory too, and even more of that than it does of the Big 12's.

If Notre Dame were to join -- Texas' AD has mentioned courting the Irish to begin transitioning in as their NBC deal winds down -- then maybe FSU could come along as an addition, but this might just kill the idea of the Noles and an ACC mate coming aboard.

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