I am happy that the big conferences are trying to take control back from the upstarts.
The Big Ten has often been criticized for being slow and stuck in the past, but the conference does actually have an impressive academic component that allows the member universities to share resources and maintain academic integrity.
And the Big Ten has always made good, solid long-term decisions. It's the Midwestern ethic. And I think that the Nebraska move is good. It is a sure and steady move in the chess match. There might be more moves, but I like the fact that they move the pawn before going after the king.
The danger with the smaller colleges that pop up is that they build a football stadium, ignore academic standards, rule the football world for a few years and flame out without much to show for the time involved.
The Big Ten has done a good job of using football to build the alumni base, sell the university experience and build an academic component to what in other conferences is simply a sports league.