Over the past few months it appeared that the landscape of college sports was about to be turned upside down with the development of mega power conferences. However, now that the dust has settled for the time being, the landscape is slightly different but no mega conferences were formed and no BCS conferences were destroyed. Now its time to see who were the winners and losers of college expansion mania.

Winners

Texas: After it became clear that Notre Dame had no interest in losing its independence and joining a conference, the Longhorns became the prize possession of the expansion with the Big Ten, Pac 10, and SEC all showing interest at some point. The Horns played tough by being a difficult get for the Pac 10 and difficult keep for the Big 12. With as many as four schools (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas A&M) coming as part of the Texas deal the Big 12 was ready to collapse when it appeared that Texas and friends were going to accept Larry Scott’s deal to join the 16 team Pac 10. However, the Pac-10 didn’t offer the Longhorns the opportunity to start their own sports network that is still possible in the Big 12. It also didn’t hurt that the Big 12 offered the most money.

Dan Beebe: At the start of last week, it appeared that he was going to be a commissioner without a conference. All of the power schools of the Big 12 were leaving and it appeared that there was nothing that Beebe could do to stop it. However, with the help of some powerful and influential outsiders in Texas and Oklahoma and an even sweeter TV deal for the power schools, Beebe was able to preserve the Big 12 and over 100 years of football rivalries.

Nebraska: They were they first school to move and the one that made the most sense. The Big Ten is a more natural fit for the Cornhuskers in every way with more natural rivals and style of play in football. They will be able to get a lot more money from the Big Ten network than they would have gotten had they stayed in the Big 12. The one downside is that one college football’s great rivalries Nebraska vs. Oklahoma will no longer exist.

Big Ten: They were the first conference to discuss expanding and got the one school it truly coveted in Nebraska. It finally change it stance on being old and traditional with their expansion and now have 12 teams to have the conference championship game that so many conferences love having to make more money.

Pac 10: New commissioner Larry Scott was not scared to shake things up in his first year on the job. Like the Big Ten, the Pac 10 has long been consider old and traditional and not being able to change with the time. The two conferences were the last ones to join the BCS when it began because they did not want to sacrifice their Rose Bowl ties every four years. Although Scott was unable to get the major expansion that he wanted with the Big 12 schools he got Utah and Colorado to gain almost every major TV market on the West Coast in his conference.

Notre Dame: The mighty Irish always get what they want and that did not change here. They wanted to keep their football independence and they did. The Big Ten never forced Notre Dame’s hand during expansion and since the Texas move never happen the Irish never had to show it.

Utah: Arguably the best non-BCS football program of the BCS era finally has a BCS conference to call home. Since 2003 the Utah football team is 69-19, including two undefeated seasons two BCS wins, and 6-0 in bowl games.

Boise State: They upgraded their conference affiliation with the Mountain West that includes TCU, BYU and Air Force. It allows them to play better competition which should help them in their continued battle for national respect.

SEC: They were the most powerful football conference at the start of expansion and they are the most powerful conference now that the dust has settled and did not lose any sleep over it.

Bill Self: The Kansas basketball coach was one of the only public figures to speak out against expansion and said that his Jayhawks would be in a BCS conference at the end which they are. Although the Kansas football program does not bring much to the table the basketball program is too valuable to lose. It also helped save the other Big 12 schools that were not on the Pac 10’s map.

Losers

Missouri: No school has more egg on its face right now than the Tigers. They were the anti-Notre Dame and put all of its cards in front of the Big Ten begging for invite to join the conference, having school and state officials publicly lobby Big Ten officials.However, the invite never came from the Big Ten and the Tigers although still in the Big 12 are now looked at as the unwanted school. Because of instead of being pursued to leave the conference like the Texas and Oklahoma schools, Missouri was ready and willing to leave but it never happened. Now athletics director Mike Alden has serious work to do to rebuild fractured relationships with the schools in the Big 12.

Mountain West: Yes they gained Boise State but they lose Utah. So that would have to be considered a push losing 2 BCS wins and undefeated seasons and gaining another two. The loss of Utah also means the loss of its most powerful voice for an automatic BCS bid, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) had been working since Utah’s first undefeated season to get the Mountain West a seat at the BCS table. That seems more unlikely now that his school is in a BCS conference. On top of that the Big 12 stayed together, meaning that gaining the powerful Kansas basketball programs were no longer a possibility.

Colorado: Like Nebraska’s move to the Big Ten, Colorado’s move to the Pac 10 makes sense on all fronts. They have more natural rivals in the Pac 10 and their style play fits better in the Pac 10. However, the cash-strapped school must pay a hefty Big 12 exit penalty and the plans of the great TV deal for the Pac 10 likely will not happen now making the Buffs even more cash-strapped moving forward.

WAC: They lose their marquee team in Boise State and don’t have another school to replace them. The days of the WAC being relevant in any way is over after Boise State leaves in 2011.

People in favor of a college football playoff: When it appeared inevitable that mega conferences were happening the only positive that people were seeing that it could finally lead to a college football playoff system and no more BCS problems. However, it didn’t work out that way and a few more seasons of BCS controversies a wait college football fans.

College Basketball: The sport was treated as an afterthought in expansion proven by the lack of respect shown to the Kansas basketball program. You would have thought college football was a year round sport if it was not for Bill Self.