Southwest Talks of Combining With Big Eight

The Southwest Conference, fearful that Arkansas might leave it to join the Southeastern Conference, held a hastily called meeting at the College Football Association’s annual meeting in Dallas and discussed expansion to 16 or 17 teams.

SWC officials discussed the “Big Southwest,” an alliance with the Big Eight Conference, The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday.

A Big Eight-Southwest Conference alliance could be a lure to keep Texas and Texas A&M;, if Arkansas decided to leave. The alliance would control two bowls, the Orange and the Cotton.

Also at the meeting, CFA coaches called on the NFL to reschedule minicamps and scouting combines later to preclude athletes missing class time. The CFA said NFL scouts are no longer welcome in film rooms and facilities of the more than 60 CFA member schools until the league becomes more sensitive to the problem.