The exodus is set to begin. Rumors have pegged today as the day that Colorado is going to leave the Big 12 athletic conference for the "greener pastures" of the PAC-10.

This move will be the first in what will become the end of one of NCAA Football's most storied and most profitable athletic conferences. The Big 12 was one of the leaders of the NCAA Football world, but it is set to become nothing more than a carcass, left to be picked over by the major predators of the football world (most notably the PAC-10, SEC, and the Big Ten).

Suddenly, there is an outcrop of support for conference realignment in college football. This groundswell started a few weeks ago when rumors surfaced that the Big 10 Conference was thinking about inviting Notre Dame into the conference.

The expansion list has since expanded; branching out to include Nebraska, Rutgers, Missouri, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh -- making the Big Ten the Big Sixteen. The rumored invites sent speculation running rampant about who is going to play in what conference and who will be left out. Let's take a look at the financial ramifications of any moves.