OSU's Boone Pickens chides Texas, predicts Big 12's demise
While Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds professed his love for the Big 12, Oklahoma State billionaire booster Boone Pickens says the league won't last much longer.
Pickens believes the Cowboys will end up in the Pac-12, with Oklahoma. He largely blames Texas' insistence on creating the Longhorn Network.
"The network could have been the straw that broke the camel's back," Pickens said.
Dodds "is a friend of mine," Pickens said. "But DeLoss had too many cards and he played every damn one of them. I think that's too bad. You get tired of saying ‘aaah' while you get something shoved down your throat."
Dodds says Texas will be watching to see what happens over the next few days if Oklahoma decides to leave the Big 12.
Texas A&M has announced its plans to leave the Big 12. Oklahoma President David Boren on Friday acknowledged multiple conferences have shown interest in the Sooners. He said OU is likely to decide within three weeks whether it is staying or going.
Dodds says Texas will be fine no matter what happens to the Big 12.
Pickens doesn't want OSU to make a hasty decision.
"Don't rush the monkey and you'll see a better show," Pickens said. "We don't have to decide this weekend.
"This conversation is going to come up every year as long as the conference is not equal. You've got to have an equal deal like the SEC."
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said he is willing to listen if Oklahoma or anyone else wants to join his conference.
Scott said that "schools have reached out to us."
He said that the courtship is different from last year, when the league was looking for expansion candidates. "Any suggestion whatsoever that our conference is being predatory, that's just wrong," Scott said.
Pickens said TCU is the logical choice if the Big 12 wants to add a 10th team following Texas A&M's departure. He says Notre Dame and BYU wouldn't be good fits for the conference.
"Notre Dame already has a network and they're damaged merchandise, as far as I'm concerned," Pickens said. "I don't want Notre Dame. And BYU? Who in the hell knows where Provo, Utah, is? The natural one is TCU.
"You can fix the Big 12 now, but it's got to go to an equal deal, and it's not equal."
Missouri athletic director Mike Alden did not go as far as OU's Boren, but hinted Missouri might be ready to leave.
"I'm saying we're being aggressive on the things we need to be aggressive on," Alden said. "We're working on improving Mizzou's brand every day. That's what we do."
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said Friday, "You don't hear anything about any other league in the country having these kinds of problems. We all know where it starts."
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