New Conference re-alignment thread

[Saulbadguy]

The old one has AIDS.

Anyways, Chip Brown from Orangebloods.com reports OU may apply to the Pac-12 by the end of the month.

Oklahoma will apply for membership to the Pac-12 before the end of the month, and Oklahoma State is expected to follow suit, a source close to OU's administration told Orangebloods.com.

Even though Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said Friday the Pac-12 was not interested in expansion at this time, OU's board of regents is fed up with the instability in the Big 12, the source said.

The OU board of regents will meet within two weeks to formalize plans to apply for membership to the Pac-12, the source said.

Messages left Sunday night with OU athletic director Joe Castiglione and Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder were not immediately returned.

If OU follows through with what appears to be a unanimous sentiment on the seven-member Oklahoma board of regents to leave the Big 12, realignment in college athletics could be heating back up. OU's application would be matched by an application from Oklahoma State, the source said, even though OSU president Burns Hargis and mega-booster Boone Pickens both voiced their support for the Big 12 last Thursday.

There is differing sentiment about if the Pac-12 presidents and chancellors are ready to expand again after bringing in Colorado and Utah last year and landing $3 billion TV contracts from Fox and ESPN. Colorado president Bruce Benson told reporters last week CU would be opposed to any expansion that might bring about east and west divisions in the Pac-12.

Currently, there are north and south divisions in the Pac-12. If OU and OSU were to join, Larry Scott would have to get creative.

Scott's orginal plan last summer was to bring in Colorado, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and put them in an eastern division with Arizona and Arizona State. The old Pac-8 schools (USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State) were to be in the west division.

Colorado made the move in June 2010, but when Texas A&M was not on board to go west, the Big 12 came back together with the help of its television partners (ABC/ESPN and Fox).

If Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were accepted into the Pac-12, there would undoubtedly be a hope by Larry Scott that Texas would join the league. But Texas sources have indicated UT is determined to hang onto the Longhorn Network, which would not be permissible in the Pac-12 in its current form.

Texas sources continue to indicate to Orangebloods.com that if the Big 12 falls apart, the Longhorns would consider "all options."

Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe held an emergency conference call 10 days ago with league presidents excluding Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M and asked the other league presidents to "work on Texas" because Beebe didn't think the Pac-12 would take Oklahoma without Texas.

Now, it appears OU is willing to take its chances with the Pac-12 with or without Texas.

There seemed to be a temporary pause in any possible shifting of the college athletics' landscape when Baylor led a charge to tie up Texas A&M's move to the Southeastern Conference in legal red tape. BU refused to waive its right to sue the SEC over A&M's departure from the Big 12, and the SEC said it would not admit Texas A&M until it had been cleared of any potential lawsuits.

Baylor, Kansas and Iowa State have indicated they will not waive their right to sue the SEC.

It's unclear if an application by OU to the Pac-12 would draw the same threats of litigation against the Pac-12 from those Big 12 schools.

Stay tuned.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by RustShack

Lockedonsports David Locke



A Cincinnati paid site is reporting #BYU, #TCU, #Louisville, #Cincinnati, West Virginia to join Big 12 -- if Missouri stays that makes 14

Like anyone could know all that.

[HolyHandgernade]

Nobody cares about long commutes in the non con, but when its a conference game: OH MY GOODNESS!

Big XVI

Northeast Quad:

Iowa St
Cincinnati
Missouri
West Virginia

Northwest Quad:

Air Force
Kansas
Kansas St
BYU

Southwest Quad:

Texas
Texas Tech
Baylor
TCU

Southeast Quad:

Oklahoma
Oklahoma St
South Florida
Louisville

Football would have a "rotating divisional" format:

Year 1 West/East Alignment:

Northwest/Southwest vs Northeast/Southeast

Year 2 North/South Alignment

Northwest/Northeast vs Southwest/Southeast

Year 3 Cross-compass Alignment

Northwest/Southeast vs Northeast/Southwest

Teams play all teams in their alignment = 7 conference games
Teams play one permanent rivalry or rotated inter-alignment game = 8 games
Optional rotated inter-alignment game depending on how many non conference games the conference wants = 9 games

Champions from each "division" play each other in championship game.

Basketball could follow the same format, home and away "in division" for 14 games; and half home half away against opposite division for a total of 22 conference games. Could hold the first two rounds at separate sites on Tue/Wed, a travel day Thr, and the Final Four in KC on Fri/Sat.

[mnchiefsguy]

There have been a couple of tweets today saying Deaton has resigned as president of the Big 12, but Gabe DeArmond just answered a tweet about it saying he has not heard anything about it.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

At least its a nice straight line.

[DJ's left nut]

Matter just weighed in and he's my guy on this stuff (I trust him more than the rest).

He says that the XII has stated that he hasn't resigned as the Chairman only because he never was the chairman, rather just 1 of 5 guys on the committee.

Folks - that's significant. That's the XII playing a semantics game in response to a pretty damn straightforward inquiry. Does the man had the title he have yesterday or not? Because he had a title when he had that presser a week ago.

I refuse to get my hopes up, absolutely refuse.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by Pants

Do we have an offer from a conference?

nobody wants a worthless pile of shit like us ... we should just join the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and get it over with

[HemiEd]

I wouldn't get my hopes up

[mnchiefsguy]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Matter just weighed in and he's my guy on this stuff (I trust him more than the rest).

He says that the XII has stated that he hasn't resigned as the Chairman only because he never was the chairman, rather just 1 of 5 guys on the committee.

Folks - that's significant. That's the XII playing a semantics game in response to a pretty damn straightforward inquiry. Does the man had the title he have yesterday or not? Because he had a title when he had that presser a week ago.

I refuse to get my hopes up, absolutely refuse.

That is an interesting game of semantics, to be sure. If the Big XII was 100% sure Mizzou was staying they would squash this story pretty quick, but by giving the answer they have given, they have left the door open to speculation. I think Mizzou's future in the Big XII is certainly in question at this point. Doesn't mean that by the time the curators meet on Tuesday, we will be staying or going, but I think it can go either way at this point.

[mnchiefsguy]

And apparently twitter is all abuzz now because the Mizzou Lacrosse coach was fired. I have to admit, I don't recall knowing that Mizzou had a Lacrosse team.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

I wouldn't get my hopes up

They aren't.

There are way WAY too many things that would have to fall into place, most of which are very much opposite of the character of the parties involved, for me to believe this will actually happen.

But if it does, I'm convinced it's because Gary Pinkel's open frustration has the fanbase riled up and the BOC has taken notice. Like I said when I first heard him say it a month or so ago - Gary Pinkel is not one to launch shots across the bow. If he's saying this, he's very VERY angry about it.

And Pinkel holds a hell of a lot of sway right now.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

They aren't.

There are way WAY too many things that would have to fall into place, most of which are very much opposite of the character of the parties involved, for me to believe this will actually happen.

But if it does, I'm convinced it's because Gary Pinkel's open frustration has the fanbase riled up and the BOC has taken notice. Like I said when I first heard him say it a month or so ago - Gary Pinkel is not one to launch shots across the bow. If he's saying this, he's very VERY angry about it.

And Pinkel holds a hell of a lot of sway right now.

I missed something.

What did Pinkel say?

[mnchiefsguy]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

They aren't.

There are way WAY too many things that would have to fall into place, most of which are very much opposite of the character of the parties involved, for me to believe this will actually happen.

But if it does, I'm convinced it's because Gary Pinkel's open frustration has the fanbase riled up and the BOC has taken notice. Like I said when I first heard him say it a month or so ago - Gary Pinkel is not one to launch shots across the bow. If he's saying this, he's very VERY angry about it.

And Pinkel holds a hell of a lot of sway right now.

This. Pinkel tends to keep his anger and frustration behind closed doors, so when it starts to creep into his public comments, I thinks folks definitely sat up and listened.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

I missed something.

What did Pinkel say?

He said the shape the conference is in is 'embarrassing'. He's said several times something like we have "a great league but there are serious problems with it and everyone knows where those problems are coming from". He's bemoaned the fact that the conference doesn't appear likely to address said 'problems' and commented that it will never stabilize if it doesn't.

Pinkel's flat out calling out Texas and saying that the conference is doomed to instability. His tone of voice in these interviews is that of outward irritation. He's doing everything but say "Fix it or GTFO".

It's been really surprising to hear.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

He said the shape the conference is in is 'embarrassing'. He's said several times something like we have "a great league but there are serious problems with it and everyone knows where those problems are coming from". He's bemoaned the fact that the conference doesn't appear likely to address said 'problems' and commented that it will never stabilize if it doesn't.

Pinkel's flat out calling out Texas and saying that the conference is doomed to instability. His tone of voice in these interviews is that of outward irritation. He's doing everything but say "Fix it or GTFO".

It's been really surprising to hear.

I've been fairly impressed by his candor on this matter. Definitely a step in the right direction.

Hell, next thing you know he might actually start making half time adjustments!

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

This travel stuff cracks me up.

If there are 12 teams in two divisions BYU and WVU would make the trip once every four years since they'd be in different divisions.

And sitting in a plane an extra hour is not a deal breaker.