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.

[Pitt Gorilla]

SEC Tournament to KC?

Also, Alabama to play in Missouri SOON?

http://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1308305

HURT: Expansion brings new markets
Cecil Hurt
TideSports.com Editor

As the interminable wait for the BCS championship game nears a more-manageable three-week countdown, there has been a window of opportunity to do a few different things - including the new territory that has been annexed into the Southeastern Conference.

Fortuitously, the University of Alabama basketball team was in Kansas City on Saturday (although not playing one of their future SEC brethren), which created a golden opportunity to look at the new western border of the league.

Technically, one could argue SEC territory stretches all the west to El Paso now (although I am not sure how strong the Aggie sentiment is in that community.) It's more instructive to consider the league's new territory as extending to a line down from Kansas City, through Fayetteville and into the Dallas and Houston megalopolises (or is it megalopoli?).

Those (and St. Louis) are the vaunted "new television" markets. Whether Kansas City is Missouri Tiger territory is another question - Kansas is far closer and there is a pervasive Jayhawk feel, or it seemed so to me.

Without belaboring points that have already been made about the cultural ties between this area and the South - yes, there are a lot of good barbecue places here - it is clear Kansas City is a sports town. The Chiefs are the clear heroes here, even in a dismal coach-fired year.

The most recognizable Alabama football names, perhaps even ahead of Nick Saban, are Javy Arenas and Wallace Gilberry. There's another Alabama link.

The big mural downtown at the Sprint Center is sports-related and features the legendary pitcher of the Kansas City Monarchs, Satchel Paige (from, you guessed it, Mobile, Alabama.) The point isn't to find every minuscule thread that leads back to Alabama. It's just to note Kansas City - and perhaps most of Missouri, outside of St. Louis - has proven college sports interest and should be fertile ground for the SEC.

Alabama football fans may get a chance to test that, more quickly than expected. Nothing official has been released concerning the expansion-altered SEC football schedule for 2012, but it would not surprise me if Alabama's first visit to Missouri comes sooner rather than later. It could come much sooner. Much, much sooner. Take that in the spirit of a Christmas hint.

There is also a solid chance the SEC basketball tournament will be coming to Kansas City in a few years - Missouri certainly wants it to be played in the Sprint Center - and that wouldn't be terrible.

The arena is the hub of the Power & Light district downtown and it would be roughly similar to having the tournament in Nashville. The difference, of course, is it wouldn't be centrally located, and the crowd would be primarily Kentucky fans, sprinkled with Arkansas and Missouri. Face it, if the SEC Tournament were held in Anchorage, it would be "primarily Kentucky fans."

Certainly, expansion has its pros and cons, and it will be hotly debated again as soon as the new 2012 football schedule comes out. After all, you can't please everyone. But Texas A&M and Missouri are fine schools, and if growth was inevitable - and perhaps it was - there are certainly worse places to grow.

Cecil Hurt is sports editor of The Tuscaloosa News. Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil.hurt@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0225.

[Saul Good]

So now KU is running commercials on 810 trying to lay calim to KANSAS City. They are like a ****ing Chihuahua pissing on every tree in the neighborhood.

Hey Kansas. The rest of the local schools are a combined 4-0 in Kansas City this year. You are 0-2.

[Saul Good]

So now KU is running commercials on 810 trying to lay calim to KANSAS City. They are like a ****ing Chihuahua pissing on every tree in the neighborhood.

Hey Kansas. The rest of the local schools are a combined 4-0 in Kansas City this year. You are 0-2.

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

So now KU is running commercials on 810 trying to lay calim to KANSAS City. They are like a ****ing Chihuahua pissing on every tree in the neighborhood.

Hey Kansas. The rest of the local schools are a combined 4-0 in Kansas City this year. You are 0-2.

If there is a year to jump on Kansas to feel better about yourself...this IS the year.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Mr_Tomahawk

If there is a year to jump on Kansas to feel better about yourself...this IS the year.

Considering the fact that KU is 0-for-the-year against Mizzou when it comes to athletic competition of any kind at the halfway point (end of first semester), I'd say that's a pretty accurate statement.

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Considering the fact that KU is 0-for-the-year against Mizzou when it comes to athletic competition of any kind at the halfway point (end of first semester), I'd say that's a pretty accurate statement.

Enjoy it.

[Pants]

I hope they keep doing just so I can see Saul Good wail like a bitch.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Considering the fact that KU is 0-for-the-year against Mizzou when it comes to athletic competition of any kind at the halfway point (end of first semester), I'd say that's a pretty accurate statement.

The only trophies you care about are the ones you get for beating KU?

KU aims higher I suppose.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Pants

I hope they keep doing just so I can see Saul Good wail like a bitch.

I hope they keep doing it too. Every time I see one of those billboards, I smile thinking of KU flailing around trying to feel important. Then I think about the 6,000 Kansas fans that showed up to Arrowhead to watch their team get beat yet again, and my smile becomes a laugh.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

I hope they keep doing it too. Every time I see one of those billboards, I smile thinking of KU flailing around trying to feel important. Then I think about the 6,000 Kansas fans that showed up to Arrowhead to watch their team get beat yet again, and my smile becomes a laugh.

Really? I thought it was quite effective.

The coach nearly beat mu and still got fired. People not showing up to the game was a clear sign that they wanted a change. No matter how the game went.

That and all the dollars that have been brought in to hire Weis and get rid of Gill.

KU is in fine position. The media blitz has been as expected. missouri has abandoned Kansas City, why not cement your standing here locally?

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

I hope they keep doing it too. Every time I see one of those billboards, I smile thinking of KU flailing around trying to feel important. Then I think about the 6,000 Kansas fans that showed up to Arrowhead to watch their team get beat yet again, and my smile becomes a laugh.

Yes.

The way MU manhandled a very good KU defense all game is something to smile about.

[Saul Good]

You Kansas fans are adorable. A 14 point loss = "nearly beat MU".

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

You Kansas fans are adorable. A 14 point loss = "nearly beat MU".

Regardless of the final deficit. It was an exciting game for us adorable fans.

Most football programs...good or bad...can hang 4-5 TDs on KU by halftime.

We weren't use to holding a football team to 3 pts at halftime with our inept defense.

Congrats.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

You Kansas fans are adorable. A 14 point loss = "nearly beat MU".

You're the one who's got his panties in a bunch over some stupid ad campaign, champ.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

You Kansas fans are adorable. A 14 point loss = "nearly beat MU".

Considering that KU was beaten by 30+ points 6 times during the season, then leading at halftime, to only losing by 14 points to the powerhouse MU. Again, good job on barely beating the worst team in the country.