Big 10 Report: Conference Realignment

[Mr. Laz]

A source in St. Louis familiar with the situation told NewsCenter 16 Thursday afternoon that Missouri will leave the Big XII and soon join the Big 10. Other schools expected to follow the Tigers are Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers and Nebraska.

Many have speculated that such an expansion would include Notre Dame but ND athletic director Jack Swarbrick told me today that the Irish prefer to stay independent in football and in the Big East for other sports. Swarbrick said maintaining football Independence is such a part of what Notre Dame is.

He went on to say the Big East is a great partner for the University in other sports.

"We do have to monitor what is going on," Swarbrick said. "There will be significant shifts. "Hopefully we can navigate them by keeping our football independent and keeping our Big East affiliation because that is what we care about."

The move of Syracuse, Pitt and Rutgers to the Big Ten from the Big East could categorically change the landscape of the Big East itself. Thus, what Swarbrick is referring to when stating the University must continue to monitor what is going on.

The interview with Swarbrick was done before the late afternoon announcement.

http://www.wndu.com/sports/headlines/92447574.html

[RustShack]

I'm liking the chances of Oklahoma staying and BYU joining.

[CrazyPhuD]

Is it too late for the chiefs to join the Big12?

[Braincase]

Interesting conversation with someone high up in KU's athletic department on Saturday morning. The problems aren't based on what the ADs in each school are doing or want to do. It's all about egos and money, and the University presidents, chancellors and butt-hurt alumni. The ADs would prefer to leave well enough alone.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by Braincase

Interesting conversation with someone high up in KU's athletic department on Saturday morning. The problems aren't based on what the ADs in each school are doing or want to do. It's all about egos and money, and the University presidents, chancellors and butt-hurt alumni. The ADs would prefer to leave well enough alone.

Yep.

It's all about money, and unfortunately when you receive that extra money from the windfall of a new television network, all you are doing is furthering the arms race. It doesn't really improve the product, or your standing, if everyone else is receiving the same money.

[LiveSteam]

OU is pac12 bound

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by LiveSteam

OU is pac12 bound

Link?

[Saulbadguy]

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.

[eazyb81]

LOL at Colorado.

[RustShack]

Ou isn't leaving. They are just putting the pressure on Texas. Texas is in Norman right now negotiating

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by RustShack

I'm liking the chances of Oklahoma staying and BYU joining.

that's about the only thing i see saving the conference

KU,MU,KSU etc better keep looking for a new home until they know different.

[LiveSteam]

Originally Posted by RustShack

Ou isn't leaving. They are just putting the pressure on Texas. Texas is in Norman right now negotiating

Sure they are. all the talk about how they dont wanna hurt lil schools like ISU & Baylor. But keep crossing your fingers & praying

[RustShack]

Does Oklahoma really want to go play schools like USC, Oregon, and Stanford every year, or stay in a conference where they just have to beat Texas who is down these last few years? Oklahoma and Oklahoma state are in this together, and you know state is tugging on Oklahoma saying they want equal revenue sharing and to stay in the Big12. Oklahoma is just playing hard ball with Texas forcing them to change LHN into the Big12 Network.

Iowa State will get a lot of money suing Oklahoma, OK State, and aTm so I'm not too worried. They also wont get left out of a BCS conference. It will all work out in the end. OK stays, BYU comes, and no one sues aTm or the SEC over it. Big12 gets equal revenue sharing on at least the first two tier contracts and potentially a Big12 network.

[RustShack]

Does Oklahoma really want to go play schools like USC, Oregon, and Stanford every year, or stay in a conference where they just have to beat Texas who is down these last few years? Oklahoma and Oklahoma state are in this together, and you know state is tugging on Oklahoma saying they want equal revenue sharing and to stay in the Big12. Oklahoma is just playing hard ball with Texas forcing them to change LHN into the Big12 Network.

Iowa State will get a lot of money suing Oklahoma, OK State, and aTm so I'm not too worried. They also wont get left out of a BCS conference. It will all work out in the end. OK stays, BYU comes, and no one sues aTm or the SEC over it. Big12 gets equal revenue sharing on at least the first two tier contracts and potentially a Big12 network.

[LiveSteam]

Originally Posted by RustShack

Does Oklahoma really want to go play schools like USC, Oregon, and Stanford every year, or stay in a conference where they just have to beat Texas who is down these last few years? Oklahoma and Oklahoma state are in this together, and you know state is tugging on Oklahoma saying they want equal revenue sharing and to stay in the Big12. Oklahoma is just playing hard ball with Texas forcing them to change LHN into the Big12 Network.

Iowa State will get a lot of money suing Oklahoma, OK State, and aTm so I'm not too worried. They also wont get left out of a BCS conference. It will all work out in the end. OK stays, BYU comes, and no one sues aTm or the SEC over it. Big12 gets equal revenue sharing on at least the first two tier contracts and potentially a Big12 network.

let me put it this way. This is Hypothetical. but very well could happen
the next 3 years in a row
SEC school goes undefeated
Big 10 or pac 12 School goes undefeated
OU goes undefeated
guess who gets left on the out side looking in cause they dont play in a conference with a championship game any more.

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by LiveSteam

let me put it this way. This is Hypothetical. but very well could happen
the next 3 years in a row
SEC school goes undefeated
Big 10 or pac 12 School goes undefeated
OU goes undefeated
guess who gets left on the out side looking in cause they dont play in a conference with a championship game any more.

Really? OU is left out. Won't ever happen.