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.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Pants

Which probably means there's going to be equal revenue sharing now that 2 of the 4 schools who voted against it are gone. If that's the case, I think MU did the right thing.

It could also mean that MU had no offer, although I think there was too much smoke for that to be true.

Hearing all the SEC chatter down here in the heart of SEC country, I'm 90% sure that the SEC had heavy interest in Mizzou.

I'm happy. My preference has been what is better for Kansas City over what is better for the University of Missouri. Mizzou staying in the Big XII, with equal revenue sharing, is best for KC.

(and doesn't preclude a future jump to the Big 10 lolololololol)

[Pants]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

It means that life sucks. Mizzou loses.

Well, if there was an offer on the table, the people who know the most about it obviously thought it would be better to stick around. So yeah... either there was no offer or you got the better deal by staying.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

GoldAndBlueZone 97.3 ESPN radio saying it was 10-2 vote for WVU to SEC. Vandy and South Carolina voted against WVU #wvu

That is awfully specific for something reported by ESPN. They sometimes pass on stuff from questionable sources, but you usually don't hear that kind of detail unless its solid. (that, or "goldandbluezone" is making crap up)

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Pants

Well, if there was an offer on the table, the people who know the most about it obviously thought it would be better to stick around. So yeah... either there was no offer or you got the better deal by staying.

I think most Mizzou folks would have far more confidence in the university's leadership if Deaton weren't trying to balance chairing up the Big XII whatever-the-**** committee and trying to make choices in the best interest of the U of Missouri.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

I think most Mizzou folks would have far more confidence in the university's leadership if Deaton weren't trying to balance chairing up the Big XII whatever-the-**** committee and trying to make choices in the best interest of the U of Missouri.

Nothing is official yet anyway, man.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Pants

Nothing is official yet anyway, man.

It's pretty much "whatever" at this point for me. The Big XII is unstable, but the money will be there, and it's geographically sensible.

[ChiefsCountry]

Could be a blessing in disquise for Mizzou football. If the Big 12 expands with the rumored schools, Mizzou might be looking at top 10 program each year because of wins they could be getting and alot of Big 12 North titles.

[alnorth]

Swaim is claiming to have 2 separate sources, one from WVU, and one from the SEC

[alnorth]

The twitterverse is starting to turn on Swaim and ESPN radio 97.3, mocking them for being the only ones to report on WVU to SEC.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

Also it is quite hilarious that ku, KSU, and ISU fans have been reduced to praying Mizzou doesn't go to the SEC, even though us staying is the only way UT and OU will be forced to renegotiate more equitable revenue terms.

Fight the good fight bros!

It's quite hilarious that most of us -KSU fans- just want you mutts to make your move so we don't have to listen to you cry about UT, OU, Brady Deaton, LHN, and any and all other aspects of the conference that makes you poor bitches unhappy.

Cry the big cry, sisters of the confederacy.

[|Zach|]

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by alnorth

For what its worth...

some high-postcount seemingly-respected WVU people with mysterious "inside sources" are saying that Oliver Luck informed his coaches tonight that they are going to the SEC, WVU will inform the Big East on Wed, and SEC will announce on Friday.

I don't know if WVU to the SEC is true, but that group knew well in advance that they had talked Huggs into leaving KSU during that soap opera. There is a guy or two on that site that has friends in high places.

[beer bacon]

The guy from 97.3 that started the whole WV to SEC rumor has already recanted. Now he is saying that his sources in WV are hopeful a deal with the SEC will get done.

[KCrockaholic]

I was really hoping for Mizzou to go to the SEC. Disappointment to me.

[007]

Can we update the OP to show what the playing field looks like today? Or is it all still just a bunch of speculation.