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.

[mnchiefsguy]

Originally Posted by Raiderhader

Theory? Is it not fact that Mizzou was the first to look into leaving?

Actually it is not a fact. I have read in several Nebraska press releases/conferences, etc. about how hard they had worked "over the years" to secure a place in the B1G, and how they felt a "kinship" with Big 10 schools and other B.S. As I recall, many Nebraska fans and the like used that for justification for jumping in and screwing Mizzou in the first place.

Also lost in the whole Big 10 debacle was that no one really knows when Colorado opened their dialogue with the Pac 10. No one really cared at the time, but that deal had to have been discussed well before it happen. Colorado was just under the radar because no one really cared whether they stayed or left.

[alnorth]

JMI Sports has retained 17 advisors

http://www.jmisports.com/college/advisors/

Oh God, wait a sec, I'm starting to see it now... there's 7 people with ties to the PAC 12... 3 with ties to the Big 10... someone from Florida... and oh geez, someone from Texas A&M!!!

Holy crap, Texas is orchestrating everything. They used their evil secret ties to get the PAC 12 to block OU, to get the Big 10 to turn down Mizzou... they are probably taking advantage of their Florida sleeper agents to screw the tigers there, too... all to provide Texas A&M, who they were sick of hearing about every year really, a clear way out while imprisoning the rest of us. And now Neinas has been installed to rule over us all.

We're doomed.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

The concern that the Big 12 (Texas) could hire a commissioner that is a Texas puppet - who would replace the prior Texas puppet - is dumb?

Okay al.

You are paranoid.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by alnorth

JMI Sports has retained 17 advisors

http://www.jmisports.com/college/advisors/

Oh God, wait a sec, I'm starting to see it now... there's 7 people with ties to the PAC 12... 3 with ties to the Big 10... someone from Florida... and oh geez, someone from Texas A&M!!!

Holy crap, Texas is orchestrating everything. They used their evil secret ties to get the PAC 12 to block OU, to get the Big 10 to turn down Mizzou... they are probably taking advantage of their Florida sleeper agents to screw the tigers there, too... all to provide Texas A&M, who they were sick of hearing about every year really, a clear way out while imprisoning the rest of us. And now Neinas has been installed to rule over us all.

We're doomed.

TEXAS PUPPET!!!!!1111

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy

Also lost in the whole Big 10 debacle was that no one really knows when Colorado opened their dialogue with the Pac 10. No one really cared at the time, but that deal had to have been discussed well before it happen. Colorado was just under the radar because no one really cared whether they stayed or left.

I posted a link to an SI article in the first realignment thread (pre-AIDS) from the early 90's. It was discussing the rise of the superconferences even back then, and mentioned strong rumors of Colorado leaving for the PAC. They had been talking to each other for decades.

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by alnorth

You are paranoid.

Yes, apparently Nebraska, Colorado, A&M, and virtually every national sports writer is paranoid too. We can't see the forest through the trees like random ku fan.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

Yes, apparently Nebraska, Colorado, A&M, and virtually every national sports writer is paranoid too. We can't see the forest through the trees like random ku fan.

If you are using JMI Sports as your proof that NEINAS, not Beebe, not anyone else, not anything that happened the last couple years, is a Texas puppet...

then yes, you are paranoid.

[GO CHARGERS GO!]

20-17

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by alnorth

If you are using JMI Sports as your proof that NEINAS, not Beebe, not anyone else, not anything that happened the last couple years, is a Texas puppet...

then yes, you are paranoid.

I never said proof. I clearly said it was an appearance of impropriety; certainly a conflict of interest now that Neinas is Big 12 Commissioner.

But of course we have no reason to mistrust Texas. They have no history of attempting to gain uneven power. Good call.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by GO CHARGERS GO!

20-17

[Pants]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

I never said proof. I clearly said it was an appearance of impropriety; certainly a conflict of interest now that Neinas is Big 12 Commissioner.

But of course we have no reason to mistrust Texas. They have no history of attempting to gain uneven power. Good call.

GTFO then. The SEC is waiting.

[Raiderhater]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

Is it not fact that there were major structural problems within the Big 12 that created mistrust and selfishness?

If Mizzou was the only one unhappy and everyone else was holding hands and singing Kumbaya, why didn't everyone just kick out Mizzou? Why have three other schools left in the last year? Why were OU and OSU desperately wanting to leave a week ago?

You can't be this stupid, can you?

OU proved they wont go with out Texas, who is allegedly THE structural problem you talk about. OU CAN compete with and beat Texas, so they don't mind staying in the same conference. It's everyone else who wants to think themselves on the same level as Texas and gets butt hurt when they aren't treated the same. Go ahead, run off. I hope you do land in the Big 10. You think you have a hard time winning this conference.....

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

The concern that the Big 12 (Texas) could hire a commissioner that is a Texas puppet - who would replace the prior Texas puppet - is dumb?

Okay al.

Overacting too much on this one.

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by Pants

GTFO then. The SEC is waiting.

You guys need to have a pow-wow and make up your minds. Do you want to smart and keep us, or do you want to act tough and say you don't need us?

[Raiderhater]

Originally Posted by frazod

You don't know who initiated it. What if they floated the offer to MU? Was Alden supposed to say "No, we can't do that - somebody in Kansas might get butthurt over it"?

So you are saying that it might have been the Big 10 that expressed interest in Mizzou.... But Nebraska got the invite?