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]

Apparently T. Boone Pickens is concerned:

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...issouri-leaves

They are also a couple of tweets floating around that Mizzou has not committed to the Big XII, even though they are all currently meeting in Dallas. More interesting stuff to come, I am sure.

[mnchiefsguy]

And apparently the University of Kentucky is in Mizzou's corner as well:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...ege-basketball

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

I'm tired of the whole ****ing mess.

Quoted and followed up with unnecessary prose in order to show my complete agreement with the post.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy

Apparently T. Boone Pickens is concerned:

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...issouri-leaves

They are also a couple of tweets floating around that Mizzou has not committed to the Big XII, even though they are all currently meeting in Dallas. More interesting stuff to come, I am sure.

Is that the same T. Boone Pickens who was singing this tune last June?


"I don't know what Missouri's going to do," he told the Austin American Statesman. "You can't tell about them. I don't have to have 'em."



"I have a strong streak of loyalty and that's the way I feel about Kansas, Iowa State and Kansas State. I don't wanna go off and leave them. I don't care about Missouri."



He can chug a nice cool glass of shut the **** up with an antifreeze chaser.

[RustShack]

wilnerhotline Jon Wilner
Hearing from sources that Big 12 pursuit of Louisville heating up, Air Force and Navy have offers from Big East.

[007]

Originally Posted by frazod

Jesus, at this point I hope we stay in the Big XII just so we get to keep stomping the shit out of the Kansas teams.

I would miss the rivalry game if the Tiger left.

[Braincase]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Quoted and followed up with unnecessary prose in order to show my complete agreement with the post.

Infu**ingdeed.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Spott

I think there's no way the the Big East will be considered a BCS conference if they lose any more teams.

I think there's no way the Big East will be considered a BCS conference as soon as SYR and Pitt are gone.

[RustShack]

Sounds like the Big12 is talking a lot about being a 9, 10, 12, or 16 team league.

Wouldn't 9 be better than 10? I personally still prefer the 12... but that's one less mouth to feed so each school is getting a little more money from the current TV deals. We can go back to playing 4 non-conference games, then go back to 16 conference games in BBall.

[Braincase]

Originally Posted by RustShack

Sounds like the Big12 is talking a lot about being a 9, 10, 12, or 16 team league.

Wouldn't 9 be better than 10? I personally still prefer the 12... but that's one less mouth to feed so each school is getting a little more money from the current TV deals. We can go back to playing 4 non-conference games, then go back to 16 conference games in BBall.

I would like to get enough teams so there could be a conference championship game. That way Mizzou could live with the illusion they're an elite program for an extra week before Oklahoma or Texas spanks them by three touchdowns and then blame Kansas for their shortcomings.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Spott

Or maybe Kansas could get there if their football program wasn't total dogshit.

There's been a lot of completely unrealistic scenarios bandied about in this thread, but yours might be the worst offender.

[eazyb81]

wilnerhotline: B12 bracing for Mizzou to leave, considering a plan to add 4 schools: BYU, Boise, WVU and Ville. Many steps btwn here and there, of course

[Bambi]

KU and Louisville in bball coupled with OU and UT in football.

That's premier.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Wickedson

KU and Louisville in bball coupled with OU and UT in football.

That's premier.

Compared to what? Florida and Kentucky in basketball and an entire conference of football teams?

[Bambi]

I never knew that aTm has no chick cheerleaders.

Weird.