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.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

I agree with you. I'm just pointing out the fact that there aren't 6 dominant SEC schools every year. There are a few cupcakes. There are a several strong programs. And there are 3 consistently elite programs. There is no reason to think that Mizzou will be some doormat.

Cool.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Brock

You have no sense of history, obviously. We're just going to start adding random teams because everybody else is doing it, and because our longtime conference members are saying "**** this" and leaving. Whatever history this conference once had is DEAD.

Nebraska was the pin that started the unravel, this will finish it.

Good things will come out of this for all concerned eventually.

[ferrarispider95]

There is no denying Mizzou was at the forefront of this whole mess. I will concede that sooner or later there would have been problems. But, we now have all schools pledging tier 1 and tier 2 rights for 6 years, which is a year after the tv negotiation deal. There is no possible way a college is going to forfeit their tier rights to leave a conference.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by ferrarispider95

Travel through Missouri sometime and take a look around. It is not called the Meth Capital for no reason.

That's why the closest thing to an urban environment is a suburb of a Missouri city, right?

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by Rams Fan

It's the SEC, remember.

So, since hillbillies can't count, 2 is obviously greater than 4.

Two? Really? The hillbilly influence has already kicked in. I've heard Mississippi State offers online classes in front porch rockin'.

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Congrats and good luck to Mizzou. Hope you prove everyone wrong and become a real contender in the SEC. Represent the midwest...

As for KU....you asshats best be on the phone trying to get into another conference. The BigXII is screwed...

[Brock]

Probably about time to take this off my wall. I haz a sad.

[DeezNutz]

Wow. Busy night and just got caught up. Very exciting time to be a Mizzou guy.

If the move indeed becomes finalized, best of luck to the remaining schools in the Big XII.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

Yeah, we don't need Nebraska....or Colorado...........or A&M...............or Mizzou!!!!

Why would we need those schools when there's a school with 28 year old athletes a mere 1500 miles west of our conference headquarters and a bunch of city schools to the northeast?

[Al Bundy]

It will be a financial hit to the city of KC.

[Rams Fan]

Originally Posted by Stewie

Two? Really? The hillbilly influence has already kicked in. I've heard Mississippi State offers online classes in front porch rockin'.

Yeah, bruh.

Oui hillbillys even no hou 2 use the internetz. Its lyke a mirakle.

[ferrarispider95]

Well, I guess it is what it is. Enjoy the SEC.

I am not delusional, I know KU and KSU options would have been more limited. I think the big 12 will stick around. Will it make the revenue sharing that the SEC does, no, but we won't be traveling half away across the country and we will playing teams we shared history with.

It will suck not have the big 12 tournament in KC and will obviously will leave a lot of money on the table for the KC area during that weekend.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Rams Fan

Yeah, bruh.

Oui hillbillys even no hou 2 use the internetz. Its lyke a mirakle.

He's just jealous because we actually have hills.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by frazod

He's just jealous because we actually have hills.

There is a hill up by Strong City, KS.....I've seen it.

[Rams Fan]

Originally Posted by frazod

He's just jealous because we actually have hills.

Butt wat eye undersand is tat oui donut evan hav walter 2 drink.