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.

[HolyHandgernade]

Originally Posted by SPchief

@bobfescoe
Bob Fescoe One more thing, why doesnt the big 12 give #mizzou a 24 hr deadline:crap or we push you off the pot. make them decided now. unfair 2 others

This Bob guy is not too quick on the uptake is he? If the Big XII kicks them out, they can't demand exit fees. Duh!

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by SPchief

@bobfescoe
Bob Fescoe One more thing, why doesnt the big 12 give #mizzou a 24 hr deadline:crap or we push you off the pot. make them decided now. unfair 2 others

I guess that would take care of that exit fees issue.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by SPchief

@bobfescoe
Bob Fescoe One more thing, why doesnt the big 12 give #mizzou a 24 hr deadline:crap or we push you off the pot. make them decided now. unfair 2 others

That would kick ass. So much for exit fees.

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by HolyHandgernade

This Bob guy is not too quick on the uptake is he? If the Big XII kicks them out, they can't demand exit fees. Duh!

Exactly...lol

He's a moran.

[HolyHandgernade]

Well, if the SEC is indeed the option you guys "explore", good luck to you. Rather have you here but you gotta do what is best for you. Won't it seem kinda weird that your largest city borders B1G country and your second largest city borders Big XII country? Guess you'll have to do some development down in the boothill or something.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by HolyHandgernade

Well, if the SEC is indeed the option you guys "explore", good luck to you. Rather have you here but you gotta do what is best for you. Won't it seem kinda weird that your largest city borders B1G country and your second largest city borders Big XII country? Guess you'll have to do some development down in the boothill or something.

Nobody's going to be looking at the footprint of the SEC after the Big XII adds BYU and WVU.

[HolyHandgernade]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Nobody's going to be looking at the footprint of the SEC after the Big XII adds BYU and WVU.

And Louisville, maybe we'll flip each other off on the freeway?

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by SPchief

@bobfescoe
Bob Fescoe One more thing, why doesnt the big 12 give #mizzou a 24 hr deadline:crap or we push you off the pot. make them decided now. unfair 2 others

Hopefully Neinas listens to him!

$0 exit fees!

[KcMizzou]

Here's Texas' take on the matter...

The Missouri Board of Curators formally delegated the authority to chancellor Brady Deaton to explore conference affiliation for the Tigers Tuesday evening.

Deaton also announced he has resigned his post as chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors to avoid a conflict of interest. (Obviously, the Big 12 is looking to expand, and Mizzou is looking at possibly leaving the Big 12).

But two sources close to the situation said a deal was nearly brokered on Tuesday that would have had the nine remaining schools in the Big 12 granting their TV rights on the Tier 1 and Tier 2 level for more than six years.

One source said the granting of rights would have been closer to the length of time left on the Big 12's Tier 2 TV deal with Fox, which has 13 years remaining.

But as part of the agreement, there were restrictions proposed on Tier 3 content, and Texas balked, the source said. The restrictions had to do with any and all high school content, the source said.

Texas' Longhorn Network has been at the center of debate over the airing of anything having to do with high schools. Currently, the NCAA has said LHN can show high school highlights in a news format. But LHN, which launched on Aug. 26, hasn't even been doing that - to avoid more controversy as the league works out its issues, sources said.

Texas would have to talk to ESPN before making any final decision on content restrictions, since ESPN owns and operates LHN, and those talks haven't yet happened, according to sources.

Two sources close to the situation said ABC/ESPN appears ready to renegotiate the Big 12's Tier 1 TV deal, which still has four years remaining on it.

By having the ABC/ESPN deal on the same timetable as the Fox deal, the Big 12 can improve its bargaining leverage and create a timetable for the granting of rights that could strengthen the league, the sources said.

But none of that will happen unless the schools remaining in the Big 12 can reach agreement on what will be included in the terms of everyone granting rights.

The Big 12 appears ready to expand, and the list of targets getting the most consideration right now continue to be BYU, TCU, Louisville and Cincinnati, multiple sources said.

But there is mixed opinions inside the league about whether to grow to 10 or 12 (with or without Missouri).

And here's why: ABC/ESPN agreed to keep paying the Big 12 as a 10-team league last summer for the remainder of its deal (through 2015-16). But if the league grows back to 12 and doesn't include Texas A&M, Nebraska, Missouri and Colorado, but does include the likes of BYU, TCU, Louisville and Cincinnati, it's not necessarily a better TV product.

There's concern ABC/ESPN could come back and say, "Why should we pay more money to keep everyone at their current TV revenue number when the product is arguably inferior?"

But it's clear that the remaining members in the Big 12 are looking at options to grow to 10 or 12 at the moment, sources said.

But right now it appears Missouri is waiting to see if an agreement in the Big 12 can be reached on a longer term for the granting of rights before making any final decision about bolting the Big 12 (for the SEC), sources said.

Some in the Big 12 are more optimistic than others about the ability to keep Missouri in the fold.

Here's what Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas said Tuesday:

"The University of Missouri is a member in good standing in the Big 12 Conference, and I anticipate the University will continue to be a member of the Big 12."

There does not appear to be a deadline from the Big 12 - right now - for Missouri to make a decision whether to stay or go.

Stay tuned.

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1274491

[|Zach|]

Bob Fescoe. What a goober.

[Demonpenz]

the thing that was dumb was today I heard on the radio "Who is going to be excited to play bama every year, how is that interesting to people" I was like, I want to see it. I love big time football.

[KcMizzou]

I Mizzou really is just leveraging Texas, this is a balls out move. (And would never happen without a landing spot.)

[KChiefs1]

Possible Big 12 replacements for MU, NU, CU & TAMU:

BYU
Louisville
West Virginia
TCU
Cincinnati
Air Force
Memphis

[Demonpenz]

I hope big 12 gets air force, then we can get better flyovers at arrowhead

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

Possible Big 12 replacements for MU, NU, CU & TAMU:

BYU
Louisville
West Virginia
Cincinnati
Air Force
Memphis

Lame.