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.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

People have been saying it for months regarding the Big 12... it's a big loss for KC. It's not that hard to understand.

Yeah - no passive aggressive douchery here at all:

I guess that loss is just transferred to the MU athletic department. Good for them.

I understand it's a loss for KC, but when Stewie spends several days absolutely excoriating the move and insulting anyone who thinks its a consideration (let a good idea), it's completely transparent sour grapes.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

There's no honor among thieves.

In a league where the central power brokers set the system up in a manner that pretty much disregarded the welfare of 1/2 the league, then refused to bow when the league was starting to spiral apart - well I'd say the bonds of trust never truly existed.

You could argue that the old Big 8 schools had that sort of 'social contract' amongst themselves...until NE and OU also pissed on the other 6 during the formation of the XII.

I admitted I was jealous of NE when they got to get out of dodge and now I'm ecstatic that MU looks to be doing the same. This conference has inmates more than it has roommates, let alone friends. Sorry, I'll take my chances elsewhere.

It seems like so many other things in our current society. It is all about me and $$$ instead of commitments, honor and tradition.

This has been fun though, and the drama is fun to watch.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by Stewie

And it should with at least a 14-team league. The problem is that ABC/ESPN etc. don't give a shit about teams at the bottom of such a big league and don't negotiate based on the size of the conference. Yet, the Miss. States and Vanderbilts get an equal share. That's the sucking sound. The reason I mentioned a 16-team conference as probably untenable is because it makes the situation even worse between the top teams and bottom teams.

You mean like the Miss St. that won 9 games a year ago, murdered Michigan in a bowl game, and finished ranked in the top-15?

Wow you're stupid.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Pants

Uhh, why are the beakers scared? Is Texas or OU leaving?

Good question.

Ask Stewie (or Rustshack, but he's not a Beaker).

I've been saying all along that you guys probably end up in the B1G when all is said and done due to all this. But there's no way Stewie actually believes the shit he's saying, he's just worried KU is going to get left out when the XII collapses.

And yes Mr. Metro, it's going to collapse. Wish it away all you want, but the XII is just a staging ground for the LHN and a holding tank until OU gets the deal it wants. It may take 5 years, but the XII is on life support at best.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by talastan

WSU is probably a better comparison, thanks Hemi!

Yeah, at one time the WSU program was well ahead of SWMS, but MS has really elevated their program, or so it would seem to me. I think they are the second largest program in Missouri, right?

I used to think if WSU would bring football back, someday there may be an opening in a bigger conference. But it is starting to look like just the opposite is going to happen.

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

So using the Kubler-Ross model - would this fall under 'bargaining'?

I suppose it could be 'acceptance', but it doesn't seem sincere enough.

Or maybe it's just more ass-hurt beakerisms and thus we're still stuck in the 'anger' stage of the whole thing.

Or maybe you've just exposed yourself as a D-bag. Yeah, that's probably it.

Sorry if leaving money on the table for KCMO is fine with you. I'd be pissed, but obviously no one in KCMO cares, just like accreditation.

KU will be fine. We have revenue sharing now and a contract that makes the league stable. When we add BYU and TCU we'll be at 10 which is a good number.

[Saul Good]

MU leaving for the SEC is great for KU. Kansas was never going to get an SEC invite. If everything goes to 16, it opens up a spot in the B1G that KU might get instead of MU.

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

You mean like the Miss St. that won 9 games a year ago, murdered Michigan in a bowl game, and finished ranked in the top-15?

Wow you're stupid.

And KU won the orange bowl in '08. ABC/ESPN don't negotiate football contracts for Miss. State. Never have, never will.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

MU leaving for the SEC is great for KU. Kansas was never going to get an SEC invite. If everything goes to 16, it opens up a spot in the B1G that KU might get instead of MU.

Yeup.

Stay or go, MU's done nothing but help KU in this thing.

Was it their design? Oh hell no, absolutely not. But I'm not sure why KU fans are so damn uppity about it. MU going to the SEC is great news for them in the long term and if MU stays in the XII it will be because of the concessions made regarding tier 1 and 2 rights, which also helps KU.

Whatever - they can keep on stamping their feet.

[Bowser]

If the SEC rejects Mizzou, I'm putting the blame on that ESPN article. "The B1G was our first choice, but the SEC is all that is left (paraphrase)". JFC

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by Stewie

Sorry if leaving money on the table for KCMO is fine with you. I'd be pissed, but obviously no one in KCMO cares, just like accreditation.

KU will be fine. We have revenue sharing now and a contract that makes the league stable. When we add BYU and TCU we'll be at 10 which is a good number.

10 is not a good number, dumbshit. You can't have a conference championship game with 10 teams. With 4 of the 6 BCS conferences having a championship game, and the only other league that doesn't being the laughable Big East, then your conference is shit without a conf. champ. game.

[talastan]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Yeah, at one time the WSU program was well ahead of SWMS, but MS has really elevated their program, or so it would seem to me. I think they are the second largest program in Missouri, right?

I used to think if WSU would bring football back, someday there may be an opening in a bigger conference. But it is starting to look like just the opposite is going to happen.

You guys still provide a great game in B-Ball against us. Should be a good season this year with Weems returning to the Bears lineup.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Bowser

If the SEC rejects Mizzou, I'm putting the blame on that ESPN article. "The B1G was our first choice, but the SEC is all that is left (paraphrase)". JFC

Yeah, wish that wouldn't have hit the media, that's for damn sure.

Not our greatest quote.

[Bowser]

Yes, the Big XII is stable, FOR SIX YEARS. That's why Mizzou wants to GTFO.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Bowser

If the SEC rejects Mizzou, I'm putting the blame on that ESPN article. "The B1G was our first choice, but the SEC is all that is left (paraphrase)". JFC

I was wondering when someone would bring that up.

SEC is the second choice, and they know it but probably don't really care. They will just yell scoreboard to the B1G.