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.

[eazyb81]

I bet old man Snyder is loving this. If he stays on for a few more years he could have KSU dominating the North again.

North:
KSU
KU
ISU
Louisville
BYU
Cincinnati/West Virginia

[HolyHandgernade]

Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy

The only reason TCU gets out of the rule is that there is a clause in their contract, they can get out before July 1 with only the 5 million dollar penalty. If TCU actually starts play in the Big East, then they would be subject to the 27 month penalty that the rest of schools are subject too.

Big East Commish was saying they were going to make Syracuse and Pitt play for the full 27 months. Would the Big East treat Louisville any differently?

I understand, mikeyis4dcats., couldn't resist a cheap shot at the expense of his reading comprehension. I'm beginning to realize I have to go very slowly and be exact with all the blood in the water about me, so here it goes. And, just to reiterate, it is complete speculation on my part. Holy ****.

People were wondering why TCU was the first to be invited. My speculation is that it might be part of a larger expansion plan.

Louisville is a rumored candidate but would be subject to the 27 month rule. Perhaps that can be mitigated, but let's assume the Big East is going to be stern on this.

The 2nd Tier contract was for a 10 team conference, so to avoid any disruption to that contract, the Big XII moves on the easiest candidate to bring in, TCU. If they stall on TCU, then they have to wait 27 months if they join the Big East or possibly with the MWC if they went back there.

BYU is comfortable with their situation as a football independent, so they can hang that way until the 27 month period is over for Louisville. Extricating itself from the WCC for non football sports shouldn't be that big of a problem.

This 27 month cycle would lead right into the 1st Tier negotiations time table, so the Big XII could afford to wait while Louisville sits in the Big East.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

I bet old man Snyder is loving this. If he stays on for a few more years he could have KSU dominating the North again.

North:
KSU
KU
ISU
Louisville
BYU
Cincinnati/West Virginia

WOULD TAKE

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

I bet old man Snyder is loving this. If he stays on for a few more years he could have KSU dominating the North again.

North:
KSU
KU
ISU
Louisville
BYU
Cincinnati/West Virginia

I like this.

Winning the Orange Bowl was in my top 5 sports moments of all time. With this setup I can see KU getting back sooner than I thought.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

WOULD TAKE

Agreed!

[HolyHandgernade]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

I bet old man Snyder is loving this. If he stays on for a few more years he could have KSU dominating the North again.

North:
KSU
KU
ISU
Louisville
BYU
Cincinnati/West Virginia

Back to basketball in the North and football in the South. I could live with that.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by HolyHandgernade

Back to basketball in the North and football in the South. I could live with that.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy

Interesting. Just saw a tweet that Bama, LSU, Florida, and Georgia are the ones who are in the no column on Mizzou. Interesting that the football strong schools would be in the no, given that Mizzou would be such an easy win on their schedule.

The issue is thought to be the divisions. Some schools reportedly want someone from the East so that no one switches out of the west to the east, and if there is no good East option available, they'd be fine with staying at 13 until one is available.

[HolyHandgernade]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

they aren't subject to the 27mo rule. Maybe you should head over to Tigerboard....

You are saying Louisville is not subject to the 27 month rule? Why not?

[mnchiefsguy]

Originally Posted by alnorth

The issue is thought to be the divisions. Some schools reportedly want someone from the East so that no one switches out of the west to the east, and if there is no good East option available, they'd be fine with staying at 13 until one is available.

Divisions, and also Alabama does not want to give up their game with TN, which they would if Auburn moves to the East.

Mizzou could be in either division and it could work, so if that is their lone concern, I am sure it will get worked out.

[alnorth]

This may have gotten buried in the TCU news, but today Texas finally gave in on the high school issue. As long as all schools are committed to the conference, the LHN will not show high school content. No games, no highlights, nothing.

[ChiefsCountry]

Ironic thing about the LHN is Mizzou's owns its own tv station as well.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy

Divisions, and also Alabama does not want to give up their game with TN, which they would if Auburn moves to the East.

Mizzou could be in either division and it could work, so if that is their lone concern, I am sure it will get worked out.

Mizzou might be fine with being in the east, but the east schools might not. You are asking everyone in the east to travel to Columbia more often than schools which are closer to Columbia.

[mnchiefsguy]

Originally Posted by alnorth

This may have gotten buried in the TCU news, but today Texas finally gave in on the high school issue. As long as all schools are committed to the conference, the LHN will not show high school content. No games, no highlights, nothing.

But in return, Texas is only willing to commit its rights for six years. Others were pushing for the whole length of the Fox contract, which is 13 years. Some view Texas giving in on the highlights as merely conceding something the NCAA was going to ban a some point anyway, so they really did not give up as much as is being perceived.

[alnorth]

Interestingly, people are now reporting that Mizzou originally asked everyone to make a 13-year commitment to the Big 12, but Texas and a couple others balked at such a long period of time, so everyone compromised at 6 instead. Kind of puts the lie to their "official" reason for looking around, which was that since the Big 12 wants a 6-year commitment they should evaluate their options first, when in reality Mizzou was probably upset at not locking everyone down for 13 years.