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.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

WhitlockJason Jason Whitlock
My sources say Ball State n negotiations 2 join the Big 12 if Mizzou leaves 4 SEC. Dave Letterman committed 2 launching Cardinal TV Network

Might as well. They can start a rivalry with Tulane.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

****ing Boomers...

Jesus you guys suck ass.

I'll miss you guys. I want Mizzu to stick around so I might be bias, but I really think MU fans will regret the move. I'm sure you'll hear "wait for the new recruits to come through that we'll be getting" as an excuse for being in the bottom 1/2 of the conference for awhile, but eventually that will fade and it will just be a bunch of pissed off people.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Over/Under. How many years after joining the SEC do Mizzu fans start having buyers remorse? I say during the first year you start to hear squeeks about it and during year 2 a full blown meltdown about how "stupid the move was" and with demands to go back to the Big 12.

That is going to depend entirely on the Big 12's stability and their next tier 1 contract.

If the Big 12 eventually falls apart, then I don't care how far their football program gets buried, leaving for the SEC is a smart move.

If the Big 12 cuts a very good tier 1 deal that makes their per-school payout competitive with the other major conferences and if they become stable for the long-term forseeable future, then leaving may become a tragic mistake, but we're talking 5-6 years out before anyone can even begin to conclude that.

It is a very tough decision that could have dramatic consequences if they make the wrong call, but there's no good way for them to predict what the "wrong call" is.

I'd think the correct move is to just stay with the Big 12, keep your ancient rivalries and your Texas recruiting pipeline intact, and rely on the probability that you'll be the first one thrown a lifeline if realignment apocalypse happens. The SEC is a sure thing now, but the only way MU gets left out years from now is if the PAC 12 goes to 16, the SEC stays at 14 forever, and the B1G stays at 12 forever. Possible, but very unlikely.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by vailpass

Easy there. While it is true that many SEC households have more than 1 television it must also be taken into account that in 96% of those households one of those televisions does not work and is sitting in the front yard supporting the television that does work ifn you hold the beer can rabbit ears just right.

, I love this. Where would we be without stereotypes to make the world such a funny place? You need to work a gun rack and confederate flag in there somewhere.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Kansas is the doormat of the BIG 12-2-2, but I don't hear them clamoring to get into the MIAA.

I saw Nebraska do something similar

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

I'll miss you guys. I want Mizzu to stick around so I might be bias, but I really think MU fans will regret the move. I'm sure you'll hear "wait for the new recruits to come through that we'll be getting" as an excuse for being in the bottom 1/2 of the conference for awhile, but eventually that will fade and it will just be a bunch of pissed off people.

I'll remember that when the Louisville-BYU score scrolls past the screen while I'm watching us play between the hedges.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by alnorth

That is going to depend entirely on the Big 12's stability and their next tier 1 contract.

If the Big 12 eventually falls apart, then I don't care how far their football program gets buried, leaving for the SEC is a smart move.

If the Big 12 cuts a very good tier 1 deal that makes their per-school payout competitive with the other major conferences and if they become stable for the long-term forseeable future, then leaving may become a tragic mistake, but we're talking 5-6 years out before anyone can even begin to conclude that.

It is a very tough decision that could have dramatic consequences if they make the wrong call, but there's no good way for them to predict what the "wrong call" is.

I'd think the correct move is to just stay with the Big 12, keep your ancient rivalries and your Texas recruiting pipeline intact, and rely on the probability that you'll be the first one thrown a lifeline if realignment apocalypse happens. The SEC is a sure thing now, but the only way MU gets left out years from now is if the PAC 12 goes to 16, the SEC stays at 14 forever, and the B1G stays at 12 forever. Possible, but very unlikely.

I agree.

Building up the Big 12 back up and playing in a conference title game every other year > buried in obscurity in the SEC

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

I'll miss you guys. I want Mizzu to stick around so I might be bias, but I really think MU fans will regret the move. I'm sure you'll hear "wait for the new recruits to come through that we'll be getting" as an excuse for being in the bottom 1/2 of the conference for awhile, but eventually that will fade and it will just be a bunch of pissed off people.

Interesting to see how OU fans appear so committed to the conference after the PAC used them to try to get UT, and when UT balked they said "eh, it's not you it's me."

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by allen_kcCard

Yup, cause claiming the teams of a state that have been there since 1963 and 1882 is shameful and bandwagonish. What did you call it earlier? Opportunistic?

For me, I ws born a fan of both those teams, although I'm not really sure what your bringing it up here has to do with the thread other than trolling. I vote for being fans of these teams as making perfect sense and is quite the opposite of shameful.

Read the posts man.

I didn't bring it up.

I go to Yankee games because I love baseball.

Frazod seems to think that makes me a Yankee fan. I don't get why he thinks that.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

I'll miss you guys. I want Mizzu to stick around so I might be bias, but I really think MU fans will regret the move. I'm sure you'll hear "wait for the new recruits to come through that we'll be getting" as an excuse for being in the bottom 1/2 of the conference for awhile, but eventually that will fade and it will just be a bunch of pissed off people.

What do you base this on?

What inherent advantage does Arkansas have over Mizzou? None - absolutely none. There's no history, no geography, no population base - NOTHING that says that Arkansas should be more successful than MU.

Yet Arkansas is out there doing a hell of a job, getting good recruits and excelling. What keeps Mizzou from doing that? Absolutely nothing - but you damn haughty OU fans just want to keep seeing everyone but OU and UT as the little sisters of the poor - fine, whatever.

And do you think that Pinkel brought a lucky rabbits foot with him when he came to the XII from freaking Toledo and THAT'S why he can recruit Texas? No - Pinkel made damn strong inroads into Texas because he's a very very good recruiter. He'll make those same inroads into Louisiana, Florida, etc...

And again - Mizzou football has had great fan support for decades, even when we were truly shit. It will continue to have excellent fan support.

What's more likely than us whining about the SEC is us breathing a sigh of relief after OU and UT decides to finally get the hell out of dodge and the whole XII collapses in on itself.

[Bambi]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

I'll miss you guys. I want Mizzu to stick around so I might be bias, but I really think MU fans will regret the move. I'm sure you'll hear "wait for the new recruits to come through that we'll be getting" as an excuse for being in the bottom 1/2 of the conference for awhile, but eventually that will fade and it will just be a bunch of pissed off people.

I used to think this way but if they aren't gonna stand strong with their conference brethren then they deserve their fate.

The sad thing is for the MU fans that want to stay with the rest of us.

I don't know what to say to them

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Kansas is the doormat of the BIG 12-2-2, but I don't hear them clamoring to get into the MIAA.

Missouri has a higher football ceiling then Kansas, IF they do not devastate their Texas recruiting pipeline. Mizzou's population is much larger than Kansas, and undiluted by a 2nd school. Missouri is not big enough alone to be successful, but combine Missouri with punching above their weight in Texas recruiting, then combine that with the Big 12 north, and you've got a decent chance at a national championship at least every decade.

In the SEC, Mizzou becomes Arkansas or Vanderbilt, which is still better than potentially being left out of the BCS conferences, but far lower than the Big 12 north, if long-term stability were assured. (which might be why Mizzou was demanding a 13-year commitment)

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

Interesting to see how OU fans appear so committed to the conference after the PAC used them to try to get UT, and when UT balked they said "eh, it's not you it's me."

Right, because the PAC 10 would never want OU

Personally I've always wanted the Big 12 to stay together and find a way to make it work.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Wickedson

I used to think this way but if they aren't gonna stand strong with their conference brethren then they deserve their fate.

The sad thing is for the MU fans that want to stay with the rest of us.

I don't know what to say to them

God love ya, man.

I'm not sure what I'd do if you ever chose to not mindlessly parrot the company line.

"Proud Members of the Big 12!"

You really exposed yourself when you started touting how glad you were to have Bernadette Gray-Little running the show during all this; as though there was a name that could've been in there who you wouldn't have blindly supported.

You really are KnowMo with a chickenhawk hat on.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Right, because the PAC 10 would never want OU

Personally I've always wanted the Big 12 to stay together and find a way to make it work.

Uh...they didn't - remember?

Boren made it clear that OU would have taken off to the PAC if the invite was there. It wasn't, so he stayed. And the reason it wasn't was because UT wasn't going to come without major concessions that nobody in the PAC would make.

Without UT, OU just wasn't all that interesting to the PAC. Though at least it does appear that you can join KU fans screaming about the anchor schools holding you back.