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 mikeyis4dcats.

MU still has to approve the 6yr revenue commitment. They will set a deadline on that if they haven't already.

That's a contract renegotiation. Mizzou has no obligation to accept that deal.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

No exit fees, then? Sweet. Hell, we can then sue the conference for breach of contract.

Don't know how you got that. But it's definitely time for you SEC wannabes to make your decision.

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

Don't know how you got that. But it's definitely time for you SEC wannabes to make your decision.

Or what? You can stomp your feet all you want but that doesn't do anything. Mizzou will be methodical and take its time; you guys are welcome to kick us out for no exit penalty though.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

So, you think the level of recruiting for TCU, which was #26 in team rankings by Rivals in 2011, is going to improve so much that it is going to adversely effect KSU, KU and ISU recruiting in TX? I think you are overstating an opinion that can't be backed up at this point.

Those schools had 2 cards to play against TCU in terms of recruiting. They are in a major conference, and they play Texas. TCU now has both of those cards.

By themselves, it doesn't have a big impact, but it will if Houston, SMU, etc. do the same.

Another thing it does is increase the total number of BCS conference teams next year (would have happened even if TCU went to the Big East). That's a problem for the have nots in the Big XII if this thing goes to 4 16-team conferences.

There are only 64 spots in that scenario, and this move likely pushes someone else out because TCU just leap-frogged several schools.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

Or what? You can stomp your feet all you want but that doesn't do anything. Mizzou will be methodical and take its time; you guys are welcome to kick us out for no exit penalty though.

Oh the irony. Who has been doing the feet stomping?

The wallflower is still setting there and nobody cares do dance.

Kind of sad really.

[DaKCMan AP]

SDSU would beat KU in football and would compete in basketball.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

Don't know how you got that. But it's definitely time for you SEC wannabes to make your decision.

You don't know how I got that? I have a contract with Sprint that expires in a year. I'm thinking about leaving for AT&T because Sprint is doing away with my current plan.

Sprint wants me to sign onto some new plan with a. Long-term agreement, but they don't get to force me to sign some new contract or pay an early termination fee if I don't like the new contract. That isn't how contracts work.

Worst case for Mizzou is that we stand pat and force the connference to honor the deal that we signed in the past that still governs our actions today. As much as you'd like to be abble to crumble up the existing agreement and force us to sign a new one or pay exit fees, that's not going to happen.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Tigerboard has been fun to watch for the last week. All the Pro-SEC posts, then the loss to KSU, now lots of Fire Pinkel, Stay in the Big 12 posts.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Oh the irony. Who has been doing the feet stomping?

The wallflower is still setting there and nobody cares do dance.

Kind of sad really.

Nobody cares to dance? The Big XII has completely tried to reinvent itself in order to keep us. You're like the dude whose girlfriend dumped him despite his sobbing pleas for her to reconsider saying that the breakup was mutual.

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Oh the irony. Who has been doing the feet stomping?

The wallflower is still setting there and nobody cares do dance.

Kind of sad really.

Yep. All this is just smoke. You are quick. LOL.

The "demands" placed on Mizzou by Big 12 internet posters is hilarious. Mizzou will take all the time it wants, and your schools will sit there and wait because they have to. Deal with it and stop crying about it.

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

Yep. All this is just smoke. You are quick. LOL.

The "demands" placed on Mizzou by Big 12 internet posters is hilarious. Mizzou will take all the time it wants, and your schools will sit there and wait because they have to. Deal with it and stop crying about it.

Pretty much this...

With KU licking the ball sack of Texas on a daily basis... All we can do is sit and wait to see what happens...

At least MU has grown a pair and is trying to tell Texas to pound sand... KU is just sitting there asking for more lube...

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

Tigerboard has been fun to watch for the last week. All the Pro-SEC posts, then the loss to KSU, now lots of Fire Pinkel, Stay in the Big 12 posts.

I bet that has been something. Kind of like this place on Haley?

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Nobody cares to dance? The Big XII has completely tried to reinvent itself in order to keep us. You're like the dude whose girlfriend dumped him despite his sobbing pleas for her to reconsider saying that the breakup was mutual.

Really?
From the beginning, I have questioned the wisdom and reasoning why Mizzou wanted to make the move. Why the fans felt they were a football powerhouse. Tried to understand the contempt for the big 12.

I don't think, but could be wrong, that I have posted any "please stay" posts about Mizzou, even though it is very evident that it would hurt the conference.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

Or what? You can stomp your feet all you want but that doesn't do anything. Mizzou will be methodical and take its time; you guys are welcome to kick us out for no exit penalty though.

Stomp my feet? The only entity stomping their collective feet are the SEC wannabes. Shaking their soft fists at Texas and telling all of us how important and coveted they are to other conferences.

I don't give a shit if MU goes. I'd just prefer that it was sooner rather than later. Mmmkay, li'l DeArmond?

[Saulbadguy]

At this point, if we could guarantee WVU, i'd kick Mizzou out.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

At this point, if we could guarantee WVU, i'd kick Mizzou out.

Better fan base, better football and better basketball? Yes please.