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.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Pants

Naw. We want their exit fees. Why let them walk when we can make them pay?

Same reason for emptying a dirty diaper pale often, It just smells better.


The Big12 just might be making a stand, to prevent further erosion, I get that.

But the damage to the big picture, just might not be worth it.

I thought I read the SEC doesn't even have the exit penalties, correct? Why accentuate those differences publicly?

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

I thought I read the SEC doesn't even have the exit penalties, correct? Why accentuate those differences publicly?

Adding to thew funny scene of all these conferences are waiting for schools to apply while the Big 12 invites TCU.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by alnorth

If I'm Mizzou, I'm probably going to be so outraged by this development, that if I had any inkling at all of staying, that is gone now. If, as Mizzou, I have an SEC invite in my pocket, I don't wait. Screw the penalty, fight it in court, and even if I lose, I rely on increased alumni donations and/or bigger SEC payments to tide me over, and even if that doesn't happen, I just eat the penalty rather than allow the public to perceive that MU is meekly crawling back under the cloud of a monetary threat by the Big 12.

**** that. If Mizzou's holding the nuts (an SEC invite), why would we muck our cards? Neinas is hanging himself, and we need to sit back and let him die.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by tk13

Yeah but that's a double edged sword because the teams calling the shots have basically put themselves out there two years in a row as well. That's where I see the hypocrisy in this. I wouldn't blame MU, KU, ISU or any of them for trying to leave. If UT and OU had their way, they would be in the Pac 12 right now and everyone else would be out to dry.
Posted via Mobile Device

I either missed, or totally forgot UT and OU putting themselves out there last year. I thought it was just Nebraska and CU, followed by the MU thing.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Same reason for emptying a dirty diaper pale often, It just smells better.


The Big12 just might be making a stand, to prevent further erosion, I get that.

But the damage to the big picture, just might not be worth it.

I thought I read the SEC doesn't even have the exit penalties, correct? Why accentuate those differences publicly?

The SEC builds gates around the community. The Big XII builds prison walls. Where would you rather live?

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Adding to thew funny scene of all these conferences are waiting for schools to apply while the Big 12 invites TCU.

I hear ya. That being said though, I am kind of excited about TCU and what they bring to the table.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

What we are receiving is nothing short of abuse by the commissioner. Why the **** would we stay in a conference that treats its remaining members this way?

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

I either missed, or totally forgot UT and OU putting themselves out there last year. I thought it was just Nebraska and CU, followed by the MU thing.

I believe the order was MU/Nebraska/Colorado....aTm.....MU......OU......UT

[tk13]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

I either missed, or totally forgot UT and OU putting themselves out there last year. I thought it was just Nebraska and CU, followed by the MU thing.

There were plenty of rumors about a Pac 16 last year.
Posted via Mobile Device

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

The SEC builds gates around the community. The Big XII builds prison walls. Where would you rather live?

A lot of information in this thread has been very informative, and my view of the whole subject has pretty much changed.
Some has not.
At first, like a lot of other fans of the Kansas teams, I was just worried what would happen to them.
Not any more.

1) If Mizzou can go to the SEC, they should just get gone and go, bye, and good luck. It was a nice ride, see ya.
2) The Big 12 needs to do damage control, and get the rotten apples out of the barrel now.
3) Whether Mizzou has a landing spot or not, they should be evicted, exit fees or not. It will NEVER be the same, NEVER.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

I believe the order was MU/Nebraska/Colorado....aTm.....MU......OU......UT

That is how I had it down, with the OU and UT happening this year.

Originally Posted by tk13

There were plenty of rumors about a Pac 16 last year.
Posted via Mobile Device

Thanks, I must have missed those

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

1) If Mizzou can go to the SEC, they should just get gone and go, bye, and good luck. It was a nice ride, see ya.
2) The Big 12 needs to do damage control, and get the rotten apples out of the barrel now.
3) Whether Mizzou has a landing spot or not, they should be evicted, exit fees or not. It will NEVER be the same, NEVER.

The league will be worthless if you kick out TX and OU.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by alnorth

If I'm Mizzou, I'm probably going to be so outraged by this development, that if I had any inkling at all of staying, that is gone now. If, as Mizzou, I have an SEC invite in my pocket, I don't wait. Screw the penalty, fight it in court, and even if I lose, I rely on increased alumni donations and/or bigger SEC payments to tide me over, and even if that doesn't happen, I just eat the penalty rather than allow the public to perceive that MU is meekly crawling back under the cloud of a monetary threat by the Big 12.

I don't think Mizzou ought to react emotionally like that. There's apparently no reason for them to rush a decision, or alternatively, since I think a decision has probably already been made, to rush an announcement.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

Laugh all you want. Its one thing for rival fans to flip Missouri shit over this speculation. Its another thing for the conference to publicly threaten one of its members when said member has done nothing out of bounds. The conference should be protecting its members, not throwing one to the wolves.

Unless and until Missouri withdraws from the conference, they are a member in good standing and should be treated as such. Keep it up, though. We're preparing for a divorce, and Neinas is leaving threatening voicemails. When the court date comes, the judge is going to get to hear those messages, and I'm sure he will be impressed.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Laugh all you want. Its one thing for rival fans to flip Missouri shit over this speculation. Its another thing for the conference to publicly threaten one of its members when said member has done nothing out of bounds. The conference should be protecting its members, not throwing one to the wolves.

Unless and until Missouri withdraws from the conference, they are a member in good standing and should be treated as such. Keep it up, though. We're preparing for a divorce, and Neinas is leaving threatening voicemails. When the court date comes, the judge is going to get to hear those messages, and I'm sure he will be impressed.

You can't have it both ways. You can't play the "Missouri can wait as long as the Big 12 does so that it doesn't have to pay exit fees" card & then turn around and play the "Why won't the Big 12 just kick us out - they are being mean" card.