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.

[Braincase]

K-State to the Ivy League...

[tk13]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...n=ncaaf-wp6582

And here's one out of left field: This writer is usually pretty in tune with the mid-majors. She says TCU has had discussions with the Mountain West about backing out of the Big East and coming back to the conference. And that the Mountain West would probably, emphasize probably, endorse the move.

Also, the Mountain West has been discussing some kind of football merger with C-USA... and they've been offering landing spots to Big 12 and Big East teams if the whole thing falls apart.

[KC native]

Originally Posted by tk13

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...n=ncaaf-wp6582

And here's one out of left field: This writer is usually pretty in tune with the mid-majors. She says TCU has had discussions with the Mountain West about backing out of the Big East and coming back to the conference. And that the Mountain West would probably, emphasize probably, endorse the move.

Also, the Mountain West has been discussing some kind of football merger with C-USA... and they've been offering landing spots to Big 12 and Big East teams if the whole thing falls apart.

I could see it happening. Chris Del Conte has been pretty good about keeping TCU moving forward.

[Buck]

Originally Posted by tk13

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...n=ncaaf-wp6582

And here's one out of left field: This writer is usually pretty in tune with the mid-majors. She says TCU has had discussions with the Mountain West about backing out of the Big East and coming back to the conference. And that the Mountain West would probably, emphasize probably, endorse the move.

Also, the Mountain West has been discussing some kind of football merger with C-USA... and they've been offering landing spots to Big 12 and Big East teams if the whole thing falls apart.

I was pretty sure this was going to happen once I heard about Cuse and Pitt.

The talk about the MWC and C-USA was to have each leagues champion play eachother at the end of the season with the winner being an AQ for the BCS. At least that was the talk a few months ago. I'm not sure if it's still the same, but if either league were to poach teams from the other one, I'd assume it would be the MWC taking some C-USA teams.

[Buck]

http://voices.idahostatesman.com/201..._12_big_east_m

Conference USA reaction

A statement from C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky: "We find the activities involving conference realignment fascinating. We are closely watching the recent developments in other conferences, and the potential for change. At the same time, we are working on some creative consolidation strategies that have the potential for positioning our members well into the future. We are particularly intrigued by cooperative possibilities with the Mountain West."

Boise State reaction

Boise State Interim Athletic Director Curt Apsey told the Statesman on Monday afternoon that no conference has contacted Boise State about joining and that the Broncos have not applied to any league.

"You focus on what you can control, which is us. And if you do that, I think you become more attractive," Apsey said.

Apsey said it is important for the Mountain West to be exploring ways to improve.

"It's all about being proactive. I don't think you sit back and wait from a conference standpoint," Apsey said. "It's important, if you can, to put your conference in the best light as it pertains to your ability to make money for the conference."

The Mountain West and Conference USA are again considering a football-only merger in response to conference realignment across the country, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson told the Idaho Statesman on Monday.

“We’ve resurrected … this consolidation concept with Conference USA from a football-only standpoint. The timing is right to be proactive in that,” Thompson said. “Consolidation is, at least, worth exploring.”

Thompson has also reached out to members of the Big 12 and Big East about joining his 10-team league, if realignment leaves those schools without a home.

Thompson said the No. 1 option for those schools — the so-called leftovers if Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech bolt for the Pac-16 and the ACC continues to take teams from the Big East – is to join together under the Big East or Big 12 banner.

“What I’m hearing from most parties is the Big 12 and Big East institutions that might not get invited (to other BCS leagues), their No. 1 option is they are interested in getting together. That is the highest option on those institutions’ part.”

Thompson said he has had extensive conversations with current Mountain West member TCU, which is slated to leave for the Big East next year.

“I have had a lot of conversations with TCU through this process. Specifically inviting them back to the league is not my position,” Thompson said, noting that only the league’s board of directors can issue invitations. “But it is being strongly considered and would probably — probably emphasized — be endorsed by the Mountain West Board of Directors.”

He said he has not talked with former member BYU, who left the conference this year for football independence and the West Coast Conference.

As for a Mountain West-Conference USA merger, Thompson said it would be a football-only “federation” that would help the leagues with television contracts, marketing and stability and corporate sponsorships. The “league” would stretch from the East Coast to Hawaii.

“It’s one of several options that should be discussed in this day and age,” he said.

Thompson said it would be best if the leagues were symmetrical, meaning each had 12 members as C-USA does right now. The Mountain West will have 10 next year when TCU leaves and Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii join.

He described the model as one like the AFL-NFL model, where the league champions meet for a title.

“Two business-as-usual, quasi-separate leagues getting together,” he said.

Thompson said athletic directors from both leagues are discussing the idea, which is in the “conceptual” stage.

He said there is no definitive time table, but the league is “dealing with several options simultaneously,” including talking with the Big East and Big 12 schools while also considering a merger with Conference USA.

“All you can do is talk to institutions and find out what their intentions are,” Thompson said.

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

It makes perfect sense that a team 300 miles west of the Mississippi would be added to a conference that is bunched up against the Eastern sea board.

I'd say with super conferences, geography differences will become more of a minor issue than a sticking point.

Getting more suitcases filled with $100's will help dull the pain of having to fly across the Mississippi.

[tk13]

That's some pretty forward thinking stuff by the Mountain West and C-USA. Really most of those schools are in the western 2/3rds of the country, except for UCF and East Carolina. They'd definitely have a lot more pull behind it if they can get TCU back though. You could argue the MWC was better than the Big East in football in some years anyway.

I just don't know about KU to the ACC. I was kind of sarcastically posting that tweet. Not because of geography, I think the Carolina schools would be more likely to throw a fit about the travel than KU. I think they'd make an exception for Texas. Not sure about KU.

[Bill Brasky]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

It makes perfect sense that a team 300 miles west of the Mississippi would be added to a conference that is bunched up against the Eastern sea board.

You still don't get it, do you?

[Bewbies]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

It makes perfect sense that a team 300 miles west of the Mississippi would be added to a conference that is bunched up against the Eastern sea board.

Are there no airports in Kansas?

[LiveSteam]

Originally Posted by Bewbies

Are there no airports in Kansas?

The hole state is an airport

[BryanBusby]

I honestly hope this whole thing never dies out. The fake Dan Beebe twitter feed is hilarious.

DanBeebe Fake Dan Beebe
LARRY SCOTT, YOU'RE MESSING WITH THE DANIMAL NOW. DON'T MESS WITH THE DANIMAL, YOU'LL GET THE HORNS
12 minutes ago

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Bill Brasky

You still don't get it, do you?

People think that there is going to be a conference that consists entirely of teams along the East coast plus one team 1,000 miles away, but I don't get it. Please enlighten me.

The ACC doesn't need Kansas. They have enough basketball firepower. If they want to round out the conference, they have the rest of the Big East to raid. UCONN is sitting right there. Louisville, is out there. Hell, Cincy would make more sense than Kansas. They are a poor geographic fit, yet they are still 500 miles closer than Lawrence.

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by Bewbies

Are there no airports in Kansas?

You don't get it. The ACC is not going to travel that far to play that school in every sport. It's not just fb and bb. It's soccer, baseball, LAX, field hockey, and so on.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

You don't get it. The ACC is not going to travel that far to play that school in every sport. It's not just fb and bb. It's soccer, baseball, LAX, field hockey, and so on.

The bigger issue is KU doesn't really add much $$.

[Saulbadguy]

This thread has certainly taken a turn for the stupid.