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]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

No, but its a lot better move to do it now to have the security, in case something really ****ed up happens.

they (B12) can preach all they want to about being stable and wanting to move forward and expanding, but the reality of it all is that this ESPN/Longhorn network was a death blow to the conference....period. I don't blame MU for one second in wanting to get away from that mess and unfair advantage it gives to ONE school in the conf.

Meanwhile I think MU will be able to recruit the HELL out of the tier 2/3 players from states like Bama, Georgia, Florida, and other schools they wouldn't normally have access too now....they will still be able to have the TX pipeline.

It has taken 7+ years for me to say I agree 100% with a Como post.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

It has taken 7+ years for me to say I agree 100% with a Como post.

He puts too many periods in his ellipses.

What an asshole.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by teedubya

I enjoy the rivalries. If Mizzou leaves for the SEC, I will end up hating them way less, and not have anger towards them and become apathetic about them... I want to keep the hate, dammit.

If it helps, I'll continue to eat blackened chicken for dinner every August 21.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by kcfan82

It's just bad for Kansas City, because there is no way in hell we'll ever see an SEC basketball or football championship here.

That's 400 million over the last X years that is just going away.

That's why I want them to stay.

This is why I will become less of a Mizzou fan when they move to the SEC. If you hurt KC then you hurt me.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

This is why I will become less of a Mizzou fan when they move to the SEC. If you hurt KC then you hurt me.

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=172&f=2481

Baby crying as a poor some Blvd. Wheat Wine on your grave.

[track]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

This is why I will become less of a Mizzou fan when they move to the SEC. If you hurt KC then you hurt me.

THIS!

[|Zach|]

I love Kansas City. But Kansas City is a big kid. I would feel worse about this bad luck situation for KC if it did not give itself so many self inflicted wounds.

It is a good deal of money but it isn't like some situation where Billy Joel needs to come down and redo the words of Allentown to fit Kansas City.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by track

THIS!

Oh, are you a Mizzou fan?

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Oh, are you a Mizzou fan?

I've been studying his previous 41 posts in two years, trying to figure it out.

[track]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

True

Hell Texas would get dominated in the SEC.[/QUOTE]


Not long ago Texas won the national championship. They are a little down now from then..but they have the resources like no other school...so doubtful they will be down long....but even with a less than top 10 football team, they still are among the few elite due to the size of their fan base/alumni and the number of dollars they spend on athletics every year. OU or LSU might have a better football team NOW...but neither have the power/ money of Texas.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=172&f=2481

Baby crying as a poor some Blvd. Wheat Wine on your grave.

I can't buy any Harvest Dance Wheatwine down here. Stop making me feel even worse about it.

Originally Posted by |Zach|

I love Kansas City. But Kansas City is a big kid. I would feel worse about this bad luck situation for KC if it did not give itself so many self inflicted wounds.

It is a good deal of money but it isn't like some situation where Billy Joel needs to come down and redo the words of Allentown to fit Kansas City.

I hate Billy Joel, so I don't have the slightest idea as to what that reference means.

[Al Bundy]

KK basically said "MU sucks, they will ALWAYS finish at or below .500 if they join the SEC." He made me laugh.

[Los Pollos Hermanos]

K-State would dominate the SEC.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by UCF Knight

KK basically said "MU sucks, they will ALWAYS finish at or below .500 if they join the SEC." He made me laugh.

I guess it depends on your definition of sucks, but he is probably spot on with the record prediction.

[kstater]

Originally Posted by ChiefsfansofDallas

K-State would dominate the SEC.

Once we get away from all these recruiting disadvantages Texas puts on us, I could see it happening.