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.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by evenfall

Everyone most certainly will have to step up, from the fans to the AD to the head coach on down.

You know what I don't get? Mike Alden. Aside from hiring Pinkel, you'd be hard pressed to list accomplishments. The basketball program has mostly been a fire drill aside from Snyder's loaded but underachieving early teams. But Alden got the biggest decision right, so he survives. Reminds me of Carl Peterson. He hired the right coach and lived a long time off getting that right, though his overall batting average was not so good.

Look at the basketball coaching search, humiliation, and the subsequent desperation hire. If his continued position isn't proof that football is about 80% of it...

I'm not a big defender of Alden, but his accomplishments go beyond Pinkel...

1) The athletic department budget has expanded exponentially under Alden. True, part of this is due to some accounting practices, but he has made a big commitment to making Missouri a player across the board.

2) Elevation of department expectations. Alden has made good hires and placed good coaches in wrestling, gymnastics, women's volleyball, softball and retained a good baseball coach.

3) Facilities upgrades (enormous improvements across the board in this area)

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Nope. When all of the emotion settles down, we (in the corporate sense) actually should be able to discuss SEC/new Big 12 more sanely.

I honestly think this whole situation might end up in a win-win for all universities involved.

That's what I'm telling myself.

[Al Bundy]

KK definitely can never question anyone's loyalty.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by UCF Knight

KK definitely can never question anyone's loyalty.

You mean you don't look to a man who's marriage crumbled after he had an affair with an intern when you need advice on loyalty?

[tomahawk kid]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

You mean you don't look to a man who's marriage crumbled after he had an affair with an intern when you need advice on loyalty?

KK's got a HUGE inferiority complex. I'm not sure if that stems from the fact he was a cheerleader in high school or if he got his a$$ kicked on the playground in elementary school.

Regardless, I believe that it drives 100% of his venom. Somehow, he's got it in his head that Mizzou fans think they're "better" than everyone else because we have a (rumored) SEC invite. I have no doubt the "idiot" portion of our fanbase is thumping their chest, but I would suggest that to be the exception and not the rule (at least in the circles I run in). I would describe the mood amongst my Mizzou bretheren as "grateful" and "relieved" as opposed to "cocky".

I have some ksu friends and co-workers that go from zero to cocky every year when they when 2 sequential football games. I certainly don't project their tendancies to the fan base as a whole.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

nice $300mil expansion Arky is starting...

Yeah. It's nuts, but it's over 30 years. Sweet pics if you follow the link.

http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/201...s-master-plan/
University of Arkansas Athletic Director and Vice Chancellor Jeff Long outlined a plan for major upgrades to the UA’s athletic facilities at a press conference held at the Broyles Athletic Center on Tuesday.

Long said that while specific details within the newly unveiled Athletic Facilities Master Plan are tentative for now, the plan itself is designed to guide and address facilities needs at the UA for years to come.

“We have an obligation to plan for the future and the Athletic Facilities Master Plan enables us to move forward in the best interests of meeting the needs of our student-athletes, coaches, donors and fans,” he said. “The plan is an ambitious wish list to address facility needs for all 19 of our sports over the next five, 15 and 30 years. It is the next step to build our program and maintain competitiveness in the Southeastern Conference and nationally.”

Back in February, the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees approved the commission of the plan, developed by an architect team including Populous, Modus Studio and University Facilities Management.

Long stressed that none of the facilities included in the plan are final at this point, and that timeline and priority for the individual projects have also not been determined.

“The master plan was developed in coordination with the overall Campus Growth Plan,” he said. “Before any new project is started, we will present plans to the Board of Trustees for approval.”

One project, however, that has already been approved by the Board of Trustees is the recently announced football operations center. Long reminded those in attendance on Tuesday that groundbreaking for the Football Center is set for Nov. 4 at 3 p.m., the day before the Arkansas-South Carolina football game in Fayetteville.

Long also let slip plans other plans for improvements, including a new video board for Reynolds Razorback Stadium to be installed as soon as 2012.

The entire plan has an estimated price-tag of between $286.8 and $327.85 million, a figure that Long feels can be raised.

“To put this into context, I think it’s important to look at our history. Over the last 11 years we’ve averaged about $18 million (per year) on renovations and new facilities,” he said. “If you take that out over 11 years, it’s nearly $200 million. When you project $320 million over 30 years, it’s about 11 million. If you project it over a more ambition 20 years, it’s about 16 million.”

Long said that funds for the project will come from the usual sources.

“We will certainly rely on the generosity of our supporters through major gifts,” he said. “We’ll rely on the Razorback Foundation funds that are contributed to our program. We will rely on the revenues of ticket sales, multimedia sponsorship agreements, SEC Television revenue distribution, and we will certainly utilize bonds, proceeds supported by athletic revenues.”

[Saul Good]

Any truth to the rumor that they are also planning a $200,000,000 indoor noodling facility?

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Any truth to the rumor that they are also planning a $200,000,000 indoor noodling facility?

Those are the okies. Big 12 thing.

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by tomahawk kid

KK's got a HUGE inferiority complex. I'm not sure if that stems from the fact he was a cheerleader in high school or if he got his a$$ kicked on the playground in elementary school.

Regardless, I believe that it drives 100% of his venom. Somehow, he's got it in his head that Mizzou fans think they're "better" than everyone else because we have a (rumored) SEC invite. I have no doubt the "idiot" portion of our fanbase is thumping their chest, but I would suggest that to be the exception and not the rule (at least in the circles I run in). I would describe the mood amongst my Mizzou bretheren as "grateful" and "relieved" as opposed to "cocky".

I have some ksu friends and co-workers that go from zero to cocky every year when they when 2 sequential football games. I certainly don't project their tendancies to the fan base as a whole.

His hatred for St. Louis tops it all. It is hilarious how insecure he is about St. Louis and the Cardinals. He's tried to create this huge KC/STL rivalry that really isn't there, at least on the KCMO side.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by tomahawk kid

KK's got a HUGE inferiority complex. I'm not sure if that stems from the fact he was a cheerleader in high school or if he got his a$$ kicked on the playground in elementary school.

Regardless, I believe that it drives 100% of his venom. Somehow, he's got it in his head that Mizzou fans think they're "better" than everyone else because we have a (rumored) SEC invite. I have no doubt the "idiot" portion of our fanbase is thumping their chest, but I would suggest that to be the exception and not the rule (at least in the circles I run in). I would describe the mood amongst my Mizzou bretheren as "grateful" and "relieved" as opposed to "cocky".

I have some ksu friends and co-workers that go from zero to cocky every year when they when 2 sequential football games. I certainly don't project their tendancies to the fan base as a whole.

He reads Chiefsplanet?

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

He reads Chiefsplanet?

rep.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

He reads Chiefsplanet?

I can't understand how he would get that idea into his head.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

I can't understand how he would get that idea into his head.

One can only imagine what some of these guys would be like if they had an actual winning program (excluding Deez and KCMizzou).

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by NewChief

Yeah. It's nuts, but it's over 30 years. Sweet pics if you follow the link.

http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/201...s-master-plan/
University of Arkansas Athletic Director and Vice Chancellor Jeff Long outlined a plan for major upgrades to the UA’s athletic facilities at a press conference held at the Broyles Athletic Center on Tuesday.

Long said that while specific details within the newly unveiled Athletic Facilities Master Plan are tentative for now, the plan itself is designed to guide and address facilities needs at the UA for years to come.

“We have an obligation to plan for the future and the Athletic Facilities Master Plan enables us to move forward in the best interests of meeting the needs of our student-athletes, coaches, donors and fans,” he said. “The plan is an ambitious wish list to address facility needs for all 19 of our sports over the next five, 15 and 30 years. It is the next step to build our program and maintain competitiveness in the Southeastern Conference and nationally.”

Back in February, the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees approved the commission of the plan, developed by an architect team including Populous, Modus Studio and University Facilities Management.

Long stressed that none of the facilities included in the plan are final at this point, and that timeline and priority for the individual projects have also not been determined.

“The master plan was developed in coordination with the overall Campus Growth Plan,” he said. “Before any new project is started, we will present plans to the Board of Trustees for approval.”

One project, however, that has already been approved by the Board of Trustees is the recently announced football operations center. Long reminded those in attendance on Tuesday that groundbreaking for the Football Center is set for Nov. 4 at 3 p.m., the day before the Arkansas-South Carolina football game in Fayetteville.

Long also let slip plans other plans for improvements, including a new video board for Reynolds Razorback Stadium to be installed as soon as 2012.

The entire plan has an estimated price-tag of between $286.8 and $327.85 million, a figure that Long feels can be raised.

“To put this into context, I think it’s important to look at our history. Over the last 11 years we’ve averaged about $18 million (per year) on renovations and new facilities,” he said. “If you take that out over 11 years, it’s nearly $200 million. When you project $320 million over 30 years, it’s about 11 million. If you project it over a more ambition 20 years, it’s about 16 million.”

Long said that funds for the project will come from the usual sources.

“We will certainly rely on the generosity of our supporters through major gifts,” he said. “We’ll rely on the Razorback Foundation funds that are contributed to our program. We will rely on the revenues of ticket sales, multimedia sponsorship agreements, SEC Television revenue distribution, and we will certainly utilize bonds, proceeds supported by athletic revenues.”

That's going to look pretty sweet when it's all said and done.

[evenfall]

A source with connections to television executives involved in broadcasting college football in multiple BCS conferences has further confirmed what PowerMizzou.com reported earlier in the week. The source said Missouri's move to the SEC was "as done as done can be without the official vote." The source further stated that the vote, as reported earlier in the week by the Times, is not expected to be a hurdle.