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.

[Reaper16]

Mizzou should threaten to go unless Texas drops the LHN and stops being such a douche.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

I wonder if this makes everyone put their guns back in their holsters though.

Might be. Or OU might be trying to buy time to talk to the SEC. Sure seems like too many lines have been crossed to just go back to being ruled by Texas.

[alnorth]

I've had to put up with Mizzou fans all day (not on this board, but I need to vent) bragging about how they are going to the SEC and how they are so gleeful that Kansas would get left behind in the leftover conference. Lots of mockery all day long.

All I have to say is: suck it, Mizzou. You are a proud member of the Big 12 conference.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Shit.

You know exactly what Texas is going to do now - the same thing they've always done.

If the PAC doesn't expand, OU probably stays in the XII with the rest of the gang. If so, Deaton's not going to pull the trigger on this thing.

If the PAC doesn't expand, I don't think MU moves. There are too many people within this administration that are entirely too resistant to change.

And it will absolutely be the wrong decision. FML. And we'll have to, again, hear all of the bullshit about preserving tradition, rivalries, blah, blah, ****ing, blah.

While we wait for the big boys to kick us out of bed again.

Wake up, you spineless ****s. Get the **** out while (if) you can. End the ****ing charade. If this means paying a penalty, so be it. There's plenty of money in Columbia to write the check.

[KC_Connection]

So after all that, the Big 12 stays intact? Who the hell are these people that run college football?

[eazyb81]

How hilarious would it be if we all just wasted the last 3 months following this crap and nothing happened?

[kcfan82]

Where is Mizzou going to go?

I thought that their offer was contingent on the Big 12 folding.

[tk13]

The real funny thing is out of all of this, the real winner is Colorado. They just stuck it to both Texas and OU.

But I'm not 100% convinced it's all over. Is Oklahoma really going to walk back with their tail between their legs?

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

So after all that, the Big 12 stays intact? Who the hell are these people that run college football?

Well, I don't think that is set and if it is for how long? You think we are not doing this same dance in less than a year?

The Big 12 is not sustainable. Too many lines crossed.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by kcfan82

Where is Mizzou going to go?

I thought that their offer was contingent on the Big 12 folding.

Mizzou is a proud member of the Big XII conference. We'll probably add 1 or 3 teams and call it a day.

[DeezNutz]

No idea why Mizzou fans would expect (or hope) for forward-thinking leadership from the current administration, as if BD didn't completely embarrass himself during the Anderson hire and Big 10 fiasco.

No way that the SEC doesn't go to 14. Have the gumption to make the move solo.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by tk13

The real funny thing is out of all of this, the real winner is Colorado. They just stuck it to both Texas and OU.

But I'm not 100% convinced it's all over. Is Oklahoma really going to walk back with their tail between their legs?

Where will OU go?

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by kcfan82

Where is Mizzou going to go?

I thought that their offer was contingent on the Big 12 folding.

It is. Mizzou goes nowhere without OU leaving, which is why no one was really throwing a parade on here yet.

[Saulbadguy]

hook 'em

[tk13]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Where will OU go?

Anywhere else. If they truly feel everything is tilted against them and they'll never have a competitive advantage because Texas has their own network... it's better to get out now before you become the Blue Jays of the Big 12.

The only thing we do know is the SEC needs a 14th team. Somebody has to do it. And I am not convinced they'd want it to be West Virginia.