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.

[Brock]

So, not a damn thing is going to happen now?

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

**** NO. GET THE **** OUT. I don't care if everyone is pissed, MU needs to leave yesterday.

Haha, hey I agree...I am just throwing stuff out.

However...here is then deal...Missouri can't just go somewhere if someone is not inviting them. We don't know the actual level of interest now it conferences wanting to take on other teams.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Brock

So, not a damn thing is going to happen now?

Seems like a lot is still going to happen.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Haha, hey I agree...I am just throwing stuff out.

However...here is then deal...Missouri can't just go somewhere if someone is not inviting them. We don't know the actual level of interest now it conferences wanting to take on other teams.

True. But Deaton needs to resign as Big 12 whateverthefheis. Right now, he's not helping MU. We need a Kroenke or three with their lawyers to represent Mizzou.

[KC_Connection]

tullycorcoran
Have this on a loop as you read your conference realignment stories: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnHmskwqCCQ

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

True. But Deaton needs to resign as Big 12 whateverthefheis. Right now, he's not helping MU. We need a Kroenke or three with their lawyers to represent Mizzou.

I think people make too much of all that but its a fair point. I wouldn't be against it.

But when you try and do bold things you leave yourself open to risk. Nobody is going to change that.

[|Zach|]

Boren saying he wasn't surprised by PAC decision and reiterates support for B12

[Reaper16]

Big 12 staying alive = good for Kansas City = I'm pretty happy

[ChiefsCountry]

Add BYU to the South and Louisville & Cincinnati to the North.

or

Move OU and OSU to the North and add BYU, New Mexico, and TCU to the South.

[alnorth]

tweet from an AP writer

Big 12 source tells AP #Texas and OU officials to meet in next few days to negotiate deal that keeps both in league five years.

[alnorth]

Jon Wilner (well-respected PAC-12 beat writer)

9:10 p.m. update: Been on the phone for last 30 minutes. Here’s why league did not expand, in a nutshell:

It determined that a 14-school conference was awkward and it would not bow to Texas’ revenue demands.

According to a source, Larry Scott walked away from weekend meeting with Texas knowing the Longhorn Network and the Pac-12 revenue model could not work together.

It was zero or four and the four was too problematic — no interest in meeting UT’s revenue demands — so it’s at zero, which is where the CEOs wanted to be all along.

[tk13]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...gnment-bigeast

All the Big East football presidents and AD's met tonight... all agreed to stay together and look for replacements for Syracuse and Pitt. Non-football schools all seem to be on board.

[Dante84]

I don't know why the Big 12 is getting picked apart. We are(were) a stronger conference than the ACC, Big East, etc... Why aren't those getting blown up?

Obviously the ego of UT has been a turn off. It is in the best interest for UT to concede an inch and retain power in the Big 12, than to concede a mile to join another conference and be an equal player in another conference.

All OU is asking for is that High School games/highlights not be shown on LHN. All the remaining teams want is a more equal slice of the pie.

If UT can concede an inch, which they eventually will, IMO, since its the best option for them at this point, then everyone in the Big 12 should breathe a sigh of relief....

And then go ****ing rape some other conference/s out of 3-7 teams.

[kcfan82]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Big 12 staying alive = good for Kansas City = I'm pretty happy

It would be shitty to lose the Big 12 basketball tournament and have all of the schools disperse throughout the coasts.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by alnorth

tweet from an AP writer

Thank you, daddies, for allowing the rest of us to humbly be a part of your conference for the next five years. I never wanted any other daddy than you.