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.

[TambaBerry]

Originally Posted by TribalElder

If Okie and Texas bounce wtf will the big whatever do

are there enough schools to add?

WV is a bit awkward already, it's way the **** out east

If this happens the only chance of KU staying in a power 5 would be the Big ten and with the way our football team has been I'm not sure anyone would want us.

[Kiimo]

lol KU going to a mid major is a MU fantasy porn, it always was and always will be.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by TribalElder

If Okie and Texas bounce wtf will the big whatever do

are there enough schools to add?

WV is a bit awkward already, it's way the **** out east

I would guess...

kansas to the B1G as it adds 2 more (not sure who the next one would be... would guess B1G targets UNC again, also Virginia).

Everyone else? Probably kinda effed and end up in a leftovers conferences with the ACC remnants.

[Kiimo]

K-State and Iowa State are the ones who are screwed


Man UT will always be all about UT but Oklahoma can **** themselves

[FloridaMan88]

It seems unclear why the SEC, specifically the individual schools would want to add Texas and OU.

They just signed a new 10 year media deal that goes into effect in 2024.

Texas and OU don’t add any significant new TV markets or recruiting areas to the conference.

From an on-field football perspective it’s just going to add to the degree of difficulty in navigating an already tough conference schedule.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

K-State and Iowa State are the ones who are screwed


Man UT will always be all about UT but Oklahoma can **** themselves

And Texas Tech and Oklahoma State and West Virgina and TCU and Baylor.

[ChiefsCountry]

Big 12 won't die off. It's still got brand name and NCAA credits out the ass. It will reload with the AAC schools.

[tredadda]

I wonder how much more money UT and OU would stand to make in the SEC. Can't really see any other reason to jump ship. In the BIG 12 they are the big dogs and can call the shots. They won't have that in the SEC.

[Kiimo]

Oklahoma has been in the Big 8 or whatever it was called back then since 1919.



I hope they get their shit pushed in by Alabama every year from here to eternity.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Big 12 won't die off. It's still got brand name and NCAA credits out the ass. It will reload with the AAC schools.

Sure.

West Virginia
TCU
Baylor
Texas Tech
Kansas State
Iowa State
Oklahoma State

+...

Cincinnati?
Houston?
BYU?

That's still a decidedly second-tier conference in hoops and football.

The ACC might lose a school or 2 to the B1G (because if the SEC goes to a 16-team super conference, leaving kansas' prestigious basketball program available, it makes sense for the B1G to gobble that up and find and expansionary partner, which likely ends up being North Carolina or Virginia or someone in the ACC northern footprint).

If the ACC is left in that spot, it then might be willing to open its doors to the Big 12 left-behinds, though there aren't any great cultural fits there.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Sure.

West Virginia
TCU
Baylor
Texas Tech
Kansas State
Iowa State
Oklahoma State

+...

Cincinnati?
Houston?
BYU?

That's still a decidedly second-tier conference in hoops and football.

The ACC might lose a school or 2 to the B1G (because if the SEC goes to a 16-team super conference, leaving kansas' prestigious basketball program available, it makes sense for the B1G to gobble that up and find and expansionary partner, which likely ends up being North Carolina or Virginia or someone in the ACC northern footprint).

If the ACC is left in that spot, it then might be willing to open its doors to the Big 12 left-behinds, though there aren't any great cultural fits there.

That's still the best non power league at that point. Those conferences just don't die. Their status does, but they don't. MVC is the original Big 8. Southern Conference is the original SEC and ACC. Hell the WAC couldn't even die.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Big 12 won't die off. It's still got brand name

The Southwest Conference probably thought the same thing, before a Texas-led exodus killed it off.

[Jerm]

Some really interesting stuff on this over at PM….

I think it’s 100% happening and Mizzou will vote yes, A&M will be the only no.

[Discuss Thrower]

I don't think the SEC cares about potentially making their conference schedule harder even if it means not expanding their TV market share and recruiting footprint.

[ChiefsHawk]

Originally Posted by RustShack

Shit at this point with all of the racism coming to light in the Iowa program, and Iowa State just being the better football team in the state currently they might be willing to just switch them out.

Voted for the dumbest post of the day...