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.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by 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.

Didn’t they always cry about wanting to get away from Texas?

[Dante84]

Am I high or last time this was blowing up, KU and K-State were handcuffed together due to the board of regents or something?

If so, I could see Big 10 being the best case scenario. Decent basketball matchups for KU, Decent football matchups for K-State.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by 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.

This is all about Bowl money for the conference, especially now that the NCAA is considering expanding the playoffs.

The SEC could routinely dominate the Top 8 rankings and the bowl/playoff money to the conference would be insane.

[tk13]

I thought Mizzou was smart to get out when they did, just because if Texas leaves the conference collapses. Tough spot to be in. I could see them voting for Texas and OU though just because it makes the conference stronger and there's no way they call the shots in the SEC.

Not sure what happens to the other Big 12 teams though. Iowa State could make some sense in the Big Ten athletically. KU basketball would be an amazing get too, but their football team is just brutal. Yeah Rutgers exists but they were a regular bowl team when they joined the Big Ten. KU would add zero value if football playoffs are the driving factor in a realignment. But teams would have to go somewhere.

Either way it'd be bad for KC. Instead of hosting a conference tourney every year they might be fighting for scraps from another conference. Unless the remaining teams just stick it out and try to add some AAC teams or something.

[ChiefsHawk]

Originally Posted by tk13

I thought Mizzou was smart to get out when they did, just because if Texas leaves the conference collapses. Tough spot to be in. I could see them voting for Texas and OU though just because it makes the conference stronger and there's no way they call the shots in the SEC.

Not sure what happens to the other Big 12 teams though. Iowa State could make some sense in the Big Ten athletically. KU basketball would be an amazing get too, but their football team is just brutal. Yeah Rutgers exists but they were a regular bowl team when they joined the Big Ten. KU would add zero value if football playoffs are the driving factor in a realignment. But teams would have to go somewhere.

Either way it'd be bad for KC. Instead of hosting a conference tourney every year they might be fighting for scraps from another conference. Unless the remaining teams just stick it out and try to add some AAC teams or something.

I don't see the BIG going after ISU simply because they bring nothing money wise and they won't sustain their football success. They do have a good history for basketball and are in the AAU but this is football and TV driven.

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

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.

Texas and Oklahoma will both loose status in the SEC. They won't be able to compete with the top tier SEC teams and be left scrambling for scraps.

See what's happened to Mizzou in the SEC. Just an afterthought now.

Hope the money is worth it.

[displacedinMN]

F Texas

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by Boiled Chicken

Interesting that UT effectively killed the Big 12 over their insistence on the Longhorn network and now courting a conference that shares revenues via its network.

As I recall, that's one of many reasons why everyone hates Texas. And why some teams left the Big 12.

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by sedated

I admire your confidence, but betting this post doesn't age well in a year or 2

I was just thinking that. He's kinda naive if he truly believes what he just typed. Perhaps he didn't go to the Lions because he wants to wait for an actually decent job.

[Sassy Squatch]

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

See what's happened to Mizzou in the SEC. Just an afterthought now.

Same winning percentage conference wise as they had in the Big 12 with the same number of conference championship game appearances. Program is the same just in more a secure conference.

[Great Expectations]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

Texas and Oklahoma will both loose status in the SEC. They won't be able to compete with the top tier SEC teams and be left scrambling for scraps.

See what's happened to Mizzou in the SEC. Just an afterthought now.

Hope the money is worth it.

It seems like Mizzou has competed just as well in the SEC as it did in the B12. I don’t remember any Missouri B12 Championships. They made 2 championship games in each conference, and it actually took them less years to do so in the SEC.

[POND_OF_RED]

Originally Posted by Dante84

Am I high or last time this was blowing up, KU and K-State were handcuffed together due to the board of regents or something?

If so, I could see Big 10 being the best case scenario. Decent basketball matchups for KU, Decent football matchups for K-State.

But what does the Big 10 get out of that deal? They aren’t going to want to bring in a team that averages high school level attendances for football games.

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by Great Expectations

It seems like Mizzou has competed just as well in the SEC as it did in the B12. I don’t remember any Missouri B12 Championships. They made 2 championship games in each conference, and it actually took them less years to do so in the SEC.

How's that worked out in recent years though? Mizzou is now a bottom feeder in football in the SEC and a total joke in basketball. They were at least competitive most years in the B12.

[POND_OF_RED]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

How's that worked out in recent years though? Mizzou is now a bottom feeder in football in the SEC and a total joke in basketball. They were at least competitive most years in the B12.

It was eye-opening realizing how far behind the competitive level was in the Big 12 and how little it prepared us for a tough week in-week out real conference, but I think Drink is making the right steps to becoming very relevant again. He will likely end up with a top 20 recruiting class this year and hopefully put us one step closer to competing at an SEC level. It beats the alternative to clinging to a dying conference, just because we were closer to the top with the weaker competition. As far as the basketball goes, I think you can see from the re-alignment talks and KU being left out of most of those discussions just how important college basketball programs are to these decisions. No one really gives a shit.