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 sedated

Didn't Mizzou go to the SEC championship game in 2 of its first 3 seasons in the SEC?

If the Big 12 was such a joke of a conference that left teams "unprepared", why did a middling Big 12 team go over and have so much instant success?

The issue wasn't the Big 12 not preparing Missouri.

The issues were:

1) Missouri's coaching staff did a poor job adjusting it's recruiting strategy. It overreacted to the SEC move and moved into Georgia and Florida too quickly. It also didn't effectively adopt a strategy to sell Midwest kids (Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Chicago) on the idea of playing in the SEC (Kentucky has had great success with this in Ohio, amongst kids left behind by Ohio State).

2) The university replaced the mostly competent AD with a complete buffoon who mishandled the difficult 2015 protests, and made several bad decisions in the wake of that (forcing Pinkel out then; hiring Barry Odom; forcing Odom to agree to dismantle the player development system in place and also forcing the strength coach behind that program out).

3) Odom was a failure in recruiting and as an on-field coach.

All indications are they got it right with Drinkwitz, and he's rapidly changing the picture/scene.

Basketball is an example of what happens when you make a bad hire, then double down on it with the worst hire in the past quarter century in your sport, then come back from it by overpaying for a really mediocre guy.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Iowa State has the academic pedigree and the in-state relationship with U of I that could make them desirable to the Big 10. In fact, they might be the most likely candidate right now.

Iowa State is very attractive if you think like an University president would. Very good academic school with research. Great fan base, good facilities all around.

[Matrix]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

Right. That is why last time this came up the Pac12 and B1G came calling asking KU to join up.

MU made a mistake leaving the B12 as did Nebraska and Colorado. None have faired better in their new conferences. Hope the Texas envy was worth it.

Look at a Kansas fan trying to rationalize his place in a dying conference.

[ntexascardfan]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

It’s all about eyes added.

I'm willing to bet adding Texas to the SEC adds more eyeballs than all the teams that were mentioned in the post I quoted combined.

You're lying to yourself if you don't believe this isn't being driven by ESPN wanting to form a super conference that's going to blow revenue out of the water.

This decision isn't made without the blessing or instigation of the mothership.

[Kellerfox]

Originally Posted by ntexascardfan

I'm willing to bet adding Texas to the SEC adds more eyeballs than all the teams that were mentioned in the post I quoted combined.

You're lying to yourself if you don't believe this isn't being driven by ESPN wanting to form a super conference that's going to blow revenue out of the water.

This decision isn't made without the blessing or instigation of the mothership.

Building on that...

ESPN already controls UVA and UNC's exclusive media rights through 2035. Right now they share UT/OU's rights with Fox. ESPN gains a LOT more adding UT than any school from the ACC.

[Sassy Squatch]

Not even ESPN. Mickey Mouse

[Kiimo]

I would be totally fine with KU in the Big 10, Self would own Chicago recruiting and the games against Michigan, MSU, Indiana, etc would be amazing.

It also opens up an whole new avenue of football recruiting. It certainly doesn't hurt that Leipold has history all over Wisconsin and Nebraska

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

I would be totally fine with KU in the Big 10, Self would own Chicago recruiting and the games against Michigan, MSU, Indiana, etc would be amazing.

It also opens up an whole new avenue of football recruiting. It certainly doesn't hurt that Leipold has history all over Wisconsin and Nebraska

I’d love KU and ISU going to the B1G. I think Iowa and Iowa State fans would also enjoy not playing each other non-con every year, and giving the game more meaning being a conference game. We’d get to beat on Nebraska too, so that would be fun.

[RustShack]

This moving fast, as I'm getting calls, texts and e-mails now saying #Pac12 wants to add #OKState, #TexasTech, #KState and #ISU to go to 16 teams and those four in division with #SunDevils, #BearDown, #Utes and #Buffs.

Edit- This was from “Swain” on Twitter, whoever that is.

[RustShack]

Texas and Oklahoma were not in attendance for the emergency Big12 meeting today.

Buckle up boys.

[POND_OF_RED]

Originally Posted by RustShack

Texas and Oklahoma were not in attendance for the emergency Big12 meeting today.

Buckle up boys.

Not sure a seat belt is gonna help much at this point. RIP Big 12.

[GloucesterChief]

Originally Posted by Kellerfox

IF UT + OU leave and IF the PAC decides to add schools, Texas Tech has a seat at that table. Tech has a strong history and partnership with the two AZ schools (shared a conference for decades) as well as CU (hours up the road and Big12 history). Geographically, that cluster of 4 would be easy travel. Tech has forged pretty strong relations with other PAC leaders over the last few rounds of re-alignment conversation. Tech has been deliberately scheduling non-con games with PAC teams. Tech also adds quite a bit of value in track, baseball, and basketball… all areas that the PAC wants to shore up. Tech isn’t big enough or strong enough to force realignment like OU and UT… but with a drastic shift in the landscape I think they have a life raft out of the Remnants of the Big12.

So, if the PAC does expand and we assume Tech is in… that leaves 1-3 spots depending on if they go to 14 or 16. There aren’t a lot of great candidates. BU, TCU, and BYU are hard no’s due to religious affiliation (non starter for the PAC).

Maybe they pull from Houston, Colorado State, San Diego State, Boise State, or UNLV…

But some combo OSU, KU, KSU, and ISU just feels better if I’m the PAC despite the geographic distance. That assumes that those schools are available. Certainly understand the BIG being a lot more appealing to KU/ISU/KSU if the offer is there.

PAC wants tier 1 research universities with strong graduate programs. It is the reason why Air Force was never considered to join the PAC.

[sedated]

Originally Posted by POND_OF_RED

Not sure a seat belt is gonna help much at this point. RIP Big 12.

If Texas and Oklahoma left, its better if the Big 12 dies anyway - they would never be considered a P5 conference no matter who they add.

[sedated]

I remember before the last realignment there were strong rumors that Florida State and Clemson were interested in jumping to the Big 12. Louisville was available too, I believe. One more and that would have made a hell of a conference.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by RustShack

This moving fast, as I'm getting calls, texts and e-mails now saying #Pac12 wants to add #OKState, #TexasTech, #KState and #ISU to go to 16 teams and those four in division with #SunDevils, #BearDown, #Utes and #Buffs.

Edit- This was from “Swain” on Twitter, whoever that is.

The idea Cali schools want these crappy Plains programs is too laughable for me to believe.

If Kansas ever did leave, I’d lose a lot of interest in their games. Playing long term opponents in our region is half the fun of watching and I know a lot of folks from all these local schools.