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.

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Pickings are slim after Kansas unless Notre Dame is finally receptive (and let’s be honest. ND is their top target, but Kansas is far more likely).

But adding an inarguably elite all-time program in the No. 2 sport ain’t nothing. It’s certainly better than other options they’ve added.

It certainly would give Kansas a chance to prove it doesn’t matter what conference they’re in, they’d dominate. I think they’d find that road much harder than in the Big 12.

Isn’t ND locked in with the ACC? I guess I don’t know exactly how it works with them being independent but also with the ACC. But ND also had more reason to join a conference with 4 team playoff than they would now with a 12 team or at least expanded starting as early as next year.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

And that’s gotten the Big 12 what exactly? About to go up in smoke after Texas and OU depart . . . . . . .

Kind of the whole point of this thread.


College football rules the day. That’s where the money goes. No one gives a shit about basketball besides a few rabid fanbases.

Sorry for your loss . . . .

Oh, I thought we were discussing success on the court. Should’ve known better.

What’s our “loss?” Has anything happened? Feel free to laugh when KU announces its membership in the MWC. But don’t hold your breath waiting.

Football is the primary factor, obviously, but again...national/iconic brands matter too. KU would be the B1G’s #1 draw for several months per year, in a league full of good basketball schools. To say they would bring nothing is funny.

[Sassy Squatch]

Straight up the only ways KU isn't in a power 4 at the end of all this is if the NCAA nukes their basketball program, the codependents of the Big 12 give UT and OU some of their money to stay, or the rest of the conferences sit on their asses and do nothing in response to the SEC becoming a super conference.

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

Straight up the only ways KU isn't in a power 4 at the end of all this is if the NCAA nukes their basketball program, the codependents of the Big 12 give UT and OU some of their money to stay, or the rest of the conferences sit on their asses and do nothing in response to the SEC becoming a super conference.

I’m also assuming the media will be putting on pressure to dissolve the Big12 immediately. I think the Big12 only has to keep 6 members to stay a P5. That keeps Oklahoma and Texas in limbo until 2025 unless the other schools leave for another conference. Obviously Big12 schools don’t want to be in limbo themselves. It’s in literally everyone’s best interest to quickly figure this out and this be the last Big12 season. Which is bittersweet that Iowa State would finally win it, the last year.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

KU would lose their domination in the B1G & would probably not be considered an elite program anymore.

Imagine typing this with a straight face.

KU’s won 11 of their last 12 vs UNC, Kentucky, and Duke, but they’re going to lose their elite status because they have to face the likes of Mich St, Michigan, Ohio St and Purdue? Good one.

Self dominates familiar competition. End of story. He was well on his way to dominating the B1G with a much weaker program. And the league was better then than now.

The NIL and transfer portal is only going to help him stack his roster every year.

You poor guys have a really hard time concealing your jealousy.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

KU would lose their domination in the B1G & would probably not be considered an elite program anymore.

I don't think they'd dominate the league like they have in the Big 12 because the programs around them are better in the B1G.

But to act like ku would suddenly not be a basketball power is crazy.

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by RaidersOftheCellar

Imagine typing this with a straight face.

KU’s won 11 of their last 12 vs UNC, Kentucky, and Duke, but they’re going to lose their elite status because they have to face the likes of Mich St, Michigan, Ohio St and Purdue? Good one.

Self dominates familiar competition. End of story. He was well on his way to dominating the B1G with a much weaker program. And the league was better then than now.

You poor guys have a really hard time concealing your jealousy.

KU would do well in the B1G. They might not dominate it to the same level they have the BIG 12, but they won't suddenly become an also ran BB program there.

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I don't think they'd dominate the league like they have in the Big 12 because the programs around them are better in the B1G.

But to act like ku would suddenly not be a basketball power is crazy.

You just beat me to it. Was saying the same thing.

[Titty Meat]

As much as I hate KU and their fans they would be a welcomed addition to the B1G

[KChiefs1]

[KChiefs1]

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I don't think they'd dominate the league like they have in the Big 12 because the programs around them are better in the B1G.

But to act like ku would suddenly not be a basketball power is crazy.

No, but even their Big 12 dominance is a little misleading. There were four co-champs during their streak and plenty of years in which they had a late comeback and/or barely pulled it out. It was a very dominant stretch by the numbers, but it’s not as if they were vastly better than the rest every year.

There have been a lot of very good teams in the Big 12 over the years. A lot of final four/elite 8 teams. A lot of top 10ish teams.

KU would likely lose more league games due to the depth of the B1G, but I don’t see why they wouldn’t win the league fairly consistently. Every other program is a notch below. And with the changes in the CBB landscape, I expect Self’s rosters to be consistently stacked. Look at the current roster. Thanks to the portal, they’re loaded, despite years of down recruiting due to being under investigation.

Mich St is a step below KU’s level and if you look at their last two decades, they’ve won the B1G nearly every time they were a top 10 caliber team. The difference is that KU is a top 10 team every year.

[ChiefsCountry]

Big Ten's original plan to get to 16 took a hard turn when Mizzou went to the SEC. They thought SEC had no desire to get Mizzou and they would be there when they were ready to expand to 16 with them and Kansas. They are probably going to have to take Iowa State instead.

The funny thing with all this expansion talk its been like 30 years plan in the works. SEC original expansion plan in the late 80s and early 90s was A&M, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Clemson and Florida State. SEC is about full circle on that with South Carolina instead of Clemson and Mizzou instead of FSU. Big Ten in the early 90s were looking to expand with Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, and Rutgers. Yes Rutgers had been on the Big Ten expansion plans since the early 90s. An ACC and Big East football school merger had been talked about in the early 90s. All of this is documented in major newspapers during this time. It's not like any of this should be a surprise it just takes time and right media partners to push it in the right direction.

[Titty Meat]

As long as Howard stays at Michigan that's going to be an elite program. So many good games if you're a KU fan going up against Michigan and Michigan St will be iconic showdowns something I dont think the Big 12 consistently. Then you have Wisconsin, Illinois, Maryland, Purdue, Ohio St who are consistent tournament caliber teams. Not sure if Indiana is done yet think they are still capable of being really good. Then you have the outliers who produce tournament teams Minnesota and now Rutgers and I think with what Hoiberg is building with back to back top 20 recruiting classes will be very similar to those Iowa St teams.

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

I love this because whoever made it totally left out WVU. It's almost like they are a complete afterthought in this whole expansion.