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.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Originally Posted by tredadda

Putting Mizzou in Pod D would be nice to see. Puts them back with former Big XII teams and even better, their old Big 8 mate, OU. Texas A&M might not like being paired with UT though.

LOVE the idea of the pod system!

Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma. Geographically makes the most sense. A game with Texas every year helps Mizzou’s recruiting in Texas. Plus renews an old Big 8 rivalry and an old SWC rivalry between Arkansas and Texas.

Stick A&M in a pod with LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi St. and they’ll be happy.

Everybody wins.

[Sassy Squatch]

#BREAKING: On Tuesday morning, @TexasLonghorns and @UofOklahoma will formally file a letter with the @SEC requesting admission to that conference.

— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) July 27, 2021

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

#BREAKING: On Tuesday morning, @TexasLonghorns and @UofOklahoma will formally file a letter with the @SEC requesting admission to that conference.

— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) July 27, 2021

Show me the money!

[KChiefs1]

https://sports.yahoo.com/inside-texa...080808048.html

[ptlyon]

https://thespun.com/more/top-stories...ls-certain/amp

[TomBarndtsTwin]

And it's official . . . . . . . . .

Oklahoma Sooners, Texas Longhorns formally notify SEC of membership request for 2025

https://www.espn.com/college-footbal...ership-request

[kepp]

I wonder if there will be negotiations to pull that 2025 date in closer?

[WhawhaWhat]

Now that Oklahoma & Texas formally sought membership to SEC (& SEC will vote 14-0 to accept the schools) to quote the great Warren Zevon, SEC will now “send their lawyers, guns & money” to get them in league early in 2022

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 27, 2021

[displacedinMN]

should remame this

conference derailment thread

[Sassy Squatch]

I'm told Big Ten is so much more interested in AAU schools than Pac-12 is. I'm told Kansas and Iowa State (both AAU members) "made a run at Big Ten, but I don't know if they'll get any place," Big 12 source says.

— Kirk Bohls (@kbohls) July 27, 2021

[BWillie]

Breaking news: Texas can no longer say they are just Texas and not in "The South". Oklahoma can no longer claim they are in the Midwest and must change the name of Midwest City, OK.

You are all just - THE SOUTH - now.

[Prison Bitch]

Self is 15-6 vs the BIG. And 11 of those games were against the premier schools (Mich St, Mich, Ohio St). He also won the BIG two of his three seasons at IL


#shakingInMyRubySlippers

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

I'm told Big Ten is so much more interested in AAU schools than Pac-12 is. I'm told Kansas and Iowa State (both AAU members) "made a run at Big Ten, but I don't know if they'll get any place," Big 12 source says.

— Kirk Bohls (@kbohls) July 27, 2021

KU will be fine. If the B1G doesn't take them, they almost are guaranteed a seat in the Big East or possibly ACC (if they choose to expand). WVU should also find a home. The other schools might want to look at merging with the Mountain West.

[morphius]

So, I remember hearing a while back that because of a state law both KU and KSU had to be in the same conference. Just somewhat interesting info to toss into the mix.

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

I'm told Big Ten is so much more interested in AAU schools than Pac-12 is. I'm told Kansas and Iowa State (both AAU members) "made a run at Big Ten, but I don't know if they'll get any place," Big 12 source says.

— Kirk Bohls (@kbohls) July 27, 2021

Yeah, and there are WAAAAAY more attractive AAU schools to add than Iowa State and Kansas.

The Big 10 already has shown interest in Virginia, and North Carolina.

But they would also be wise to poach the PAC 12 by going after schools like USC, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Arizona. If all the California Schools want to move as a block, that works too. Hell it might be easier to just accept the entire PAC 12 and keep it intact as the Pacific Division of the Big Ten.

The big question for me is does the Big 10 want to add eastern schools? There are no brainers like Notre Dame and Clemson, but Florida State would be attractive as well.

After the dust settles, then I think the Big Ten will determine if it makes sense to add Kansas, which I think would be smart. But Iowa State I just can't see what they add to the pot.