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.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by Hoover

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.

PAC 12 commissioner was talking about being interested in some kind of scheduling alliance with another conference.

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by Hoover

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.

Why would any PAC 12 school want to join the B1G? I just don't see that even being an option honestly. It's more likely the PAC 12 poaches a remnant from the ashes of the Big 12 if they choose to expand.

[Raiderhater]

Originally Posted by 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

So aTm is just going to go ahead and go along to get along? If I were them that show of “unity” would come with the price of an agreement that they are in a separate division/pod than UT.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Hoover

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.

The BIG and PAC can’t expand because there aren’t any properties that really add more than they’d cost. ACC is locked up for 15 more years (TV rights) and nobody is leaving the SEC. so who’s left?


The only two properties with national followings are: ND football, KU basketball. The BIG has tried to get ND for decades so that’s a lost cause. And KU basketball can’t generate the 55M+ needed to make the BIG whole.

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by Raiderhader

So aTm is just going to go ahead and go along to get along? If I were them that show of “unity” would come with the price of an agreement that they are in a separate division/pod than UT.

What would be better would be if the SEC let those two join, but to remind UT and OU who the boss is, move them to a separate pod and prevent the yearly Red River Rivalry. It would be the ultimate boss move by the SEC and humbling for those two schools.

[ping2000]

Texas and the rest of the SWC trash schools ruined the Big 8. Now they are ruining the Big 12. **** Texas in the ass.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by Raiderhader

So aTm is just going to go ahead and go along to get along? If I were them that show of “unity” would come with the price of an agreement that they are in a separate division/pod than UT.

aTm, choose-your-UGA/UF, UK, MU, OU, SCAR, UT, Vandy..?

[FloridaMan88]

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

The Big 10 is obsessed with AAU membership... EXCEPT when it comes to the one school they most covet, Notre Lame (which isn't AAU).

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by tredadda

Why would any PAC 12 school want to join the B1G? I just don't see that even being an option honestly. It's more likely the PAC 12 poaches a remnant from the ashes of the Big 12 if they choose to expand.

Because the BIG 10 is a bigger money maker than the SEC. Under what I talked about you would have a national conference that includes most of the major TV markets.

Big Ten already provides its schools with 50+ Million a year in funding, and this would make the pot even larger. Plus the Big Ten redoes its TV deal in 2023. Their first up in getting huge media money.

Maybe the PAC 12 can be the third major conference, but right now it looks like its the SEC and Big 10's game, you want to be part of those two conferences.

[Eleazar]

It seems like there will be 3 major conferences when this is over, and the Big XII remnants will be divided up. Maybe ACC takes WV when it’s over, Kansas gets into the Big Ten, and the rest end up divided between PAC, Mountain West, AAU, etc.

[Mile High Mania]

I have not read all of this, so apologies if it's a repeat or has proven to be false.

I am a lifelong Razorback fan, growing up in the old SWC days. I have always wanted a 'home and home' series with Texas. It was a shock when the Hogs left for the SEC and I'm glad they moved.

That being said, I don't think I'm a fan of admitting OU and TX. And, if I read it correctly, it would only take 4 teams voting against it to stop it. Believe that Missouri, A&M and Arkansas would all vote no... leaving just one more team to prevent it.

At the end of the day, the schools will let them in if it means the dollars for their pool increases significantly.

I don't think OU needs any help with recruiting, but joining the SEC won't hurt them aside from being able to lock in the conference title every year. Texas - they certainly need the SEC more than the SEC needs them.

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

The BIG and PAC can’t expand because there aren’t any properties that really add more than they’d cost. ACC is locked up for 15 more years (TV rights) and nobody is leaving the SEC. so who’s left?


The only two properties with national followings are: ND football, KU basketball. The BIG has tried to get ND for decades so that’s a lost cause. And KU basketball can’t generate the 55M+ needed to make the BIG whole.

PAC 12 TV deal ends after 2023, a year after the Big Ten's deal. This is why they are the best dancing partner out there.

Plus in terms of why would the PAC 12 want to join the Big Ten. The $32 million the PAC 12 conference distributed to each of its member schools in the 2018-19 academic year was a far cry from what the SEC ($45 million per school) and Big Ten ($55 million) distributed, according to tax records.

Follow the money and you end up in the SEC and Big Ten

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by Mile High Mania

I have not read all of this, so apologies if it's a repeat or has proven to be false.

I am a lifelong Razorback fan, growing up in the old SWC days. I have always wanted a 'home and home' series with Texas. It was a shock when the Hogs left for the SEC and I'm glad they moved.

That being said, I don't think I'm a fan of admitting OU and TX. And, if I read it correctly, it would only take 4 teams voting against it to stop it. Believe that Missouri, A&M and Arkansas would all vote no... leaving just one more team to prevent it.

At the end of the day, the schools will let them in if it means the dollars for their pool increases significantly.

I don't think OU needs any help with recruiting, but joining the SEC won't hurt them aside from being able to lock in the conference title every year. Texas - they certainly need the SEC more than the SEC needs them.

Doubt Mizzou votes no. No reason for them to say no now that they have a comfortable home in the SEC.

[Hoover]

Nobody is going to turn down what that means to them in terms of money for their programs.

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by Hoover

PAC 12 TV deal ends after 2023, a year after the Big Ten's deal. This is why they are the best dancing partner out there.

Plus in terms of why would the PAC 12 want to join the Big Ten. The $32 million the PAC 12 conference distributed to each of its member schools in the 2018-19 academic year was a far cry from what the SEC ($45 million per school) and Big Ten ($55 million) distributed, according to tax records.

Follow the money and you end up in the SEC and Big Ten

Perhaps, but they have an elite mindset and a lot of those schools don't feel inferior to anyone. I think the B1G has a better chance at poaching the ACC than the PAC 12.