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.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Superturtle

I have little doubt this actually happened. I have much doubt that the Big 12 could successfully prove it in court.

That’ll depend on what level of proof they have. I suspect the evidence is probably pretty good. We shall see…

[Raiderhater]

This certainly got a whole lot more interesting all of a sudden.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

This isn't me getting in a pissing match because I know what we are, but ku and isu are in a similar boat with K-State. This is 100% about football and TV Sets and neither of you have either one of those to sell.

I wouldn’t trade places with you.

[Sassy Squatch]

Hope it's more than a bunch of ESPN reporters speculating about the AAC raiding the Big 12. They successfully hid the UT and OU move for over a year so I doubt they'd slip up significantly enough to screw their plans up now.

[kstater]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Bowlsby is Karen asking to speak to the manager while his dumpster fire conference is imploding.

Billion dollar contract through 2025.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I wouldn’t trade places with you.

Nor I with you. But we are, in fact, in similar spots.

[Sassy Squatch]

Even A&M will vote yes. 14-0.

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by Jerm

Kentucky football being turned around is a stretch…

Kentucky would be a contender for a SECCG in Atlanta of they ever figured out how to do the forward pass.

[Rams Fan]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

Kentucky would be a contender for a SECCG in Atlanta of they ever figured out how to do the forward pass.

You’re not wrong.

They were able to tie at Georgia for a half with a WR playing QB in 2019 somehow.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

He's 37-26 in his past 5 seasons (years 4-8 of his program, or second recruiting cycle). That's basically 7.5-4.5 each season, which is pretty good. There's still some upside left in the tank if Stoops can find a way to get better QB play.

They've done a great job building D and running game but have never had a really dynamic QB to take it to the next level and really push Florida and Georgia.

Yeah, Stoops hasn’t really developed a QB. All of his starters were guys he inherited or transfers. He’s had 3 seasons of legitimate passing options at QB(2 years of Johnson, 1 of Wilson).

This year should be better with Allen, Levis, or Gatewood hopefully.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

I’m not sure you are reading this one correctly. ESPN was colluding to have the B12 dismantled. That’s kind of a big deal. They’re going to owe big time

It won’t change the inevitable outcome which is that the Big 12 is dead.

[RustShack]

Lol it probably won’t be, but this could be big enough ESPN loses their SEC deal.

[Chiefspants]

I wish anyone luck going up against the Mouse.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

It won’t change the inevitable outcome which is that the Big 12 is dead.

I have no idea how this is going to play out for the remaining membership of the B12, but it appears that they may have some additional money to play with.

[Rams Fan]

Originally Posted by RustShack

Lol it probably won’t be, but this could be big enough ESPN loses their SEC deal.

0 chance.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

I have no idea how this is going to play out for the remaining membership of the B12, but it appears that they may have some additional money to play with.

Think the problem is they have to stay together the full 4 years.