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.

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by RustShack

They will revisit it within the next few years when negotiating their new media contract. Theirs goes through 2024. With all the heat the SEC and ESPN is under with OU and Texas, they are going to wait until the dust settles. Big12 rights are still through 2025, so 2021 is pretty premature to make those decisions. The remaining 8 aren’t going to pay all the exit fees that Texas and Oklahoma will have to pay.

I disagree. If the PAC 12 wanted to expand, they could right now and pick from what remains of the Big 12. If they chose a couple of schools, they could work it like a UT/OU thing. The Big 12 is on life support right now with only the slightest chance to expand. If a couple of teams were willing to jump ship for another conference, the Big 12 would all but cease to exist which would eliminate the exit fees. At this point no school will remain loyal to the Big 12 and will jump at the best offer they get. With the PAC 12 having the best of what's left they can use that to negotiate their new deal in a few years. If they waited they risk getting the leftovers of the leftovers.

[Kiimo]

Originally Posted by sedated

This is the stupidest way to compare conferences or judge anything.

A team winning one title 50 years ago does not equal sustained recent success. Gonzaga hasn't won a title but has been one of the top programs for the last 20 years - UTEP has a title.

Please pull up, thread.


I really really don't want some Rupp Rafters idiotic conference argument to mosey on over

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

Nothing will happen anytime soon I don't think but my gut tells me it will be the B1G.

lol at Mountain West or Missouri Valley, they'd stay in the Big 12 and expand before they did that




I'm seeing a lot of smoke on twitter that KU is moving back towards investing big money in the football stadium again and that it is because of the B1G

Bullshit. They will stick with that track and field abomination look. They are too basketball poor to invest in football. Hell, look at the dump barn they shoot hoops in

[CasselGotPeedOn]

Originally Posted by Pasta Little Brother

Bullshit. They will stick with that track and field abomination look. They are too basketball poor to invest in football. Hell, look at the dump barn they shoot hoops in

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by tredadda

I disagree. If the PAC 12 wanted to expand, they could right now and pick from what remains of the Big 12. If they chose a couple of schools, they could work it like a UT/OU thing. The Big 12 is on life support right now with only the slightest chance to expand. If a couple of teams were willing to jump ship for another conference, the Big 12 would all but cease to exist which would eliminate the exit fees. At this point no school will remain loyal to the Big 12 and will jump at the best offer they get. With the PAC 12 having the best of what's left they can use that to negotiate their new deal in a few years. If they waited they risk getting the leftovers of the leftovers.

You can disagree all you want, but you’re wrong. The PAC can’t just add 2-4 schools and the Big12 will cease to exist. Sure, in the long run it will. Or they expand and keep it alive even if it gets demoted from P5 later. The Big12 is around until it’s voted to dissolve by 3/4 vote. Right now 6/8 schools have to vote to dissolve it. Texas and Oklahoma lost their votes when the served the Big12 their notice to leave for the SEC. If those two want to leave early, it’s $80 mil per each school, and that’s not even factoring in the Big12 still owns their rights through 2025. The other Big12 schools can’t afford that, and there is literally zero reason for the other conferences to extend invites 3 years in advance without seeing what happens with Texas and Oklahoma first. The only way it comes this soon is if every school has a home, because if it gets leaked early and two Big12 schools are left out before the conference is officially dissolved, all 8 schools would owe those two a lot of money this early in the contract.

[DomCasual]

They need to add BYU and Boise State (with the requirement of changing the field), and then UCF and Houston (if the Texas schools will allow it) or Cincinnati (if they won’t). It’s not perfect. But it has potential.

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by DomCasual

They need to add BYU and Boise State (with the requirement of changing the field), and then UCF and Houston (if the Texas schools will allow it) or Cincinnati (if they won’t). It’s not perfect. But it has potential.

Obviously I’m holding out hope the other conferences choose to expand in the next few years, but worst case scenario the Big12 expands.

Amazon has reached out to the Big12 about picking up their media rights. But they want the Big12 to expand to 14-16 schools. They are in a position where media foot print doesn’t matter, like it did to the B1G the last round. They just want fanbases/streamers. They can make a ton of money from advertising their own products of said schools and making the sale on shirts and what not. They also want more sports fans subscribing because they are picking up Thursday night football, and now trying for Sunday Ticket.

But to get to 14, I’d add BYU, Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, Memphis, and Cincinnati.

The crazy part is that’s suddenly the most competitive conference. Other than Kansas, there’s a lot of good football teams. And there’s no Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ohio State to just run the table most years. It wouldn’t have the top 1-2 schools that every other conference has, but outside that top to bottom it’s better. Unfortunately to the media the top school is what makes a conference.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by RustShack

Obviously I’m holding out hope the other conferences choose to expand in the next few years, but worst case scenario the Big12 expands.

Amazon has reached out to the Big12 about picking up their media rights. But they want the Big12 to expand to 14-16 schools. They are in a position where media foot print doesn’t matter, like it did to the B1G the last round. They just want fanbases/streamers. They can make a ton of money from advertising their own products of said schools and making the sale on shirts and what not. They also want more sports fans subscribing because they are picking up Thursday night football, and now trying for Sunday Ticket.

But to get to 14, I’d add BYU, Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, Memphis, and Cincinnati.

The crazy part is that’s suddenly the most competitive conference. Other than Kansas, there’s a lot of good football teams. And there’s no Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ohio State to just run the table most years. It wouldn’t have the top 1-2 schools that every other conference has, but outside that top to bottom it’s better. Unfortunately to the media the top school is what makes a conference.

Gotta get Cinci in there twice for good measure.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Gotta get Cinci in there twice for good measure.

I'd add them a third time just to be safe. They produced Kelce so that's good enough for me.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by CasselGotPeedOn

He's just a little bitter because mutt hoops has to play at the Columbia YMCA to fill it up.

[DomCasual]

Originally Posted by RustShack

Obviously I’m holding out hope the other conferences choose to expand in the next few years, but worst case scenario the Big12 expands.

Amazon has reached out to the Big12 about picking up their media rights. But they want the Big12 to expand to 14-16 schools. They are in a position where media foot print doesn’t matter, like it did to the B1G the last round. They just want fanbases/streamers. They can make a ton of money from advertising their own products of said schools and making the sale on shirts and what not. They also want more sports fans subscribing because they are picking up Thursday night football, and now trying for Sunday Ticket.

But to get to 14, I’d add BYU, Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, Memphis, and Cincinnati.

The crazy part is that’s suddenly the most competitive conference. Other than Kansas, there’s a lot of good football teams. And there’s no Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ohio State to just run the table most years. It wouldn’t have the top 1-2 schools that every other conference has, but outside that top to bottom it’s better. Unfortunately to the media the top school is what makes a conference.

You put Cincinnati twice. Who’s your sixth?

I’m a BYU guy, so I’d love to see them get their foot in the door. I’d love expansion by six. I’m not a fan of Memphis. But I suppose it could make regional sense. Colorado State could be good, projecting into the future. There are good things going on there. But it wouldn’t get anyone excited now.

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by DomCasual

You put Cincinnati twice. Who’s your sixth?

I’m a BYU guy, so I’d love to see them get their foot in the door. I’d love expansion by six. I’m not a fan of Memphis. But I suppose it could make regional sense. Colorado State could be good, projecting into the future. There are good things going on there. But it wouldn’t get anyone excited now.

Probably Boise State.

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by DomCasual

They need to add BYU and Boise State (with the requirement of changing the field), and then UCF and Houston (if the Texas schools will allow it) or Cincinnati (if they won’t). It’s not perfect. But it has potential.

Hopefully they get a sweet TV deal. That would be killer on travel. That was always a concern when they added WVU. Now if they added BYU, Boise State, and UCF? That would be rough to say the least. I guess at this point they need to as those are the biggest fish left.

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Gotta get Cinci in there twice for good measure.

Lol whoops, meant Boise St. but another Cincinnati would be fine too.

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by tredadda

Hopefully they get a sweet TV deal. That would be killer on travel. That was always a concern when they added WVU. Now if they added BYU, Boise State, and UCF? That would be rough to say the least. I guess at this point they need to as those are the biggest fish left.

That’s the big unknown. Obviously Amazon can pay more than anyone, and are known to overpay to get what they want. Obviously they won’t make the Big12 the highest paid, I’m just hoping for relatively close to where we are now.

In the grand scheme I think this is a test for Amazon, where in the next wave of media contracts they try to take on as much of college football as they can, and same with NFL.