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.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Hoover

The news here is that the Big Ten is waiting on a response from ND. Its going to happen.

ND has always been a fit in the Big 10. Cant be independent forever especially in these times.

[Kiimo]

ND has zero reason to join the Big 10 and the Big 10 has diminishing reasons to want them. I actually disagree and don't think it's going to happen.

[Prison Bitch]

Wonder what Phil Knight is planning. Dude is obv a major player in the sports industry and he committed so much $ to Oregon sports. Now they’re left in the cold due to TV.

Wonder if he could take the 10 remaining PAC, dump Wsu Osu, and pick up 4 Big 12 teams he likes (let’s suppose Kan-BYU-Tech-Okie) and beg Amazon or Apple or someone to pay the tv freight. Apple obv has a vested interest keeping the Bay Area teams viable

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

ND has zero reason to join the Big 10 and the Big 10 has diminishing reasons to want them. I actually disagree and don't think it's going to happen.

That's dumb. Notre Dame is a valuable brand and would be a great addition for any conference.

What's in it for Notre Dame? Money.

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Wonder what Phil Knight is planning. Dude is obv a major player in the sports industry and he committed so much $ to Oregon sports. Now they’re left in the cold due to TV.

Wonder if he could take the 10 remaining PAC, dump Wsu Osu, and pick up 4 Big 12 teams he likes (let’s suppose Kan-BYU-Tech-Okie) and beg Amazon or Apple or someone to pay the tv freight. Apple obv has a vested interest keeping the Bay Area teams viable

No one is going from the Big12 to the PAC. It’s known Oregon and Washington want to go to the B1G and if ND decides to go then they bail on the PAC.

It’s more likely the Arizonas are the first to join the Big12, then the others have to scramble to get back to 10+ teams or also try to join another conference.

[Sassy Squatch]

I mean, there's literally no reason why the BIG 10 wouldn't want them and a ton of reasons why they would.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by RustShack

No one is going from the Big12 to the PAC. It’s known Oregon and Washington want to go to the B1G and if ND decides to go then they bail on the PAC.

It’s more likely the Arizonas are the first to join the Big12, then the others have to scramble to get back to 10+ teams or also try to join another conference.

Those schools want nothing to do with flyover country

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Those schools want nothing to do with flyover country

They’ve been interested in the Big12 for years. Plus, it’s going to cost a lot more for a Big12 school to leave than it would for a PAC school.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Those schools want nothing to do with flyover country

It’s better than their alternative option of staying in a dying Pac 12 conference.

The Big 12 is more viable now than the Pac 12.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Wonder what Phil Knight is planning. Dude is obv a major player in the sports industry and he committed so much $ to Oregon sports. Now they’re left in the cold due to TV.

Wonder if he could take the 10 remaining PAC, dump Wsu Osu, and pick up 4 Big 12 teams he likes (let’s suppose Kan-BYU-Tech-Okie) and beg Amazon or Apple or someone to pay the tv freight. Apple obv has a vested interest keeping the Bay Area teams viable

I hate to break this to you, but the PAC is dead. Oregon, Stanford and U-Dubb are headed out to the B1G, and the B12 (and their new Big-Balled Commish) will be aggressively pursuing UA, ASU, Utah and CU. The only teams that will be left will be the Beaves, WAZU and Cal (their Ath Dept is in horrific shape).

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by Titty Meat

Any B1G school will be able to buy Bill Self and KU won't be able to match

Poor troll attempt. KU has billionaire donors.

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

ND has zero reason to join the Big 10 and the Big 10 has diminishing reasons to want them. I actually disagree and don't think it's going to happen.

ND makes 15M a year from its deal with NBC.

So the money is better in the BigTen. But their problem is scheduling. These super conferences are not going to be scheduling with anyone outside the conference. Those days are coming to an end. Once that gone ND doesn't have a pot to piss in.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

I hate to break this to you, but the PAC is dead. Oregon, Stanford and U-Dubb are headed out to the B1G, and the B12 (and their new Big-Balled Commish) will be aggressively pursuing UA, ASU, Utah and CU. The only teams that will be left will be the Beaves, WAZU and Cal (their Ath Dept is in horrific shape).

Why didn’t they do that yesterday then ?

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

Poor troll attempt. KU has billionaire donors.

Forbes said KU basketball has the same value as USC football ($325 M).

They just gave Riley a $100M context.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by Hoover

The only travel that’s problematic will be Basketball.

Obviously football is driving this, but I did just read an article that USC and UCLA have some very competitive non football, non basketball programs.

But any sport that has mid week games is going to suck.

If you love LA or your parents were alumni or whatever, fine.

But if I was an elite non football high school athlete, I would seriously consider any Big 10 school but LA just because the travel would be such a freaking drag.


Maybe if the Big 10 picks up some more west coast schools it wouldn't be as bad.

[Kiimo]

Remember on Mad Men when Jim Hobart spent a decade buying agencies, driving mergers, and wheeling and dealing at every turn just get Don Draper to work at McCann even though he was a worn out drunk with no business value?

Notre Dame is Don Draper