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.

[GloucesterChief]

Originally Posted by RustShack

Outside of Kansas, the bottom of the Big12 is better than any conference. They are the most competitive league top to bottom and have been for awhile. The Big12’s problem is it doesn’t have Alabama or Ohio State, because the media only cares about the top school(s).

The Big12 had the benefit of being poached last year, and were able to bring in the best available. The Big12 also benefits from people actually watching their games unlike most of the PAC. The PAC has been the worst conference for awhile, and losing USC and UCLA days before entering media right negotiations isn’t going to make it better.

SDSU and other good mid-majors are available for poaching on the west coast.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by RustShack

The PAC wanted to merge with the Big12 and the Big12 rejected just days ago. How can anyone think the PAC is better? Fox has no interest in negotiating with the PAC, but their head honcho went out of his way to congratulate the new Big12 commissioner and said he can’t wait to work with him. There’s also rumors of CBS and Amazon wanting the Big12. Hell there’s rumors ESPN wants to over pay for the Big12 network(converting the LHN) just to get Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC earlier.

Yet there’s been no rumors of interest in the PAC so far. Just that Fox has no interest and ESPN is lowballing them.

You just post blind homerisn endlessly. You have no clue what these folks discussed or what the outcome was. Just more of your BooClone sunshine pumping

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by GloucesterChief

SDSU and other good mid-majors are available for poaching on the west coast.

And you think that will raise the value after losing USC?

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

You just post blind homerisn endlessly. You have no clue what these folks discussed or what the outcome was. Just more of your BooClone sunshine pumping

At least I’m not dumb enough to think the PAC will poach the Big12.

[RustShack]

Plus the schools added weren’t bad. BYU as an independent, Cincinnati and Houston as former P6 schools who over achieved at the lower level and made it back. UCF from Florida who has been very competitive in football, has one of the largest enrollments of students in the nation, and well is in Florida.

You think SDSU or Boise compare to them? After the Big12 turned them down?

[GloucesterChief]

Originally Posted by RustShack

And you think that will raise the value after losing USC?

Gives the Pac a team in SoCal. Doesn't make up for it but it is a larger media market. Add in some another like UNLV, CSU, Air Force, or Fresno St. and you have a decent conference.

[chiefsfan987]

Originally Posted by RustShack

At least I’m not dumb enough to think the PAC will poach the Big12.

I think it makes you very naive to think the PAC can't pull off a poaching of the Big 12. With everything that has happened anything can happen at this point.

[R Clark]

Originally Posted by chiefsfan987

I think it makes you very naive to think the PAC can't pull off a poaching of the Big 12. With everything that has happened anything can happen at this point.

Bullshit

[Archie Bunker]

Originally Posted by chiefsfan987

I think it makes you very naive to think the PAC can't pull off a poaching of the Big 12. With everything that has happened anything can happen at this point.

Correct

Originally Posted by R Clark

Bullshit

We all would’ve said that about USC and UCLA a month ago.

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by chiefsfan987

I think it makes you very naive to think the PAC can't pull off a poaching of the Big 12. With everything that has happened anything can happen at this point.

Wishful thinking.

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by Archie Bunker

Correct



We all would’ve said that about USC and UCLA a month ago.

Let me get this straight, you’re comparing the PAC to The SEC and B1G, as well as comparing Texas and USC to Baylor and Houston?

The Big12 has another advantage over the PAC, their media rights last another year. It would be easier for PAC schools to leave for the Big12. The PAC also has schools like Oregon, Washington, and Stanford still trying to jump ship to the B1G, which maybe 1-3 get that chance if NBC doesn’t give Notre Dame the 75 million they are looking for(NBC currently gives them 15 million).

The PAC is too unstable at the moment for any current P5 to go there. Especially considering they are projected to make less than the Big12.

It literally makes no sense to think the PAC will be the one doing the poaching unless Apple jumps in and offers 50+ million per school.

[chiefsfan987]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

Wishful thinking.

Exactly how is that wishful thinking? I don't want the Pac 12 to raid the Big 12 but to think it can't happen just doesn't even make sense at this point.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Amazon a Seattle based company didn't throw it's hat in the ring for live sports and want to feature west coast teams including the local washington huskies. If the money is right it could poach Big 12 schools. Nobody really knows what's going on and in this era of realignment nothing is impossible if the money is right.

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by chiefsfan987

Exactly how is that wishful thinking? I don't want the Pac 12 to raid the Big 12 but to think it can't happen just doesn't even make sense at this point.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Amazon a Seattle based company didn't throw it's hat in the ring for live sports and want to feature west coast teams including the local washington huskies. If the money is right it could poach Big 12 schools. Nobody really knows what's going on and in this era of realignment nothing is impossible if the money is right.

Amazon has been interested in the Big12 for awhile. It wouldn’t be surprising for them to want the Big12 to poach the PAC. Or maybe they want both the Big12 and PAC. Maybe the PAC stays at 10 or adds SDSU and Boise, maybe a few others as well.

But the PAC is in no place to raid the Big12. Not even remotely close unless they want to do unequal revenue sharing and pay the Big12 schools more then themselves, but that makes no sense.

[Willie Lanier]

Originally Posted by RustShack

Amazon has been interested in the Big12 for awhile. It wouldn’t be surprising for them to want the Big12 to poach the PAC. Or maybe they want both the Big12 and PAC. Maybe the PAC stays at 10 or adds SDSU and Boise, maybe a few others as well.

But the PAC is in no place to raid the Big12. Not even remotely close unless they want to do unequal revenue sharing and pay the Big12 schools more then themselves, but that makes no sense.

I hate to break it to you smalls, but the cyclones are in big trouble with the rest of the soon to be defunct Big 12

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by Willie Lanier

I hate to break it to you smalls, but the cyclones are in big trouble with the rest of the soon to be defunct Big 12

They’ll be fine until the schools are able to pay players themselves.