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.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by KingPriest2

Hmm interesting


Apple's primary media rights deal w/Pac-12 expires at end of week, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. Proposal is in "low $20 million" figure per school/annually, but can fluctuate/increase based on membership size & subscription incentives, sources said

https://twitter.com/brett_mcmurphy/s...n6FHKMqlrjZx2w

They would need a ridiculously high # of subscribers... in the millions... to get the value of that media deal configuration to be anything close to the Big 12's media deal.

Good luck trying to get millions of people to sign up to watch the likes of an Oregon State-Cal football game kicking off at 10:00 p.m Eastern Time.

[DrunkBassGuitar]

I'm stupid and haven't been following this much at all but one of the conferences is going with apple+? and their deal making any money is contingent on people signing up for yet ANOTHER streaming service, am I getting this right?

lol

do these brian geniouses not understand that there's a limit to how many services people are going to get and the market is already saturated. shit look at netflix (oh wait no one does anymore) lol

[sedated]

Originally Posted by DrunkBassGuitar

I'm stupid and haven't been following this much at all but one of the conferences is going with apple+? and their deal making any money is contingent on people signing up for yet ANOTHER streaming service, am I getting this right?

lol

do these brian geniouses not understand that there's a limit to how many services people are going to get and the market is already saturated. shit look at netflix (oh wait no one does anymore) lol

I can only assume it was either a terrible decision from PAC officials trying to be innovative, or they really didn't have much other option.


What's strange to me is why other conferences are looking to get a piece of the west coast time zone, but being on the west coast is often used as a reason why those teams/games don't get any viewers.

[Mr. Plow]

Originally Posted by sedated

I can only assume it was either a terrible decision from PAC officials trying to be innovative, or they really didn't have much other option.


What's strange to me is why other conferences are looking to get a piece of the west coast time zone, but being on the west coast is often used as a reason why those teams/games don't get any viewers.

I would think there are schools on the West Coast that you put them in games at 6p/7p CT their viewership will increase. But not many central/Eastern people staying up until 12a/1a to watch their games

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by sedated

I can only assume it was either a terrible decision from PAC officials trying to be innovative, or they really didn't have much other option.


What's strange to me is why other conferences are looking to get a piece of the west coast time zone, but being on the west coast is often used as a reason why those teams/games don't get any viewers.

They have no other option.

The Pac 12 has been repeatedly rejected by every other media entity.

Reportedly they went begging to NBC THREE times this past year and were flatly rejected each time.

[BWillie]

Suicide watch for Bill Walton?

Conference of losers about to be no more.

Dude is gonna overdose on shrooms and LSD somewhere.

[FloridaMan88]

Big Ten just trying to figure out financials at this point on Oregon & Washington, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. “There is no more research or information needed on Oregon & Washington,” B1G sources said. “We have everything we need.”

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 3, 2023

[KingPriest2]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Big Ten just trying to figure out financials at this point on Oregon & Washington, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. “There is no more research or information needed on Oregon & Washington,” B1G sources said. “We have everything we need.”

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 3, 2023

Already posted.

[displacedinMN]

This has been like "lead, follow or get the hell out of the way"

[KingPriest2]

Not sure how legit this is. Only place I seen it. But the guy is usually right

BREAKING: Have to report the news that I'm hearing (even if it's not good news) and the #Utes have an invite from Yormark and will commit to the #Big12 tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/gswaim/status/16...n6FHKMqlrjZx2w

[FloridaMan88]

Sources: Arizona is in deep discussions with the Big 12 about joining the league. Some finality is expected in the near future, as there’s an Arizona Board of Regents meeting scheduled for later tonight.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 4, 2023

[KingPriest2]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Sources: Arizona is in deep discussions with the Big 12 about joining the league. Some finality is expected in the near future, as there’s an Arizona Board of Regents meeting scheduled for later tonight.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 4, 2023

Pete late and pointing out the very obvious.

[KingPriest2]

ABOR are in executive decision as we speak. Not open to public

Big 12 executives met Thursday to approve the application of Arizona as a 14th member, sources tell @YahooSports, paving the way for the Wildcats to enter the conference. It is another step in UA’s path to join. The final step would be approval from its Board of Regents.

https://twitter.com/rossdellenger/st...n6FHKMqlrjZx2w


Decisions from Big 12 expansion targets Arizona State and Utah have not progressed as quickly as Arizona, but they remain viable options for the league and a conclusion is expected in a matter of days, sources tell @YahooSports.

https://twitter.com/rossdellenger/st...n6FHKMqlrjZx2w

Meanwhile, Pac-12 leaders have held “positive” meetings the last two days to examine details of the Apple deal, sources tell @YahooSports.

Presidents of schools whose membership is in question participated.

A GoR was expected to be presented to presidents at a meeting Friday.

https://twitter.com/rossdellenger/st...n6FHKMqlrjZx2w

[KingPriest2]

This might help the big 12 pick these 2 up. Due to the low sharing amount. And the cost of travel.

If the Big 12 gets the four corners and then they can present to the two that the travel would never lower costs due to the four corners 6 Pac 12 schools. They’re playing them anyway.

Big Ten’s offer to Washington & Oregon is expected to be $35-40 million annually per team - a figure that, with the additional cross-country travel, could create some hesitancy, sources tell @YahooSports.

However, exits from the Four Corner schools could sway UW and UO to leave.

https://twitter.com/rossdellenger/st...n6FHKMqlrjZx2w

[FloridaMan88]

Pac 12 claiming they are holding “positive” meetings as Arizona, Washington, and Oregon are heading out the door.

Spin attempt fail.