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.

[ForeverIowan]

Originally Posted by BWillie

I really think getting Gonzaga and UCONN for basketball only and then in the next media contract separate out the basketball to make more money. I think Yormark is onto something and basketball is going to suddenly get EXTREMELY valuable when the SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12 secede from the NCAA and make their own post season basketball tournament.

If I had to guess Duke, Louisville and Pittsburgh may very well be three of the teams from the imploding ACC that end up in the Big 12 as well. Duke of course probably the crown jewel in terms of basketball and Louisville and Pitt pretty rich basketball tradition in their own right.

[Wallymo]

Originally Posted by RustShack

Ope found a few from a brief search. Should dig more but I’m not that petty.

Everyone should give respect to RustShack. Take a look at his posts when OU-UT announced they were leaving in 2021 (November) and USC-UCLA leaving in 2022 (also November). He has pretty much been spot-on for years when it comes to realignment. I wish I could have bet on his predictions. Nicely done, RustShack.

[Wallymo]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

That’s why I think the Big 12 should just go to 14 with Arizona and then wait to see who they can get from the ACC.

I think there will be a lot more ACC options in play for the Big 12 than people maybe think.., Florida State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, possibly Miami.

If those schools are ever available the Big 12 would grab them and go to 20. But adding inventory now is smart -- particularly because no member had to sacrifice financially to make it happen.

If one of the P2 decides it wants a Big 12 school in the future, the Big 12 now has sufficient numbers to prevent a collapse from a departure or two.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by ForeverIowan

If I had to guess Duke, Louisville and Pittsburgh may very well be three of the teams from the imploding ACC that end up in the Big 12 as well. Duke of course probably the crown jewel in terms of basketball and Louisville and Pitt pretty rich basketball tradition in their own right.

If the Big XII can get UNC and Duke that would be such a pipe dream.

[FloridaMan88]

Football and to some extent men’s basketball is funding the non-revenue sports so these fragile softball players need to get a grip…

Several softball players who compete for schools that are leaving the Pac-12 have spoken out against the latest round of conference realignment.

They cited mental health and further distances for their families to travel for road games. pic.twitter.com/jeURfGGqjC

— Andy Wittry (@AndyWittry) August 5, 2023

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by ForeverIowan

Basketball in the Big 12 is going to be downright ridiculous. Especially if they add Gonzaga and UConn for basketball only. You could make a genuine argument the below teams are top 30 programs in the country currently. All of them with extremely passionate fan bases.

Kansas, Arizona, Baylor, Gonzaga, UConn, Houston, Texas Tech, Iowa State, Kansas State, West Virginia

Yea, but with a 18 or 20 team BB conference, you are only going to play each team once a year in the regular season.

So there should be plenty of great games in the conference and the conference race may be exciting, but I for one will be sad to no longer see each team play home and away.

Not sure what happens for the conference tournament.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Chief Pagan

Yea, but with a 18 or 20 team BB conference, you are only going to play each team once a year in the regular season.

So there should be plenty of great games in the conference and the conference race may be exciting, but I for one will be sad to no longer see each team play home and away.

I think protected rivalries will be the thing going forward. For instance, they will have KSU play KU, ISU, and 2 other teams (Colorado? Oklahoma State?) home/away.

So that's 8 games there and fill in the remaining with other teams that will alternate home/away every year. Of course, this is just spitballin, but I can see an angle like this.

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by ForeverIowan

If I had to guess Duke, Louisville and Pittsburgh may very well be three of the teams from the imploding ACC that end up in the Big 12 as well. Duke of course probably the crown jewel in terms of basketball and Louisville and Pitt pretty rich basketball tradition in their own right.

I would think Duke and UNC would be a package deal due to rivalry and I would expect the Big 10 to snag them up quickly.

[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by BWillie

If the Big XII can get UNC and Duke that would be such a pipe dream.

YEP!

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Lulz...clown show

[Pablo]

Combing thru some tweets and the Alex Smith ute fanbase are some delusional ****s. These guys are like Kentucky fans of the west. But kentucky has actually won stuff, maybe iowa states little bro? Had no idea what we were in for but if it brings more trolling opportunities I'll gladly take it.

Utah will now move on to the Big 12 and just run that conference ����*♂️

— Terrell Burgess (@TiTaniumT98) August 5, 2023

Just remember when you see Utah fans talking about how they’re going to walk into the Big 12 and dominate it, this is who we’re dealing with. pic.twitter.com/B65yDe1QL6

— qǝlɐɔ (@EMAWCaleb) August 5, 2023

This #Utah fan is sick to his stomach at the thought of having to play in any of those crappy #Big12 towns. pic.twitter.com/s4iPfL0YbV

— Message Board Geniuses (@BoardGeniuses) July 28, 2023

[FloridaMan88]

Now that we are the top dog in the Big12 we need to lay out some ground rules:

-We aren’t happy about being here either, but we’re happy to beat the shit of you while we are
-BYU, Cincy, UCF, and whatever that fourth school was are second rate Big12 members who can suck it
-Utah…

— Dwight SchrUTE 🌹🌹 (@DwightSchru_UTE) August 5, 2023

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Now that we are the top dog in the Big12 we need to lay out some ground rules:

-We aren’t happy about being here either, but we’re happy to beat the shit of you while we are
-BYU, Cincy, UCF, and whatever that fourth school was are second rate Big12 members who can suck it
-Utah…

— Dwight SchrUTE 🌹🌹 (@DwightSchru_UTE) August 5, 2023

Their fans are really the Iowa State of the old Pac 12.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Wallymo

Everyone should give respect to RustShack. Take a look at his posts when OU-UT announced they were leaving in 2021 (November) and USC-UCLA leaving in 2022 (also November). He has pretty much been spot-on for years when it comes to realignment. I wish I could have bet on his predictions. Nicely done, RustShack.

Hey now, what am I? Chopped liver?

[MarkDavis'Haircut]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Football and to some extent men’s basketball is funding the non-revenue sports so these fragile softball players need to get a grip…

Several softball players who compete for schools that are leaving the Pac-12 have spoken out against the latest round of conference realignment.

They cited mental health and further distances for their families to travel for road games. pic.twitter.com/jeURfGGqjC

— Andy Wittry (@AndyWittry) August 5, 2023

I like softball a lot. It is a great sport.

But these players need to understand reality. The schools left because the difference in media money would make the schools couldn't compete with the big boys in the long run. They didn't leave on a lark. They left for smart, financial reasons.

And I am tired of everyone citing mental health and people rolling over because of it. It is an excuse at this point. Good grief, student athletes have it easy compared to what their age group went through decades ago.

And the players can stay close to home. Transfer to a Big Sky school. Or the WCC. But then they would complain because they wouldn't receive the same benefits as at a power five school.