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]

A group of Big Ten presidents have begun exploratory discussions on expansion in light of Pac 12 uncertainty, industry sources tell Yahoo Sports.

Focus is on possibly adding Oregon and Washington to move to 18 members or Cal and Stanford to reach 20. https://t.co/0kJj4twFdq

— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) August 2, 2023

[Jerm]

The era of the super conference and the eventual end game of one big ass conference of blue bloods is upon us….*sigh*….

[FloridaMan88]

Big 3 conferences... Big 10, SEC, and the eventual merger of the Big 12 and ACC (with the schools from the ACC that don't move to the SEC/Big 10).

[MarkDavis'Haircut]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

A group of Big Ten presidents have begun exploratory discussions on expansion in light of Pac 12 uncertainty, industry sources tell Yahoo Sports.

Focus is on possibly adding Oregon and Washington to move to 18 members or Cal and Stanford to reach 20. https://t.co/0kJj4twFdq

— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) August 2, 2023

I told you guys that Cal would be targeted.

University presidents are ivory tower driven.

[Jerm]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Big 3 conferences... Big 10, SEC, and the eventual merger of the Big 12 and ACC (with the schools from the ACC that don't move to the SEC/Big 10).

The ACC is toast….FSU just came out and basically said we’re leaving and need to formulate an escape plan. I guarantee you the other 6 schools being bandied about will the same.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Jerm

The era of the super conference and the eventual end game of one big ass conference of blue bloods is upon us….*sigh*….

Posted in 2011 and now we're in year 13...

Originally Posted by DenverChief

this shit is getting old - shit or get off the ****ing pot - So damn tired of all this

[Mecca]

Everyone knew this would happen a long time ago, also consolidating all of the major schools in a few places makes it easier to ice out smaller schools. It also gives them power over the NCAA in doing what they want, it's probably the quickest way to playoff expansion.

[BWillie]

I dont see how Cal and Stanford make football money comparable to Michigan or Ohio State. How would they get a fair split share

[Jerm]

Originally Posted by BWillie

I dont see how Cal and Stanford make football money comparable to Michigan or Ohio State. How would they get a fair split share

Hence why I think the ultimate outcome is one giant conference of the SEC, B10, and select ACC blue bloods and pretty much **** everyone else….

[GloucesterChief]

Originally Posted by Jerm

Hence why I think the ultimate outcome is one giant conference of the SEC, B10, and select ACC blue bloods and pretty much **** everyone else….

and then the TV money bubble collapses and athletic departments go bankrupt.

[FloridaMan88]

Originally Posted by Jerm

The ACC is toast….FSU just came out and basically said we’re leaving and need to formulate an escape plan. I guarantee you the other 6 schools being bandied about will the same.

Yep…

FSU president Richard McCullough: “We are not satisfied w/our current situation. We love the ACC. Our goal to stay in the ACC, but to stay in ACC under current situation is hard for us to figure out how we remain competitive unless there is a major change in revenue distribution…

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 2, 2023

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Yep…

FSU president Richard McCullough: “We are not satisfied w/our current situation. We love the ACC. Our goal to stay in the ACC, but to stay in ACC under current situation is hard for us to figure out how we remain competitive unless there is a major change in revenue distribution…

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 2, 2023

Hard to feel sorry for Free Shoes University when they turned down the SEC in 1992. South Carolina took their spot.

[Coach]

Notice that it's just only FSU that's bitching about it, but the others aren't?

All it takes to evaporate Florida State’s votes is for ESPN to tell the SEC and Big 12 that there is no pro rata after 16. ESPN has the ACC and frankly the SEC at well below market value and have them both locked up for a really long time.

Poof. Coups over.

Does FSU think the conference is just going to let them go? Is their plan to dissolve the conference and kill the media deal, because they'll have to pay that too.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Hard to feel sorry for Free Shoes University when they turned down the SEC in 1992. South Carolina took their spot.

FSU was the school that really pushed for a long GoR after Maryland and Rutgers bailed. Now they want someone else to wipe it off?

They can go **** themselves.

[BWillie]

Sounds like the wheels are moving for Arizona to the Big 12.

Arizona Board of Regents has announced a meeting Thursday night. Here is the agenda: pic.twitter.com/A98HFSIE3r

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) August 3, 2023