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.

[Sassy Squatch]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

BREAKING: Florida State has scheduled an emergency meeting of its Board of Trustees for Friday morning.

This is the first concrete step needed in any effort to enable the school to take legal action against the ACC to challenge the grant of rights: https://t.co/yMqciYLE3K

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 21, 2023

Just my guess, but they have to have assurance from the Big 10 that the door is open if they can get in. I sincerely doubt it's the SEC since ESPN would effectively be blowing up the ACC by opening the door for FSU to join the SEC and since they've got that conference under really favorable terms until 2036 I doubt they're in a hurry to do that.

[Reerun_KC]

Roll out the red carpet Big 12. Don’t screw around.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

Roll out the red carpet Big 12. Don’t screw around.

Maybe a small chance the Big 12 could make a play but I doubt it. They say UNC and Clemson are more valuable than FSU, don't know why.

Getting Florida State, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Duke/Miami would be a pipedream. Have to think Virginia and Clemson are in the SEC someday.

Yormark may be able to advertise to UNC and Duke how amazing of a bball conference it would be and to Florida State and Georgia Tech that maybe they could become national football powers again in an easier football conference. If they go to Big or SEC they will get annihilated. Would be good for their mid to long term financial well being.

[BryanBusby]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Maybe a small chance the Big 12 could make a play but I doubt it. They say UNC and Clemson are more valuable than FSU, don't know why.

Getting Florida State, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Duke/Miami would be a pipedream. Have to think Virginia and Clemson are in the SEC someday.

Yormark may be able to advertise to UNC and Duke how amazing of a bball conference it would be and to Florida State and Georgia Tech that maybe they could become national football powers again in an easier football conference. If they go to Big or SEC they will get annihilated. Would be good for their mid to long term financial well being.

Zero ****ing chance the SEC takes either team.

[FloridaMan88]

Seems like if this “Super League” concept ever actually happened, it would include a much smaller group of schools.

NEW: An 11-slide "confidential" @TurnkeyZRG pitch deck from February offers new details for the proposed college football "Super League," including how the 70 permanent members would be divvied up among 7 conferences.

More from me and @novy_williams: https://t.co/V5WeZ5fOPA pic.twitter.com/fDWYzAQAgI

— Daniel Libit (@DanielLibit) April 16, 2024

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by FloridaMan88

Seems like if this “Super League” concept ever actually happened, it would include a much smaller group of schools.

NEW: An 11-slide "confidential" @TurnkeyZRG pitch deck from February offers new details for the proposed college football "Super League," including how the 70 permanent members would be divvied up among 7 conferences.

More from me and @novy_williams: https://t.co/V5WeZ5fOPA pic.twitter.com/fDWYzAQAgI

— Daniel Libit (@DanielLibit) April 16, 2024

Flip Missouri with Wisconsin and Florida with Vandy and that's a decent set up which balances historical rivalries, regionality and competitiveness.

[DJay23]

Originally Posted by FloridaMan88

Seems like if this “Super League” concept ever actually happened, it would include a much smaller group of schools.

NEW: An 11-slide "confidential" @TurnkeyZRG pitch deck from February offers new details for the proposed college football "Super League," including how the 70 permanent members would be divvied up among 7 conferences.

More from me and @novy_williams: https://t.co/V5WeZ5fOPA pic.twitter.com/fDWYzAQAgI

— Daniel Libit (@DanielLibit) April 16, 2024

Scans to see if my favorite University is on the list...yep! I like it!

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Arizona and Arizona State will be in the Big 12.

Like I said.

[ROYC75]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

Zero ****ing chance the SEC takes either team.

Uh hmm, They took Missouri!