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.

[KC native]

@ anyone that thinks TCU would ever have a chance in hell to make it into the Big 12. Not ever going to happen. The Big 12 doesn't want TCU nor would TCU want to be in the Big 12. UT's influence is enough for our AD to say **** that.

[Dante84]

UT doesn't want any additional Texas schools, so I've heard from some people in the UT Ath.Dept.

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by HolyHandgernade

Yeah. If the Big XII can show some sign they are committed to one another, schools would jump in a heartbeat from the Big East. UConn and Rutgers are "committed" until ACC calls. TCU was discussing going back to the MWC. Basketball schools don't really have a say. Big XII has to try and get its house in order first, though.

UCONN is still trying to get in the ACC and has said so. Their President was not at the meeting.

[HolyHandgernade]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

BYU poised to join B12 if stability if assured.

http://byu.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1268216

Makes the most sense.

[ChiefsCountry]

Well it looks like BYU is close to joining
http://byu.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1268216

Crap Zach beat me to it.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Well it looks like BYU is close to joining
http://byu.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1268216

Crap Zach beat me to it.

I have my own realignment war room going.

I am half expecting to get a front office job in a shitty conference out of this.

[Dante84]

There we go.

Add BYU, we are at 10. Fires out. House is in order.

Add 2 quality, balanced programs in the next two weeks. Now we are in business, and not going anywhere for a while.

Then add an additional 5, and we are the first to 16, and everyone else can eat a dick.

[LiveSteam]

On behalf of Husker nation & the Big10. I would like to be the first to say
Congrats to the Big12-2-1+1 on keeping it together. Way ta stay ahead of the game.

[Unsmooth-Moment]

BYU would be a good get

[Dante84]

BYU is in... so who's the next two? We'd still need 1 north, and 1 south.

North (#11): My money is on Louisville. Or Cinci, maybe.

South (#12): USF? SMU is a no, because UT wont allow another Texas school.

[BWillie]

Welcome BYU, WV, Louisville?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

You're guys are being so dramatic.

A commish is powerless in an unbalanced conference.

You do have voting members in the conference. Obviously the biggest economic draw is Texas, and they can obviously threaten to leave at any point, but that doesn't mean that Bebee has to kowtow to them, either.

[|Zach|]

@PeteThamelNYT
Pete Thamel
My final thought for the night is that I'll be STUNNED, after talking to 3 people today, if Mizzou ends up in SEC.

[Mosbonian]

Frazod...I know you are in here. I want you to do me a favor.

Next time I look like I am happy that maybe MU might do something smart and get into a real conference, pretend I am your old refrigerator and put me out of my misery.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

@PeteThamelNYT
Pete Thamel
My final thought for the night is that I'll be STUNNED, after talking to 3 people today, if Mizzou ends up in SEC.

Positives from this:

-At least MU will keep the Texas pipeline open
-Texas might actually cost itself power by overplaying its hand and leaving itself no other option but the ind. route
-Adding a team like USF could open another pipeline for Mizzou
-Should the conference return to a two division format, Mizzou probably plays in the title game nearly every year, provided OU stays south.