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.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

It’s weird that Oklahoma and Texas get to have a vote in this process, considering they will be in a competing conference in 12 months.

They don't. They forfeit their right to vote when they notified the Big 12 that they were leaving to SEC.

[kstater]

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[ChiefsCountry]

Stanford voting down adding Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is biting them in the ass and you love to see it.

[kstater]

https://twitter.com/CoachBeansTTU/st...-f_NbXBhw&s=19

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[BWillie]

7 schools, 3 spots. Who is going to capture the hearts of Big 12 fans? Find out on this season of the Pac 12 is Dead. pic.twitter.com/LSGufYPcry

— Coach Beans (@CoachBeansTTU) July 27, 2023

[Coach]

Originally Posted by BWillie

7 schools, 3 spots. Who is going to capture the hearts of Big 12 fans? Find out on this season of the Pac 12 is Dead. pic.twitter.com/LSGufYPcry

— Coach Beans (@CoachBeansTTU) July 27, 2023

I mean, he's not wrong in a way.

Ball is in Arizona, Oregon, and Washington's court now. What they want to do is going to be up to them, but there's a due date.

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by Coach

I mean, he's not wrong in a way.

Ball is in Arizona, Oregon, and Washington's court now. What they want to do is going to be up to them, but there's a due date.

Could Arizona join without ASU? What about Oregon and OSU or Washington and WSU? While Oregon and Washington would be good additions, not sure if they are a package deal like many other state schools.

[BWillie]

WEST
Colorado
Arizona
Arizona State
Utah
Washington
Oregon
BYU
Baylor
Oklahoma State

EAST
Kansas
Kansas State
Iowa State
Cincinnati
West Virginia
UCF
Texas Tech
TCU
Georgia Tech!

Big 18!

[FloridaMan88]

Big 12 will add b/w 1 & 3 schools to join Colorado in 2024, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. League will 1st seek others from Pac-12 to join. If none do so, Big 12 would add 1 Group of 5 (UConn, Memphis, SDSU or UNLV) to reach even number of teams in 2024https://t.co/j31J8IUMQN

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 28, 2023

[Coach]

Originally Posted by tredadda

Could Arizona join without ASU? What about Oregon and OSU or Washington and WSU? While Oregon and Washington would be good additions, not sure if they are a package deal like many other state schools.

Don't think they'd do a package deal with schools that offer little to no value. OSU and WSU are in that lower tier. It may come down to the state legislatures, but I can't answer that.

An example would be that OU went to the SEC but OSU isn't.

The only thing I'd also watch for is the sable rattling that FSU (and maybe a silent few schools) are doing at the ACC.

[GloucesterChief]

Wazzu can drink any of the BigXII schools under the table so should get an invite just for that.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Big 12 will add b/w 1 & 3 schools to join Colorado in 2024, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. League will 1st seek others from Pac-12 to join. If none do so, Big 12 would add 1 Group of 5 (UConn, Memphis, SDSU or UNLV) to reach even number of teams in 2024https://t.co/j31J8IUMQN

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 28, 2023

Please do not add any of those schools. Keep waiting on the Big Boys. Do not dilute the conference. Hold steady for Pac 12 schools or ACC schools for a couple of years at least.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Please do not add any of those schools. Keep waiting on the Big Boys. Do not dilute the conference

I agree. I don't like bringing up any G5's at this point.

Only one I may consider is UConn because of the NE footprint and that their basketball programs are elite. Also gives Cincinnati and WV a regional rivalry perhaps?

But Yormark does see that the basketball side is undervalued right now, so it makes sense in that regards.

[bdj23]

Uconn would be great

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Coach

I agree. I don't like bringing up any G5's at this point.

Only one I may consider is UConn because of the NE footprint and that their basketball programs are elite. Also gives Cincinnati and WV a regional rivalry perhaps?

But Yormark does see that the basketball side is undervalued right now, so it makes sense in that regards.

100%