Funny Stuff New Conference re-alignment thread - Page 448

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.
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http://www.columbiatribune.com/weblo...-mu-to-big-12/
No withdrawal notice from MU to Big 12

By Dave Matter
Posted October 24, 2011 at 6:17 p.m.

The Big 12 board of directors wrapped up its meeting Monday in Dallas without Missouri announcing its withdrawal from the conference. Instead, the Big 12 offered this statement Monday evening:

In a regularly-scheduled meeting today at an undisclosed Dallas area location, the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors reaffirmed previous action to execute institutional grants of Tier 1 (over-the-air) and Tier 2 (cable) television rights to the Conference. The Board also discussed a wide range of topics including NCAA legislation, the Bowl Championship Series, and exploration of a Conference dedicated TV network. Additionally, a strong desire for the University of Missouri to maintain its Big 12 affiliation was expressed. All 10 member institutions and TCU participated in the meeting.

Why no withdrawal from Missouri? A university source indicated that Monday was too soon to expect Chancellor Brady Deaton to work out several details with both the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference before formally completing the withdrawal process.
[Reply]

Originally Posted by dirk digler:
http://www.columbiatribune.com/weblo...-mu-to-big-12/
No withdrawal notice from MU to Big 12

By Dave Matter
Posted October 24, 2011 at 6:17 p.m.

The Big 12 board of directors wrapped up its meeting Monday in Dallas without Missouri announcing its withdrawal from the conference. Instead, the Big 12 offered this statement Monday evening:

In a regularly-scheduled meeting today at an undisclosed Dallas area location, the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors reaffirmed previous action to execute institutional grants of Tier 1 (over-the-air) and Tier 2 (cable) television rights to the Conference. The Board also discussed a wide range of topics including NCAA legislation, the Bowl Championship Series, and exploration of a Conference dedicated TV network. Additionally, a strong desire for the University of Missouri to maintain its Big 12 affiliation was expressed. All 10 member institutions and TCU participated in the meeting.

Why no withdrawal from Missouri? A university source indicated that Monday was too soon to expect Chancellor Brady Deaton to work out several details with both the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference before formally completing the withdrawal process.

If Deaton and MU screw this up you can kiss a huge portion of the fanbase goodbye.
[Reply]

Dave Matter:

Originally Posted by :
No withdrawal notice from MU to Big 12

By DAVE MATTER
Posted October 24, 2011 at 6:17 p.m.

The Big 12 board of directors wrapped up its meeting Monday in Dallas without Missouri announcing its withdrawal from the conference. Instead, the Big 12 offered this statement Monday evening:
In a regularly-scheduled meeting today at an undisclosed Dallas area location, the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors reaffirmed previous action to execute institutional grants of Tier 1 (over-the-air) and Tier 2 (cable) television rights to the Conference.
The Board also discussed a wide range of topics including NCAA legislation, the Bowl Championship Series, and exploration of a Conference dedicated TV network. Additionally, a strong desire for the University of Missouri to maintain its Big 12 affiliation was expressed. All 10 member institutions and TCU participated in the meeting.
Why no withdrawal from Missouri? A university source indicated that Monday was too soon to expect Chancellor Brady Deaton to work out several details with both the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference before formally completing the withdrawal process.

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Insider's thoughts:

Originally Posted by :
First of all, let's look at all of this rationally. We believed today was the day because of a regularly scheduled meeting of the Presidents. It seemed logical. Here is what I know is true and what I think is happening.

1. Deaton wanted to speak to all of the other Presidents. In doing so, he did that in good faith and not to run out the door. I know this for a fact.

2. The release says that ALL institutions expressed their desire to have Missouri stay. Not that we are leaving or that anything has changed. It isn't and hasn't. This is a fact.

3. The reason for going there is also to hold the Big 12's feet to the fire in relation to exit fees. I should have put this first. This is an attempt to hear about expansion, as we are still members in good standing, and if there are plans to go forward. It is ammunition to let those negotiating those fees to find out what is happening. If Deaton does not go, you are no longer privileged to that information.

4. The exit fee stage is the only bartering measure. This is a fact. Coaches have been told, some "special" people have been told and the SEC has released stuff saying we are going to the SEC. If Mizzou can say you have these three markets lined up for our departure, our fees should be a lot lower. Millions. It's a lot of money to save.

5. Nothing stops us from having a release tonight or in the morning stating we are conditionally withdrawing and applying to the SEC. I think we all just got a little snookered into thinking this meeting - which again was regularly scheduled - would be the time of exit.

Hold fast. Don't panic. No actions in the past month would be necessary if we were staying. Furthermore, every move so far has been with a lot of strategy. The KC move was brilliant. This one only has to do with paring down the fees. We didn't express our desire to stay. THE OTHER SCHOOLS EXPRESSED THEIR DESIRE TO HAVE US STAY. Big difference.

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