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.
Originally Posted by Coach:
The problem is the Big 12 cannot add a group of five school without cutting the payout. No Big 12 Presidents/Administrators is going to agree to that.
UConn is less than that when it comes to football. They're not even in a conference and have virtually 0 following in football, unlike BYU for instance. [Reply]
This is laughable… West Virginia leaving for the ACC would be a downgrade for them given the long term uncertainty of the conference.
And the travel logistics for Oregon and Washington to be in the ACC would be challenging… to put it mildly.
From ESPN article by David Hale: “The ACC has explored possible expansion options, according to multiple league administrators, running models on adding a number of potential targets, including West Virginia, SMU, Oregon and Washington.” #WVUpic.twitter.com/lFAD6RZJfB
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) July 28, 2023
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
This is laughable… West Virginia leaving for the ACC would be a downgrade for them given the long term uncertainty of the conference.
And the travel logistics for Oregon and Washington to be in the ACC would be challenging… to put it mildly.
From ESPN article by David Hale: “The ACC has explored possible expansion options, according to multiple league administrators, running models on adding a number of potential targets, including West Virginia, SMU, Oregon and Washington.” #WVUpic.twitter.com/lFAD6RZJfB
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) July 28, 2023
Considering that WVU is 48m in debt and imploding literally everywhere I'm sure the Big 12 wouldn't be all that upset if that happened. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
Get to 16 teams with Washington, Oregon, and Arizona then wait for the ACC to inevitably implode and add teams from there… that’s the ideal scenario for the Big 12.
They definitely would need to be proactive on that one. I can see the Big 10 and SEC pouncing if that were to happen. Best the Big-12 gets the good schools as I am not sure they could compete with the appeal of the Big 10/SEC. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
This is laughable… West Virginia leaving for the ACC would be a downgrade for them given the long term uncertainty of the conference.
And the travel logistics for Oregon and Washington to be in the ACC would be challenging… to put it mildly.
From ESPN article by David Hale: “The ACC has explored possible expansion options, according to multiple league administrators, running models on adding a number of potential targets, including West Virginia, SMU, Oregon and Washington.” #WVUpic.twitter.com/lFAD6RZJfB
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) July 28, 2023
One thing the ACC has vs the Big 12 is image. Most of the Pac12 schools think they are elitist places ans cant fathom being in the Big 12 with hick folk. The reality is most ACC schools are more of a good ole boy network than any other conference. I think the Pac 12 egos though could stomach a coastal conference of west and east coast teams vs going to the Big 12 but the Big 12 has the easier logistics ans probably a little more money. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tredadda:
They definitely would need to be proactive on that one. I can see the Big 10 and SEC pouncing if that were to happen. Best the Big-12 gets the good schools as I am not sure they could compete with the appeal of the Big 10/SEC.
As it currently stands, I dont think the Big Ten or SEC expands unless Notre Dame is involved. No other school delivers a NET MONETARY GAIN to the rest of the universities in the conference. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ForeverIowan:
As it currently stands, I dont think the Big Ten or SEC expands unless Notre Dame is involved. No other school delivers a NET MONETARY GAIN to the rest of the universities in the conference.
I highly doubt the B1G stands with just 2 PAC teams. I have to believe that they are going to give them 2 more West Coast options to limit travel. My guess is Stanford and maybe Washington. I was going to say CAL but their Ath Dept is a fucking trainwreck with debt. Who knows... [Reply]
Originally Posted by ForeverIowan:
As it currently stands, I dont think the Big Ten or SEC expands unless Notre Dame is involved. No other school delivers a NET MONETARY GAIN to the rest of the universities in the conference.
Why don't they kick schools out? There is really no reason for Northwestern, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt to exist in a P5 conference. The rest of the conference members just subsidize them. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ForeverIowan:
As it currently stands, I dont think the Big Ten or SEC expands unless Notre Dame is involved. No other school delivers a NET MONETARY GAIN to the rest of the universities in the conference.
If the ACC were to show cracks, the SEC would pounce on FSU and Clemson in a heartbeat. Same with Miami. The Big 10 probably pounces on UNC, Duke and UVA at minimum. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BWillie:
Why don't they kick schools out? There is really no reason for Northwestern, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt to exist in a P5 conference. The rest of the conference members just subsidize them.
Northwestern and Vanderbilt have an ass ton of money [Reply]
Originally Posted by ForeverIowan:
As it currently stands, I dont think the Big Ten or SEC expands unless Notre Dame is involved. No other school delivers a NET MONETARY GAIN to the rest of the universities in the conference.
Agreed. I think the Big 10 is waiting to see what happens with Notre Dame (their football TV contract with NBC expires after next season) and if (when) the ACC implodes. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tredadda:
If the ACC were to show cracks, the SEC would pounce on FSU and Clemson in a heartbeat. Same with Miami. The Big 10 probably pounces on UNC, Duke and UVA at minimum.
Miami wants a Big 10 invite. It’s a better fit than the SEC.
They achieved AAU status this summer, the Big 10 has more big city-based schools such as Northwestern, Rutgers, UCLA, USC which is where most of Miami’s alumni live, etc. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
Miami wants a Big 10 invite. It’s a better fit than the SEC.
They achieved AAU status this summer, the Big 10 has more big city-based schools such as Northwestern, Rutgers, UCLA, USC which is where most of Miami’s alumni live, etc.
Ahhh, gotcha. Did not know they are seeking a Big 10 invite. [Reply]