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 KChiefs1:
I'm sorry KSU has no leverage but be glad that MU is looking out for the "special" kids in the conference. Don't expect any KSU, ISU or BU fans to understand that the pressure MU is exerting on Bevo is helping you guys out.
Did you even read what I posted? Because what you posted here has no relevance to what I posted. [Reply]
Originally Posted by kstater:
Comparing conference TV deals is tough. The Big 12 and 10 will dwarf the SEC and beat the PAC's contract in 5 years. The SEC is still like 12 years away from being able to get a new deal at which time it will dwarf the other twos.
The SEC is going to renegotiate all their TV deals once Mizzou and A&M are members. [Reply]
Originally Posted by beer bacon:
The SEC is going to renegotiate all their TV deals once Mizzou and A&M are members.
I don't doubt they'll try. But I don't see what CBS has to gain in giving more money in a contract that's already signed for the next 12 years. [Reply]
Originally Posted by kstater:
I don't doubt they'll try. But I don't see what CBS has to gain in giving more money in a contract that's already signed for the next 12 years.
Because CBS will want to be part of the SEC network when that comes around. The SEC is going to follow the B1G's lead on this and form their own network in the next few years. CBS would love to be a partner in that. [Reply]
Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy:
Because CBS will want to be part of the SEC network when that comes around. The SEC is going to follow the B1G's lead on this and form their own network in the next few years. CBS would love to be a partner in that.
There is already a SEC network. It's with ESPN, it's their tier 2 contract. [Reply]
Originally Posted by kstater:
I don't doubt they'll try. But I don't see what CBS has to gain in giving more money in a contract that's already signed for the next 12 years.
So you think the SEC has gone through this circus and opened themselves up to potential litigation just to add two mouths to feed and no upside for current SEC teams? Does that really make logical sense? [Reply]
Originally Posted by kstater:
There is already a SEC network. It's with ESPN, it's their tier 2 contract.
It is the SEC branding with ESPN but it obviously is not a true network. It was signed before BTN showed how lucrative tier 3 networks could be, and SEC insiders say this is one of the main catalysts in driving expansion this time around. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mr. Plow:
The Big 12 is dead. It's just a matter of time. Missouri would be smart to get out now while they have the offer they want rather than wait until the conference collapses.
I wish KU had a decent offer from another BCS conference or had something to offer another BCS conference....because when the conference collapses, KU is screwed.
Originally Posted by Stewie:
Mainly, as a KU grad, I don't give a shit about you're biased opinion. Have you actually been on the KU campus and seen any of the really interesting academia? Ya know, the stuff that people study and care about?
Your.
has he ever seen really interesting academia? what, is that some type of rare bird that's found on KU's campus? does this bird teach proper usage of common words?
has he ever seen really interesting academia? what, is that some type of rare bird that's found on KU's campus? does this bird teach proper usage of common words?
