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 Brock:
If it's not a conference game, what's the point? It's a shame and all, but the rivalry doesn't really mean anything if Missouri's in the SEC. JMO.
And that is a valid opinion. And if KU wants to say that the rivalry means nothing to them and they don't want to play Mizzou anymore, that is well within their rights and they can do that. But with that said, KU can't go around bitching and moaning about how it is Mizzou's fault when it is KU that is refusing to show up and play. [Reply]
Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy:
If MU offers to play KU and KU refuses, then that is on KU. KU can say no, it is free to do so, and they can cite any reason they want, but for them to say it is Mizzou's fault would be a lie if Mizzou is willing to play them.
Disagree....MU leaves the conference then they are clearly saying they don't support the Big 12 and the teams in the Big 12...in essence they are seeking a divorce from the Big 12 schools. I can't imagine any big 12 team that would schedule MU under those circumstances nor can I envision any fans of schools in the Big 12 wanting to have anything to do with MU or A and M. [Reply]
Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy:
If they are willing to play KU, and are not making any ludicrous demands, then I don't see what fault you can hang Mizzou with. If KU wants to refuse and lose money on the deal, then they can live with that. Considering the state of the KU football program, they need a profitable game at Arrowhead with Mizzou much more than Mizzou does.
A lot of people would argue that giving up a non-conference game would be a ludicrous demand. [Reply]
Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy:
And that is a valid opinion. And if KU wants to say that the rivalry means nothing to them and they don't want to play Mizzou anymore, that is well within their rights and they can do that. But with that said, KU can't go around bitching and moaning about how it is Mizzou's fault when it is KU that is refusing to show up and play.
Who's going to bitch and moan? Honestly, I live right in the middle of KU territory and nobody's even thinking about it, let alone talking about it. Your school is directing this conversation to Kansas City, because KC stands to lose a lot of money in this deal. [Reply]
Originally Posted by track:
Disagree....MU leaves the conference then they are clearly saying they don't support the Big 12 and the teams in the Big 12...in essence they are seeking a divorce from the Big 12 schools. I can't imagine any big 12 team that would schedule MU under those circumstances nor can I envision any fans of schools in the Big 12 wanting to have anything to do with MU or A and M.
Well, so be it.
But Mizzou's not leaving because they're pissed off at KU, KSU, ISU, etc. Texas and OU (and company) were ready to PACk up and leave us all swinging in the wind, until the Pac 10 said "no" to the LHN.
Now we have these 6 year "handcuffs", that they aren't willing to extend to 13... Why? Probably because they figure they might want to bail by then. (Or before, considering those schools can afford to eat the loss.)
Mizzou has a fantastic opportunity here. It really isn't personal. It's common sense. [Reply]
But Mizzou's not leaving because they're pissed off at KU, KSU, ISU, etc. Texas and OU (and company) were ready to PACk up and leave us all swinging in the wind, until the Pac 10 said "no" to the LHN.
Now we have these 6 year "handcuffs", that they aren't willing to extend to 13... Why? Probably because they figure they might want to bail by then. (Or before, considering those schools can afford to eat the loss.)
Mizzou has a fantastic opportunity here. It really isn't personal. It's common sense.
You want out of the Big 12...that's MU's right....but don't expect anyone associated with the Big 12 to see it any other way than as a divorce. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Brock:
Who's going to bitch and moan? Honestly, I live right in the middle of KU territory and nobody's even thinking about it, let alone talking about it. Your school is directing this conversation to Kansas City, because KC stands to lose a lot of money in this deal.
Uh, no. KC media is. And there are a lot of Mizzou fans who live in and love KC. (seemingly contrary to popular belief... I'm sick to death of hearing how this is a KU town.)
Mizzou is trying to address the issue, and support KC on the way out. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KcMizzou:
Uh, no. KC media is. And there are a lot of Mizzou fans who live in and love KC. (seemingly contrary to popular belief... I'm sick to death of hearing how this is a KU town.)
Mizzou is trying to address the issue, and support for KC on the way out.
Originally Posted by :
“The board wants to make clear how highly we value the tradition here in Kansas City,” said Warren Erdman, chairman of Missouri’s Board of Curators. “Should we depart the Big 12, we want to make it abundantly clear that we’re going to pursue the possibility of the basketball tournament and the football game here in Kansas City.”
No, that ain't the media. That's your guy talking to KC. [Reply]
Originally Posted by track:
You want out of the Big 12...that's MU's right....but don't expect anyone associated with the Big 12 to see it any other way than as a divorce.
The only way to know ultimately if Mizzou is making the right decision is to wait 6 years and see if Texas and company shafts the remaining BigXII. But until then, you can call it whatever you want. [Reply]
Originally Posted by track:
You want out of the Big 12...that's MU's right....but don't expect anyone associated with the Big 12 to see it any other way than as a divorce.
That's fine.
You'd go too though, if you had the chance. [Reply]