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 Saul Good:
KU football is improving. You went from 12th best last year to 10th best this year, and you could be 9th or even 8th best next year. No wonder you love the Big XII so much.
I wish Missouri and its fanbase nothing but continued hell. There is absolutely no need to continue the Texas Tech bashing. Are you threatened? What does that do for? It was an amazing feeling beating you Sob's last year after the comments your S##t head President made. [Reply]
I don't want Missouri to go. I like have them in the conference. I don't like MU, but I like having them in the conference. I don't think MU is replaceable, but I don't think that they are irreplaceable.
I think MU gives up way too much for this idea that another conference will be more "stable" for them in the future. If this threat is simply a means that help ensures the Big XII becomes a more stable conference, then good for them.
But, I don't think a move to the SEC is going to do them many favors. Sure, Arkansas has a solid program, but being in the SEC hasn't really done much for them on the national scale. Have you ever listened to radio talk shows based in the SEC? They barely like to acknowledge them as it is, many of them have voiced the opinion that wouldn't care if they leave.
In the Big XII, at least, you're in the upper tier. You have standing. There, I'm afraid they are going to look on you as the reasoning to avoid an unbalanced schedule. An excuse to grab some market share. I think you're recruiting will take a hit as well.
Of course, these are all my opinions, I know many of you think there is nothing but blue skies ahead down south, but I truly believe the "security" won't be worth it in the long run of things. [Reply]
Their signature win last year was against a team with a losing record. Their signature win this year will be against a non-BCS school. Of course, it will be their only win against Division 1A opponents as well. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Saul Good:
Their signature win last year was against a team with a losing record. Their signature win this year will be against a non-BCS school. Of course, it will be their only win against Division 1A opponents as well.
A win in the final seconds at home. But at least there have not been any coaches talking shit about the atmosphere in Lawrence and how much more intense it is in Cedar Rapids. [Reply]
