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 |Zach|:
Kansas people are adoreable.
Get back out there and practice some free throws kid *tussling Stewie's hair*
At least I can spell adorable. The debate today was, "What has MU ever won and why would the SEC want them?" Oh, stupid money from stupid people. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Stewie:
At least I can spell adorable. The debate today was, "What has MU ever won and why would the SEC want them?" Oh, stupid money from stupid people.
I am just trying to give you encouragement. You always come in here looking to be jilted. But I can't stop someone from being butthurt.
*squeezes your cute little cheeks*
How about I give you a participation ribbon for being in this thread. Would that turn your frown upside down?
Originally Posted by Stewie:
The tone is, "We're leaving!"
Well good for you. Does Alabama or Georgia or Florida care? Hell no! More money for my existing SEC team? Hell yeah. Who is this Missouri team you talk about? Do they play football?
MU people don't care about whether Alabama or Georgia, or Kansas for that matter think. MU people want MU to do what is best for MU for once. I love how if KU does something in the self-interest, they are doing what is best, but if MU does.....they are being smug.
Why should MU stay if the SEC is a better deal for them? [Reply]
Now that Texas A&M has left the Big XII, the SEC is looking for it’s next expansion candidate. Would Mizzou be a good fit?
Of course. Huge TV market, good overall AD, great fan base, etc. The only real knock on Missouri has been it’s public affinity for the Big Ten.
Why Mizzou should want to join the SEC rather than continue shamelessly flirting with the Big Ten hoping for an invite:
1. The SEC is a better league. Seems like this should be obvious, but it needs to be said. The Big Ten is certainly a good conference, but they also consistently get their ass kicked when they face the SEC in bowl games. If you have an opportunity to be a part of the best conference in the country, you take it.
2. Academics don’t actually matter in an athletic conference. Missouri, only Texas really uses this excuse, and it is because they are afraid of the competition of the SEC. Don’t give me that AAU shit. Nobody actually cares about f*cking research while they watch an 11 AM football game. A&M is an AAU member, too. So is Florida, so is Vanderbilt. You don’t automatically get dumber by hanging out with Texas Tech, do you? It isn’t contagious.
3. The Big Ten kinda f*cked you over last time. They really did. Made you look really bad. This would be like being cheated on and then dating the way hotter friend. It’s actually kind of shocking that they convinced you that they were attractive in the first place.
4. The Big Ten loves morning games. Wanna wake up at 8 AM, choke down some bloody marys and watch about 16 pass attempts in 40 degree weather? I sure as shit don’t.
5. I had to google your rivalries. Time for some new ones. Don’t get all worked up at me, I’m on your team here. But, seriously.
6. The Big XII sucks. C’mon. Don’t flip-flop. It sucks. You thought it sucked last year, you know it sucks now. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Stewie:
We'll see how this all turns out in about a week. MU being Oklahoma's bitch for a couple of weeks will tell the tale.
MU may stay, they may go, who knows? If the best deal is to stay in the Big XII, then by all means, Mizzou should stay. If the SEC is a better situation, then Mizzou should go. The Big XII appears to be making a push to keep Mizzou, so we will see how it turns out.
And how is Mizzou OU's bitch? Seems the folks in Norman are UT's bitch, considering the Pac quickly did not want them without the Longhorns. [Reply]
Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy:
MU may stay, they may go, who knows? If the best deal is to stay in the Big XII, then by all means, Mizzou should stay. If the SEC is a better situation, then Mizzou should go. The Big XII appears to be making a push to keep Mizzou, so we will see how it turns out.
And how is Mizzou OU's bitch? Seems the folks in Norman are UT's bitch, considering the Pac quickly did not want them without the Longhorns.
Let Stewie do his thing. You can't stop someone who is going out of their way to be offended. [Reply]
Let's be perfectly honest; MU could still screw this up. The BOC, Deaton, etc. all still have the opportunity to screw this up. It's getting more and more difficult, but they could still do it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla:
Let's be perfectly honest; MU could still screw this up. The BOC, Deaton, etc. all still have the opportunity to screw this up. It's getting more and more difficult, but they could still do it.
True, but each passing moment that we don't hear "We are a faithful member of the Big XII conference" or some such drivel is a moment closer we are to leaving. [Reply]
