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 Saulbadguy:
I think if MU leaves, we get Louisville. Then we stay at 10.
I can see this. But how is the BIG XII going to get the Big East to let Louisville go, when the Big East has already said they are making Pitt and Syracuse stay the full 27 months? That is the big dollar question.
Also, KK is ripping on Mizzou again, saying that Mizzou's decision should be easy and they should stay. [Reply]
I don't know what to think about the Big 12. GRatned, I don't have a dog in this fight, but it just seems like it's UT and OU....then piss on everyone else.
and every other team in the league - sans MU - seems to be ok with that.
I don't follow the Big 12, so don't flame me to badly; just giving an outside-looking-in view. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Saulbadguy:
I think if MU leaves, we get Louisville. Then we stay at 10.
I don't think we can stop at Louisville, because they are stuck in the Big East for a while. If the rumors can be trusted, I think we go to 12. There appears to be a lot of votes in favor of 12. [Reply]
Originally Posted by alnorth:
I don't think we can stop at Louisville, because they are stuck in the Big East for a while. If the rumors can be trusted, I think we go to 12. There appears to be a lot of votes in favor of 12.
I think Texas and OU only want 10, for obvious reasons. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Dayze:
I don't know what to think about the Big 12. GRatned, I don't have a dog in this fight, but it just seems like it's UT and OU....then piss on everyone else.
and every other team in the league - sans MU - seems to be ok with that.
I don't follow the Big 12, so don't flame me to badly; just giving an outside-looking-in view.
A few years ago sure, which is partly why Nebraska left. However, the Big 12 has just adopted the same revenue-sharing model that the SEC has, so that really isn't the case any longer. [Reply]
Originally Posted by alnorth:
I don't think we can stop at Louisville, because they are stuck in the Big East for a while. If the rumors can be trusted, I think we go to 12. There appears to be a lot of votes in favor of 12.
A scenario could be to go to 11 and stop. Ten play the next two seasons, Louisville sits out, the BIG XII gets their full contract money from Fox, and then when it gets closer for Louisville to join, they add #12. There would be no rush to get to 12 if you know Louisville has to wait to get in, and they could focus on getting the school they want, instead of grabbing whomever is available. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Dayze:
I don't know what to think about the Big 12. GRatned, I don't have a dog in this fight, but it just seems like it's UT and OU....then piss on everyone else.
and every other team in the league - sans MU - seems to be ok with that.
I don't follow the Big 12, so don't flame me to badly; just giving an outside-looking-in view.
The others don't have a hell of a lot of choice right now. Mizzou is only doing what's available to them (as they should be). If KSU had the option right now and weren't doing something I would be livid...as it stands there's not a hell of a lot they can do unless you're wanting them to petition the MWC for inclusion. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Saulbadguy:
I think Texas and OU only want 10, for obvious reasons.
Most, if not all of the rest of the conference wants 12, and once you grant your 6-year media rights you don't have a whole hell of a lot of leverage. (well, OU doesn't have any leverage now anyway, and neither does UT since they don't want to go independent and no one else will take them as-is) [Reply]
