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.
If the longhorn network is such a big deal. Why isn't Florida's 100 million dollar deal with sun sports to broadcast their football games a big deal? [Reply]
Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk:
If the longhorn network is such a big deal. Why isn't Florida's 100 million dollar deal with sun sports to broadcast their football games a big deal?
A lot of us don't think the LHN is a big deal.
Most of us aren't scared of it.
Others run. But look at those teams' records. There's not much there. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KChiefs1:
KK keeps bringing up how Arkansas screwed itself by joining the SEC. Funny how they aren't begging to join the Big 12 huh?
Yeah, and KK conveniently forgets to mention that Arkansas has been to 4 SEC championship games in football. and a BCS bowl.
Arkansas is not a powerhouse, but they have a good tradition, and have had some success. I think Mizzou can equal and exceed what Arkansas has done. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Wickedson:
My school shares a state with 3 million people with another BCS school yet still has an endowment over 1 billion dollars.
So uh, yea. I couldn't care less about the LHN.
But by all means. Go to the SEC, you think Florida's deal isn't exactly the same thing?
So ****ing naive. I can't wait for this.
Florida's deal is not the same and you know it. You have drank the KK kool-aid hook, line and sinker. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk:
If the longhorn network is such a big deal. Why isn't Florida's 100 million dollar deal with sun sports to broadcast their football games a big deal?
There is a difference between Florida having an agreement with an individual sports channel, where the Longhorn network is a television station owned by a university. It's an interesting discussion but I'm not sure the two situations are completely comparable. Sun Sports broadcasts a variety of college and pro sports. The Longhorn Network exists solely to serve and advance UT's position. I'm not sure that will be a dealbreaker in this thing, but it's not quite the same. Especially in terms of branding. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ArrowheadHawk:
If the longhorn network is such a big deal. Why isn't Florida's 100 million dollar deal with sun sports to broadcast their football games a big deal?
Why do you think the SEC is expanding? The way that the SEC handles Tier 3 rights is going to change. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Wickedson:
My school shares a state with 3 million people with another BCS school yet still has an endowment over 1 billion dollars.
So uh, yea. I couldn't care less about the LHN.
But by all means. Go to the SEC, you think Florida's deal isn't exactly the same thing?
So ****ing naive. I can't wait for this.
The guy who not only couldn't read the tea leaves but can't read the obvious signs right in front of him is lecturing others on naivety. You've been wrong this whole time. [Reply]
Originally Posted by UCF Knight:
Sun Sports is part of Fox Sports net. They also show Rays, Lightning and Magic games. LHN will NEVER show any of those other sports.
Texas might want to start winning some football games or they might have to start showing those "other sports"... [Reply]