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.
Clearly not the sexy or first pick, but I wouldn't be surprised one bit if they are added as a filler assuming they want to get to sixteen instead of fourteen if they choose to go past 12. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RustShack:
Iowa State is actually a perfect fit in every way except for the TV market, but Iowa wouldn't be the first school to have two teams in the same conference.
The problem is that a lot of these 2-school states (WA, OR, AZ in PAC 12; MI, IN in B1G) are in their conference because they always have been since ancient history. If everyone had to re-apply for their position, they wouldn't all make it back in. [Reply]
Originally Posted by eazyb81:
Interesting rumor from the OU premium board. Supposedly the guy is credible and this is picking up steam around the interwebz. Take it for what it's worth.
Originally Posted by RustShack:
Clearly not the sexy or first pick, but I wouldn't be surprised one bit if they are added as a filler assuming they want to get to sixteen instead of fourteen if they choose to go past 12.
Originally Posted by RustShack:
Are you talking about currently or history? Because Iowa State has a good football team this year, will have a good basketball team this year, are good in academics, and Iowa wont be the first team in the B1G to have two schools.
Iowa State is actually a perfect fit in every way except for the TV market, but Iowa wouldn't be the first school to have two teams in the same conference. Plus if Texas and ND do go to the B1G its not like they are going to be losing money in this situation.
Iowa State is a lot more respected than you "other fans" want to believe. Bowl representatives love ISU. Iowa State travels well. It adds pretty big conference games for Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Potentially for schools like Illinois and Wisconsin also. Its another game close in the midwest for opposing schools to travel too and vise versa.
ISU had higher attendance when it hosted in state rivals Northern Iowa and Iowa in back to back games?