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.
Perhaps some here can help an old codger understand how teams travel.
Back in the days of the Big 8 (yep went to school during that period), bus travel was the means of getting teams around. But, say, MU goes to the SEC. What are they going to do? Fly or spend several days to get to Florida? Can't fly from Columbia directly.
The same goes for KU, KSU, & ISU should the Big 12 goes down the tubes and they wind up in some eastern league.
I understand the PAC 10 does something to go to SoCal to Seattle, but never gave it much thought on the travel arragngements. [Reply]
Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins:
That's a balanced, but brutal division. In basketball, Mizzou could probably win that division with regularity if Carlton doesn't fuck it up.
Damn - all the talk about football and I completely spaced on basketball.
Yeah - Mizzou should do pretty well in basketball if we can manage to get ourselves a decent coach after shitcanning Haith.
(Unfortunately, it certainly appears that he's survived the Miami thing, so it'll take 3 or 4 mediocre seasons first...) [Reply]
Originally Posted by DeezNutz:
This is the way that I see it. Plus, it would preserve some of the Big 8 (fuck you, Big 12) flavor.
And there's little question that your anti-Cassel/Pioli chops demand executive-level membership. I'll raise a Keystone at Reaper's place with you anytime.
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
And the triad is complete. I got rep from Dane and Rainman, and now tacit acceptance into the strange and mysterious gang of 14.
I just burned my Skull and Bones invitation - who the fuck needs those guys?
I've got Tecate in my fridge right now that y'all can have. Also some High Life.
No, seriously, they are really in there. Please come down and drink them for me. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
Damn - all the talk about football and I completely spaced on basketball.
Yeah - Mizzou should do pretty well in basketball if we can manage to get ourselves a decent coach after shitcanning Haith.
(Unfortunately, it certainly appears that he's survived the Miami thing, so it'll take 3 or 4 mediocre seasons first...)
Yep. Football is going to be brutal and we will be lucky to be in the top half of the conference but basketball we should be near the top. Of course we will have replaced our annual rapings by KU with Kentucky. [Reply]
Originally Posted by dirk digler:
Yep. Football is going to be brutal and we will be lucky to be in the top half of the conference but basketball we should be near the top. Of course we will have replaced our annual rapings by KU with Kentucky.
Yeah...but some of us wouldn't have to travel so far to see an occasional football or basketball game. [Reply]
That explains OU and Texas' sudden desire to save the conference. Maybe it's the right move, maybe it's not, but if I was Mizzou I would run, run, and run. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Pants:
Sooooo Texas is going to do what?
Shit.
You know exactly what Texas is going to do now - the same thing they've always done.
If the PAC doesn't expand, OU probably stays in the XII with the rest of the gang. If so, Deaton's not going to pull the trigger on this thing.
If the PAC doesn't expand, I don't think MU moves. There are too many people within this administration that are entirely too resistant to change. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tk13:
That explains OU and Texas' sudden desire to save the conference. Maybe it's the right move, maybe it's not, but if I was Mizzou I would run, run, and run.
I wonder if this makes everyone put their guns back in their holsters though. [Reply]
