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 Pitt Gorilla:
No thanks. There are ZERO ADs/presidents stupid enough to join this league. ZERO. I mean, who wouldn't want to be in a league with Texas' **** and crazy good football teams like the sisters of the poor that nobody else wants?
This has to be raw emotion talking, because this is a BCS conference that will now retain eligibility for the next 6 years. (we'll be re-evaluated after next season, pass, then keep the autobid another 4 years)
There are a hell of a lot of teams, some of them decent, who would join. [Reply]
Originally Posted by UCF Knight:
The entire Big 12 except Texas and Oklahoma are all pussies. No real backbone shown by any school except A&M. Nebraska and Colorado showed some strength, too.
What would you do different if you were Iowa St...or the University of Kansas right now. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry:
Add BYU to the South and Louisville & Cincinnati to the North.
or
Move OU and OSU to the North and add BYU, New Mexico, and TCU to the South.
The top one is likely.
Why in the hell, New Mexico? Why not just go after UTEP? Holy Crap!
Texas doesn't want TCU. South Florida would be a much more interesting proposition and open up a new recruiting market. Add them with BYU and Louisville, and I think you got something.
But not with this "5 year guarantee" crap. Really? You expect to draw members that way? You expect to sign a bigger 1st tier deal that way? [Reply]
Originally Posted by HolyHandgernade:
But not with this "5 year guarantee" crap. Really? You expect to draw members that way? You expect to sign a bigger 1st tier deal that way?
But we offer all of the Texas member you can eat. It's surprisingly satisfying. [Reply]
Originally Posted by alnorth:
This has to be raw emotion talking, because this is a BCS conference that will now retain eligibility for the next 6 years. (we'll be re-evaluated after next season, pass, then keep the autobid another 4 years)
There are a hell of a lot of teams, some of them decent, who would join.
We aren't a BCS Conference....we are all just the practice teams for the eventual OU-UT Champs each year.
If I'm MU and I'm going to get my ass handed to me, I would prefer a different partner. At least we'd be respected for no longer being Texas' and Oklahoma's b****. [Reply]
I wish that there was a way the conference could poach a power school and tell Texas to get fucked, because aside from them, I really like the BXII setup.
Alas, given that this conference is run like Central America in the 1930s, I don't see that happening.
Get in the SEC and let Texas suck the conference past the event horizon. [Reply]
All the Big East football presidents and AD's met tonight... all agreed to stay together and look for replacements for Syracuse and Pitt. Non-football schools all seem to be on board.
Yeah. If the Big XII can show some sign they are committed to one another, schools would jump in a heartbeat from the Big East. UConn and Rutgers are "committed" until ACC calls. TCU was discussing going back to the MWC. Basketball schools don't really have a say. Big XII has to try and get its house in order first, though. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DeezNutz:
He was hired to be Texas' puppet. The situation had nothing to do with it; he was never his own man, which means he should deserve no respect.
You're guys are being so dramatic.
A commish is powerless in an unbalanced conference. [Reply]
Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins:
I wish that there was a way the conference could poach a power school and tell Texas to get ****ed, because aside from them, I really like the BXII setup.
Alas, given that this conference is run like Central America in the 1930s, I don't see that happening.
Get in the SEC and let Texas suck the conference past the event horizon.
