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 Wickedson:
Yea but no matter where you go KU, KSU and MU will always feel like second class when it comes to money, facilities, attention, etc etc.
Going to the PAC10 is not a good option for KU. Never has been.
Going anywhere except this conference isn't good for KU.
The best bet for the 3 schools locally is to go all in for the Big 12.
The geography of playing opponents being the most important factor.
Let UT spend spend spend...beat them on the field. That's what is great about sports.
TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday moved up the time of a scheduled executive session to discuss the future of the Big 12 Conference, and how any changes would affect Kansas and Kansas State.
Regents Chairman Ed McKechnie said the board would meet Wednesday afternoon instead of Thursday because of the pace of discussions taking place throughout the conference at various levels.
"Our priority is to have Kansas and Kansas State be together in the Big 12," McKechnie said. "It appears that we are making great progress toward that.
"I think the Big 12 is the best place for KU and K-State to be, and I hope that we are on the cusp of that happening."
Officials at Kansas and Kansas State declined to comment and deferred all questions to the nine-member Board of Regents. The executive session will be part of the board's scheduled monthly meeting in Topeka.
Regents have been watching closely as rumors about the conference dissolving have swirled, hinging on the possible departure of Oklahoma and Texas.
The Pac-12 presidents and chancellors decided Tuesday night not to expand, quashing speculation that Oklahoma and Texas would be joining former Big 12 member Colorado, which joined the Pac-12 this season.
Texas officials said Wednesday that they were open to restructuring revenue contracts shared with the remaining Big 12 members. Texas President William Powers said the top priority was to bring stability to the conference.
McKechnie said a stable Big 12 would be in the best interest for Kansas and Kansas State, but declined to say how that could be accomplished.
"I think we have a lot of smart people to figure that out," he said. "This is all about TV sets. We're a small state, that's the problem."
McKechnie said a reconstituted Big 12 was the best arrangement for the Jayhawks and Wildcats, whether it adds more members or not.
"What is the right number? We have an awful lot of people who make an awful lot of money and the need to tell us that,"
McKechnie said he hoped Texas A&M could remain part of the conference and not move to the Southeastern Conference next July as has been announced.
"If everything gets fixed, I would love for A&M to stay," he said. "But we need to be the Big 12 in more than name only. Our name ought to reflect who we are." [Reply]
Originally Posted by |Zach|:
So, we are mat Deaton for not saving the conference and when the conference seemingly gets saved we are mad at him for not taking Missouri to the SEC without knowing if they have an invite.
Think this one thru a little better Zach.....
Deaton isn't doing anything to save the Big 12. All he has done is sit on his hands and pray that the Pac-12 didn't take the big egos (UT & OU along with their tag-alongs) and make the rest of the conference at best, the MWC or MAC. Deaton is a former academic and knows little to nothing about how to look at athletics the way the rest of the players in this game do.
Do you really think this is the last we have heard about realignment? This is just a step back for OU and UT...and read all the articles that quote UT personnel. They might be willing to share more of the revenue, but don't kid yourself they stay in control.
Once...just once...I would like to see MU act like the Tiger their mascot is and not the domesticated feline that they appear to be. That might surprise the SEC into actually thinking we might be worth pursuing. [Reply]
If the rumor about the SEC was true for Missouri, that's the best option.
How so? You keep your Texas pipeline, you keep your rise to power and a chance to actually win a Conference Championship. Your travel remains ideal and you keep your rivalries.
Originally Posted by Laz: Kansas Regents Push Up Big 12 Talks
UPDATED: 1:29 pm CDT September 21, 2011
TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday moved up the time of a scheduled executive session to discuss the future of the Big 12 Conference, and how any changes would affect Kansas and Kansas State.
Regents Chairman Ed McKechnie said the board would meet Wednesday afternoon instead of Thursday because of the pace of discussions taking place throughout the conference at various levels.
"Our priority is to have Kansas and Kansas State be together in the Big 12," McKechnie said. "It appears that we are making great progress toward that.
"I think the Big 12 is the best place for KU and K-State to be, and I hope that we are on the cusp of that happening."
Officials at Kansas and Kansas State declined to comment and deferred all questions to the nine-member Board of Regents. The executive session will be part of the board's scheduled monthly meeting in Topeka.
Regents have been watching closely as rumors about the conference dissolving have swirled, hinging on the possible departure of Oklahoma and Texas.
The Pac-12 presidents and chancellors decided Tuesday night not to expand, quashing speculation that Oklahoma and Texas would be joining former Big 12 member Colorado, which joined the Pac-12 this season.
Texas officials said Wednesday that they were open to restructuring revenue contracts shared with the remaining Big 12 members. Texas President William Powers said the top priority was to bring stability to the conference.
McKechnie said a stable Big 12 would be in the best interest for Kansas and Kansas State, but declined to say how that could be accomplished.
"I think we have a lot of smart people to figure that out," he said. "This is all about TV sets. We're a small state, that's the problem."
McKechnie said a reconstituted Big 12 was the best arrangement for the Jayhawks and Wildcats, whether it adds more members or not.
"What is the right number? We have an awful lot of people who make an awful lot of money and the need to tell us that,"
McKechnie said he hoped Texas A&M could remain part of the conference and not move to the Southeastern Conference next July as has been announced.
"If everything gets fixed, I would love for A&M to stay," he said. "But we need to be the Big 12 in more than name only. Our name ought to reflect who we are."
All in as they should be.
KU should be linked to KSU in an athletic conference.
This is sports. Kansas has been playing college sports for over 100 years. This is the right way. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Wickedson:
You do realize that the closest school to Missouri in the SEC is Arkansas right?
Ames, Lawrence, Manhattan are all closer.
The Oklahoma schools are all roughly the same distance from Columbia as Fayetteville is.
Traveling matters.
The problems with the Big 12 have been completely blown out of proportion.
The league has a real chance right now to become any stronger. Dan Beebe has one more shot to make this all right.
I swear....you have to be close to the worst in thinking things thru.
The UR (my) B**** 12 is in shambles....even if they (read OU and UT) keep it together long enough to find the best place for themselves. The PAC 12 decision was just the West Coast faction saying to UT, think about that LHN a little more and we can talk.
I wouldn't be surprised if the PAC 12 comes back after some secret talks with OU and says, you are welcome but your bigger, uglier stepsister has to stay home and clean out the castle. [Reply]
