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 ROYC75:
(Typical MU fan) But, but, but. MU has to be in here somewhere in the top 10!
MU is secure. At the moment, ku isn’t. Especially with 6 level 1 violations hanging over their head. MU is doing just fine, and will be for the foreseeable future. It’s too bad your football team (the sport the NCAA cares about) can’t win more than like 5 games a decade. If you did you’d already be in a non-shit conference. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Titty Meat:
Where do you draw the line with that? Just winning titles or playoff appearances? If so theres only a handful of schools that match that criteria. Constantly winning 9 or 10 games? Then schools like Iowa and Wisconsin are relevant. I think theres alot more that goes into it than just winning.
A true winner doesn’t have to try to convince himself he’s a winner.
Of the four programs that matter between the two schools, one is a winner. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mizzou_8541:
MU is secure. At the moment, ku isn’t. Especially with 6 level 1 violations hanging over their head. MU is doing just fine, and will be for the foreseeable future. It’s too bad your football team (the sport the NCAA cares about) can’t win more than like 5 games a decade. If you did you’d already be in a non-shit conference.
Ah, the old violations card. Not too many KU fans are sweating these days. The longer it drags out, the less likely it becomes that the independent panel will do more than a slap on the wrist.
There isn’t a KU fan in the world that wants to trade places with you. KU will be elite in basketball no matter where they end up. They have a good shot at stealing the record for all-time wins from Kentucky this season.
Missouri? Going on your 7th straight unranked season in football and completely irrelevant in basketball. If the SEC becomes a 20-team superleague, you’ll be overjoyed if you finish in the upper half once a decade. More often than not, you’ll be damn near the bottom in both sports. How awesome! [Reply]
Originally Posted by RaidersOftheCellar:
Ah, the old violations card. Not too many KU fans are sweating these days. The longer it drags out, the less likely it becomes that the independent panel will do more than a slap on the wrist.
There isn’t a KU fan in the world that wants to trade places with you. KU will be elite in basketball no matter where they end up. They have a good shot at stealing the record for all-time wins from Kentucky this season.
Missouri? Going on your 7th straight unranked season in football and completely irrelevant in basketball. If the SEC becomes a 20-team superleague, you’ll be overjoyed if you finish in the upper half once a decade. More often than not, you’ll be damn near the bottom in both sports. How awesome!
Originally Posted by Mizzou_8541:
Enjoy being a mid-major!
Even though it won’t happen, I’d gladly accept a role as the Gonzaga of the AAC vs the doormat of the SEC.
Load up on strong OOC games. Handful of solid programs in-conference. Bring along another solid program or two. Could be a lot worse. Like being a perennial doormat. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RaidersOftheCellar:
Even though it won’t happen, I’d gladly accept a role as the Gonzaga of the AAC vs the doormat of the SEC.
Load up on strong OOC games. Handful of solid programs in-conference. Bring along another solid program or two. Could be a lot worse. Like being a perennial doormat.
KU football is so far down that they would almost be better getting in a conference with Villanova and the rest of those basketball Big East schools. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Al Bundy:
KU football is so far down that they would almost be better getting in a conference with Villanova and the rest of those basketball Big East schools.
KU should be in a basketball only conference. [Reply]
