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.
Man, that just seems like a really dumb fit for them.
UCLA adds nothing and USC is going to suffer a lot with other Big 10 programs having more stake in their area. They really needed a weak PAC to continue showing some form of relevance. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BryanBusby:
Man, that just seems like a really dumb fit for them.
UCLA adds nothing and USC is going to suffer a lot with other Big 10 programs having more stake in their area. They really needed a weak PAC to continue showing some form of relevance.
Not that anyone cares but all of the current B10 schools have wrestling (which is lacking in CA at the D1 level).
Personally, really hope those two join and add wrestling since Cali has a ton of great recruits and the other D1 programs there are not doing so hot. [Reply]
Originally Posted by displacedinMN:
but it adds tv money to the Big 10
UCLA brings in Jack shit, mostly. The move would have made more sense if USC was being paired with the Ducks or Huskies. To really keep the bar moving forward now they need to probably go through and remove some waste in that conference.
At this point the best move forward for the PAC and BIG 12 is to merge into the BIGPAC. The overall team count and variety of programs would probably keep them in the game and in front of the ACC. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla:
On a serious note, when do Iowa State and Kansas state get kicked to the curb? That has to be coming, no?
Unwittingly you made a good point.
I’ve long wondered why redundancies like NW, Purdue, Miss State, Vandy don’t either quit or get the boot. They can’t compete and they are small market welfare babies supported by real producers
Chicago quit the Big 10, Tulane quit the SEC. Is a university goal to educate or to take welfare checks to support no-hope athletic departments? [Reply]
Originally Posted by BryanBusby:
UCLA brings in Jack shit, mostly. The move would have made more sense if USC was being paired with the Ducks or Huskies. To really keep the bar moving forward now they need to probably go through and remove some waste in that conference.
At this point the best move forward for the PAC and BIG 12 is to merge into the BIGPAC. The overall team count and variety of programs would probably keep them in the game and in front of the ACC.
It’s all about LA and it dwarfs whatever Ore-Wash brings. Also UCLA is a premier brand. They have a top 3 apparel deal and those companies know branding
Plus and I must say seeing them in two FF….by FAR the best looking women I’ve ever seen in person in their cheer squad. It’s a bucket list item seeing them walk past you [Reply]