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 kcclone:
Have regents or state legislatures ever prevented a team from re-aligning conferences?
That's one of the many false narratives consistently spread around during this era of Realignment Madness.
Big brother state university will dump little brother state university every chance they can get and no governing entity is stepping in to stop that. [Reply]
One thing that does worry me is when the Big Ten and SEC absorb basically all of the power 5 for football, what does that mean for basketball? It will probably be the end of the NCAA as we know it, but I'm sure the NCAA will keep existing for the stupid NCAA Tournament which they unfairly do not distribute money to the top schools.
I unfortunately can see a world where the top 40-60 teams are in the Big Ten and SEC eventually and not part of the NCAA, and then the rest of division one will be the ONLY teams in the NCAA Tournament. The sad thing is I don't think the common fan will give a shit about the new leagues basketball. It will just be Gonzaga and Villanova and shit as the blue bloods in the basketball. [Reply]
FYI: UW’s Board of Regents have scheduled a “special meeting” for tonight at 9 pm. The meeting will include an executive session, though I’m told no action will be taken.
Sources: The Big Ten’s presidents met early Thursday morning and authorized Commissioner Tony Petitti to explore expansion and bring them back more information on Oregon and Washington as potential Big Ten members. No offers have been made,
And a deal is uncertain. There’s a political thicket with the potential additions because the moves don’t offer the current Big Ten schools any additional money. USC doesn’t have a vote, but they’ve been vocal in the past about not wanting other West Coast Big Ten teams.
Oregon and Washington would also have to come to terms with not getting a full share, which isn’t a slam dunk for them. There's potential, but significant road blocks remain.
* All eyes remain on what University of Arizona decides -- go to Big 12 or stay in Pac 12?
* There is still some belief that the nine remaining Pac 12 could decide to stay together and agree to new media deal. We'll see. If so, it could then add SDSU, maybe others and everything stops.
Big Ten hesitant about offering expansion bids to Oregon and Washington (and perhaps Cal and Stanford) unless Pac 12 further deteriorates. If P12 sticks together, B10 likely to just stay at 16 and wait.
If Big Ten does decide to expand and offer membership it will be at a cut rate for some multiyear period (maybe 50-60 percent of media rights revenue that will range between $50-65 million annually). Still equal or better than most options for Oregon, et al.
Sources: Tenor changed Wednesday at Arizona State in a matter of 4 hours. ASU prez was content with Pac-12/Apple deal. By 2 p.m., talk changed and a board meeting was being discussed for Thursday.
The undercurrent steering ships: Board wants Arizona and ASU to stick together.
Matches what I’ve heard. Massive change happened in a hurry, including Crow finally coming off his Pac-12 anchor. Arizona’s leadership did a good job pushing behind the scenes and in a public narrative through reporting.
Friendly reminder: Big Ten “cleared & vetted” Oregon & Washington as B1G members if it makes financial sense, @ActionNetworkHQ reported last year. Last August, Oregon & B1G met in Chicago, UW & B1G met in New York. They are set to go - if B1G & network partners figure out money
Big Ten just trying to figure out financials at this point on Oregon & Washington, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. “There is no more research or information needed on Oregon & Washington,” B1G sources said. “We have everything we need.”
The Big Ten will wait to see what happens with the Pac 12 (all eyes on Arizona). However, if the Big Ten chooses to expand, the focus is now on adding just two teams: Oregon and Washington, industry sources tell Yahoo Sports
Originally Posted by KingPriest2:
Sources: The Big Ten’s presidents met early Thursday morning and authorized Commissioner Tony Petitti to explore expansion and bring them back more information on Oregon and Washington as potential Big Ten members. No offers have been made,
And a deal is uncertain. There’s a political thicket with the potential additions because the moves don’t offer the current Big Ten schools any additional money. USC doesn’t have a vote, but they’ve been vocal in the past about not wanting other West Coast Big Ten teams.
Oregon and Washington would also have to come to terms with not getting a full share, which isn’t a slam dunk for them. There's potential, but significant road blocks remain.
Apple's primary media rights deal w/Pac-12 expires at end of week, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. Proposal is in "low $20 million" figure per school/annually, but can fluctuate/increase based on membership size & subscription incentives, sources said
Apple's primary media rights deal w/Pac-12 expires at end of week, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. Proposal is in "low $20 million" figure per school/annually, but can fluctuate/increase based on membership size & subscription incentives, sources said
Pac12: "Everyone, calm down. Streaming is where the money is. Our income is based on how many people watch our sports. We could blow the Big10, SEC, & Big12 out of the water!"
Pac12: "So all we need is 30 billion subscribers & we should hit what the Big 12 is making."
Arizona: "Um, there are only 7 billion people on the planet."
