Sources: OU To PAC-12 By End of the Month

[Aughnanure]

Orangebloods' Chip Brown says OU to PAC-12 by 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.

Stay tuned."

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1263940

[Clarence]

I think this is a smart move by OU, it puts the pressure squarely on Texas. 

The Big 12 has been a dead man walking for weeks, and there is no sense in trying to keep it together.  Especially with the uneven payouts that Texas recieves.  OU is essetially calling Texas' bluff.  Either Texas accepts the equal payouts of the PAC 12 and gives up the LHN, or they go independent which is full of long term risks. 

[Aughnanure]

We should all be rooting for Texas to go Independent.

[Clarence]

For sure.

[Canadian Dimes]

I think a Texas going independent and OSU and OU going to the PAc-14, with MIzzou, KSAU and Kansas to the BE would be great.  Baylor and TT could go to C-USa or the the WAc or Mountain west.

That scenario seems very palausible and would be great for the BE.

Of all schools going independent, Texas might just be one of the few situations that would work.   Would lose the potential automatic bid in basketball but when have they ever been in a situation to need one and then get it?  Could always hook up with another conference ala ND for its non football teams

[GGGG]

We should all be rooting for Texas to go Independent.

No.  We should be rooting for the B12 to survive....perhaps adding a team like BYU. 

[Hards Alumni]

No.  We should be rooting for the B12 to survive....perhaps adding a team like BYU. 

Or just bring back all the old Texas teams that got tossed.

Rice, SMU, and TCU (HA!)

[Clarence]

No.  We should be rooting for the B12 to survive....perhaps adding a team like BYU. 

The Big 12 is dead, Texas overplayed its hand. 

[Aughnanure]

No.  We should be rooting for the B12 to survive....perhaps adding a team like BYU. 

So then it will survive for another 3 years...max? Having Texas and Notre Dame as Independents will act as a safety net for the Bball schools, if we go 4 16-20 team conferences, as they are a conference they can house the #2 college sport.

[77ncaachamps]

If the Big East goes West of the Mississippi, it's time for a conference name change.

[brewcity77]

If the Big East goes West of the Mississippi, it's time for a conference name change.

Pretty sure TCU is west of the Mississippi.

[Warriors10]

If the Big East goes West of the Mississippi, it's time for a conference name change.

TCU is west of the Mississippi and why change names?  Look at the B1G and Big 12...lol

[Litehouse]

OU and OSU to the Pac-12/14
KU, KSU, and Mizzou to the Big East for all sports
Texas goes independent in football, and joins the Big East in all other sports, just like ND.
Then the BE has 21 for bball, go to a 20 game schedule and play everyone once.
There's 12 in football for a championship game, while ND & Texas can do whatever the hell they want.

ISU, Baylor, and TTech get screwed.  It just makes too much sense.

[brewcity77]

OU and OSU to the Pac-12/14
KU, KSU, and Mizzou to the Big East for all sports
Texas goes independent in football, and joins the Big East in all other sports, just like ND.
Then the BE has 21 for bball, go to a 20 game schedule and play everyone once.
There's 12 in football for a championship game, while ND & Texas can do whatever the hell they want.

ISU, Baylor, and TTech get screwed.  It just makes too much sense.

I honestly don't know the answer to this...doesn't the NCAA have a rule that conference seasons can't be longer than 18 games? I really thought there was a cap to the number of conference games you could play. Or is it just total games?

If we could go to 20, that would limit us to 11 non-conference games, I believe. Figure a 4-game tournament, then the annual UW, UW-M, UW-GB games and we only have 4 games left. Not a lot of flexibility for non-conference scheduling.

[bilsu]

There may be a rule limiting it to 18 games, but as conferences expand I could see the number being increased. I also can see the football season going one game longer.

[Litehouse]

If we could go to 20, that would limit us to 11 non-conference games, I believe. Figure a 4-game tournament, then the annual UW, UW-M, UW-GB games and we only have 4 games left. Not a lot of flexibility for non-conference scheduling.

The exempt tourneys only count as 1 game right now.  So with a tourney, UW, UWM, and UWGB, that still leaves us with 7 extra games.  I think it would be awesome.

[Aughnanure]

If the Big East goes West of the Mississippi, it's time for a conference name change.

The name is a brand, no way you change the name EVER. It helps sell the league to casual fans, get more TV money, etc. The Basketball only schools  (along w/ Texas and ND) are going to need that name when the split finally comes.

[77ncaachamps]

The name is a brand, no way you change the name EVER. It helps sell the league to casual fans, get more TV money, etc. The Basketball only schools  (along w/ Texas and ND) are going to need that name when the split finally comes.

Forgot TCU was going to be an added team. d'oh

So what does it mean to be the BigGER East? It still makes no sense whatsoever. Eff the greedy bastards. Killing tradition of the sake of a dollar.

eff em

I hope Texas sports dies. All of those rivalries flushed.

[muhs03]

Aside from the Red River Rivalry, what else does the B12 have at this point? Seems like the rest of their rivalry games are recognized only regionally. Besides, Nebraska in the B1G is going to be fun to watch...moreso than when they were in the B12. 

[brewcity77]

The exempt tourneys only count as 1 game right now.  So with a tourney, UW, UWM, and UWGB, that still leaves us with 7 extra games.  I think it would be awesome.

That's including the 4-game tourney as 1 game. Right now we can schedule up to 13 games, but 4 of those come as a tournament. Like last year, the tourney included Bucknell, UW-GB, Duke, and Gonzaga. One game, but totaled us at 13. This year is the same, Norfolk State then the 3 in the Virgin Islands.

It's actually 10 you can schedule against an 18-game conference schedule, but you get to 13 because of the exempt tourney (9+1 that counts as 4).

[Aughnanure]

Forgot TCU was going to be an added team. d'oh

So what does it mean to be the BigGER East? It still makes no sense whatsoever. Eff the greedy bastards. Killing tradition of the sake of a dollar.

eff em

I hope Texas sports dies. All of those rivalries flushed.

What are you talking about? The name has meant absolutely nothing since Louisville, DePaul, Cincinnati & Marquette joined, it is first and foremost a BRAND. Going farther west doesnt change a single thing.

[PJDunn]

Texas and Oklahoma are basically a package.  The Texas brass was in Norman today.  If OU goes to the Pac 12 then the Pac 12 goes to 16.  OSU, Texas, and most likely TTech will join.  Baylor is pretty much ostracized due to their policy of expelling gay students, so their only hope is to sue like crazy to keep the current conference in place. 

[muhs03]

Texas and Oklahoma are basically a package.  The Texas brass was in Norman today.  If OU goes to the Pac 12 then the Pac 12 goes to 16.  OSU, Texas, and most likely TTech will join.  Baylor is pretty much ostracized due to their policy of expelling gay students, so their only hope is to sue like crazy to keep the current conference in place. 

if that's the case, the BE will just add the left-overs unless the bball side does what Marinatto articulated last year when he said that the bball schools will split if more fball teams are added. Will the fball schools call their bluff? I'm guessing, yes.

[Clarence]

Texas and Oklahoma are not a package. 

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/bohls/index.html

[GGGG]

OU and UT are not a "package," but OU and OSU like to have a presense in Texas because they recruit many students (not just student-athletes) from the state, especially the DFW area.  I think the question they are asking is playing a couple football games in Texas really worthwhile however.

And remember, OU and UT went decades without being in the same conference.