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

[PJDunn]

For all intents and purposes they are a package.  The Pac-12 wants the big Kahuna, and that is Texas.  Texas will not go independent.  The upcoming new world order of superconferences makes that scenario a loser (only a matter of time before ND comes to the same conclusion), thus the visit to Norman.  If the Pac-12 makes an offer to OU and OSU they are doing so to get Texas and that is probably what will take place.  The fact that Texas and OU were not historically in the same conference means zero.  It is all about $$. 

Marquette will be fine.  The real losers are the D1 football schools that are not part of one of the superconferences.  Wouldn't want to be a Iowa State fan right now.   

[Aughnanure]

PAC-12 will take OU regardless of whether it means UT comes along. Obviously they hope it causes Texas to join as well, but they are willing to grab OU (and OSU) by themselves. If UT doesn't join, for want of their network, KU, KSU or MU would be next. Tech could get screwed just as badly as Baylor if UT doesn't go to the PAC and bring them along.

The PAC seems completely unwilling to even consider BYU. Team like UNLV & Nevada are probably the only options for the PAC if UT doesn't come and KU decides to go to ACC or Big East instead. Can't see Boise St getting a look, New Mexico possibly because it is seen as a growing market, maybe Tech here and potentially Air Force - but those are only on the table if PAC is trying to keep up with the other conferences moving to 16+ and cant get the UT or KU brand.

[bilsu]

I do not think Texas will go to Pac 10, based on articles I have read. Texas going independent will allow them to still schedule games with the Oklahoma teams assuming they will still schedule Texas.

[Aughnanure]

"The Big 12 is done"

http://capstonereport.com/2011/09/13/report-from-austin-the-big-12-is-done/13691/

[bilsu]

Justice would be served if Texas went independent and then all the power schools refused to schedule them.

[PJDunn]

Which is precisely why they won't go independent.  If Texas doesn't go, don't be surprised if the pac 12 does not offer OU and OSU membership.  This thing could still go sideways leaving a damaged, but viable B12 conference in place.

[Clarence]

Which is precisely why they won't go independent.  If Texas doesn't go, don't be surprised if the pac 12 does not offer OU and OSU membership.  This thing could still go sideways leaving a damaged, but viable B12 conference in place.

The PAc 12 will not miss out on a chance to obtain the Oklahoma football brand

[Aughnanure]

^ This. OU will go regardless of UT. They are sick of Texas, and people thinking they follow Texas.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I found this article today.

Florida State Forms Expansion/Realignment Committee
http://www.mrsec.com/2011/09/fsu-forms-expansion-committee/

[Warriors10]

An interesting article on ESPN about the economic impact on the low-tier Big 12 schools.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6970677/big-12-schools-face-economic-impact-shuffling

[Litehouse]

I really don't want the Big East to get stuck with ISU and Baylor, but that article makes it sound like more of a possibility.  Then we'd be at 19/11.  Maybe they'd reconsider Temple for football only.

Sounds like everybody is looking to the ACC as their back-up plan, but does the ACC really want the extra mouths to feed?  However, left-over B12 teams going to the ACC helps prevent the ACC from poaching Big East teams, which helps preserve the status-quo for us.

[bilsu]

I would not mind Iowa St. It would be a road game I could drive to.
I wonder what kind of out the Big 12 has with their TV contract? A team leaving effects what ESPN is paying for. The article said 5 teams could stay together and keep the BCS status and the TV money. I would have to think ESPN must have some rights to reopen the contract or sue the schools jumping ship.

[Aughnanure]

DO. NOT. WANT. BAYLOR.

[PJDunn]

^ This. OU will go regardless of UT. They are sick of Texas, and people thinking they follow Texas.

OU is a gloriified juniior college.  The pac 12 is still trying to pretend that they are a bastion of academic excellence (as long as you ignore ASU and WSU it makes sense) and the Oklahoma schools don't fit that mold.  They are not chasing Oklahoma, they are using them to get to Texas.  Texas and ND are the 800lb gorillas in this merry go round.  Both will join a conference and both are being heavily recuited.

[ken8406]

Baylor would make sense for the Big East considering we are getting TCU. So now the two Texas schools would have a rivalry that could develop.

I wouldn't mind having Baylor seeing their basketball has improved a lot over the past three years.

[GGGG]

We don't want Baylor in the BE.  We shouldn't want TCU in the BE.  The more "football schools" that are added, the more the BE slips away from what Marquette is - an urban basketball school.  This is why we want the B12 to survive - in the long run adding schools like Kansas and Missouri would be fool's gold for Marquette.

[Hards Alumni]

We don't want Baylor in the BE.  We shouldn't want TCU in the BE.  The more "football schools" that are added, the more the BE slips away from what Marquette is - an urban basketball school.  This is why we want the B12 to survive - in the long run adding schools like Kansas and Missouri would be fool's gold for Marquette.

agreed!

[StillAWarrior]

Baylor would make sense for the Big East considering we are getting TCU. So now the two Texas schools would have a rivalry that could develop.

Not to pile on, but it bears repeating:  just because we've not got one school that makes no sense at all (TCU) doesn't mean that another school located nearby will make sense.   Hell, why not get UCSD and then the following year pick up SDSU.  SDSU would make sense since they could develop a rivalry with their cross-town school.

[Aughnanure]

OU is a gloriified juniior college.  The pac 12 is still trying to pretend that they are a bastion of academic excellence (as long as you ignore ASU and WSU it makes sense) and the Oklahoma schools don't fit that mold.  They are not chasing Oklahoma, they are using them to get to Texas.  Texas and ND are the 800lb gorillas in this merry go round.  Both will join a conference and both are being heavily recuited.

Wow, someone really dislikes OU. Too bad you're wrong. A glorified junior college? Don't get me wrong, OU is no Harvard, but its a top 100 school with a very solid academic pedigree. You think Washington St, Arizona, Arizona st, Oregon St, etc got in on their academics? Jeez. PAC-12 will not hesitate to add a team like OU just as the Big Ten did not hesitate to add Nebraska. The only issue may be if they take on OSU, but they do really like the the "travelling partner" set up, so I doubt they would flinch too much.

[StillAWarrior]

PAC-12 will not hesitate to add a team like OU just as the Big Ten did not hesitate to add Nebraska.

You know what the "N" in their helmets stands for, right?

[Aughnanure]

^ Watch it, there's a lot of Corn fans that went to MU, but I do still like that old joke.

The main point about Oklahoma getting in REGARDLESS OF TEXAS is because the PAC-12 doesnt have too many options after OU and UT. If we're all going to 16-20 team leagues then how is the PAC getting there without UT or OU?

With TCU already out and the PAC apparently not willing to give in on BYU's Sunday rule, where can they go? UNLV and Nevada suddenly become the main targets? If Tech is still around is that there best option to get into Texas?

The PAC is so constrained by their geography, and they'll need to get into the Central timezone to get on more TVs, so where do they go to grow their reach beyond the West coast? SMU, Rice? If OU gets tricked into going with UT to the ACC to form that Texas pod, Kansas, Missouri & Kansas State become the #1 priorities on their list immediately.

[ken8406]

Not to pile on, but it bears repeating:  just because we've not got one school that makes no sense at all (TCU) doesn't mean that another school located nearby will make sense.   Hell, why not get UCSD and then the following year pick up SDSU.  SDSU would make sense since they could develop a rivalry with their cross-town school.

Sorry for throwing out a possible benefit for the addition. It's not like the Big East added two schools in a different time zone in the past.

[StillAWarrior]

Sorry for throwing out a possible benefit for the addition. It's not like the Big East added two schools in a different time zone in the past.

Not a problem.  I didn't mean for my post to sound harsh, and I agree that it would be a benefit to the addition.  My comment was just that it still wouldn't "make sense."

[muhs03]

Im starting to warm-up to Baylor/ISU/KSU should the opportunity be there to take them. If the conference is going to expand one way or another, isnt it better to take schools that are affiliated with a BCS conference than to take....UCF....or ECU....or SMU....or Houston? The negative stigma associated with non-BCS programs is greater than that of bottom-feeding BCS members, imo.

[bilsu]

Not a problem.  I didn't mean for my post to sound harsh, and I agree that it would be a benefit to the addition.  My comment was just that it still wouldn't "make sense."

I would not be excited about Baylor either. However, would it make sense for basketball to catch two teams on the same road trip. Visiting team flies to play TCU on Thursday and stays to play Baylor on Saturday. Same thing with Kansas/ Kansas St include them in the same road trip. However, what the Big East probably will do is make you play at Kansas one year and then Kansas St the next year, so every year you would be flying to Kansas and Texas to play one game.