Conference Realignment: Oklahoma Looking To Move To Pac-12?
by Brian Favat on Sep 3, 2011 7:43 PM EDT
in Conference Expansion
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PrintWe interrupt your post-loss self-loathing with this bit of NCAA conference realignment talk. According to a report in The Oklahoman, it looks like the Sooners are next in line to jump the sinking ship that is the Big 12 to join the Pac-12.
"Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott was in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday night for the Oregon-LSU game.
Prime opportunity for OU officials to meet with the head of the conference they are considering joining. But an OU source said Saturday there were no plans for Scott to meet with the Sooners.
Not because something has gone wrong, but because something went right.
"I don't think anybody needs to go" meet with Scott, the source said, indicating the Pac-12 has become the Sooners' sole focus."
It's been previously reported that the Pac-12's preference is to add four schools -- namely, Oklahoma, Oklahoma state, Texas and Texas Tech -- to move to 16 schools, creating the nation's first superconference. It doesn't sound like Oklahoma State is making plans to stick around either, with a highly-placed OSU official saying that "OU and OSU have to stick together."
It sounds like Oklahoma is getting increasingly frustrated with the Big 12's search for a Texas A&M replacement, with Notre Dame, Arkansas and Pittsburgh already rejected the conference's overtures. Big 12 expansion options like BYU, Air Force and TCU don't interest the Sooners much, either.
One of the big sticking points for any move to the Pac-12 for Texas is whether they can keep their TV relationship with ESPN and the Longhorn Network. The OU source has said that there's a place for the Pac-12 TV rights deal and Texas' Longhorn Network to coexist. Take that for what it's worth.
If Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech do bolt for the left coast, look for the SEC to scoop up Missouri along with Texas A&M to move to 14 programs. Big East Commissioner John Marinatto likely also smells blood in the water. I'm sure he would jump at the chance of adding Kansas, Kansas State and maybe even Baylor to get to 12 football programs and bounce the basketball-only schools, making the Big East smaller and even less eastern.
However, if the non-football members of the Big East are eventually bounced, that puts the biggest fish in the conference realignment pond -- Notre Dame -- back in the market for a conference home for its hoops and Olympic sports. Could the Irish eventually find themselves in the ACC for all other sports and maybe even for football in a post-apocalyptic, four superconference world?
Basically, all that talk of Texas holding the keys to conference expansion? Make that Oklahoma. And if OU, OSU, Texas and Texas Tech do give up on making the Big 12 marriage of convenience work, all sorts of craziness may follow.
Can't we just settle all this already and get back to playing football?
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I agree. Everyone is just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I doubt the Big 12ish will survive. Too many schools in that conference are on edge now that A&M is leaving. Mizzou would likely join the SEC. Don’t know who the other two eastern teams would be. Wish we could add BC. Geographically, it would be a nightmare but man I love that town.
Stanford, Cal and SC...
These 3 schools will never allow Ok. State, Texas and TT into the Pac-12.
Dikaia Upotheke - Justice Our Foundation
They would allow Texas
and be forced to take those other two because of that
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
Except those same schools voted to allow them last year
by ev on Sep 4, 2011 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s only 3/12 anyway, and Oregon State would vote yes just so they don’t get kicked out. Joking. Sorta.
ev — what are the Pac-12 expansion rules? I believe when BC moved to the ACC, we needed a super majority (9 of 11).
Editor, BC Interruption
I believe its unanimous
One of the things that was so shocking about Scott’s 5 team power play last year was the commonly held belief that Stanford would veto anything less than a top 50 institution (OU, OSU, TTU, Utah). Scott got the blessing from all the institutions to act as their voice. I don’t know if he still has that authority.
In addition
Adding them to the ‘East’ division isolates the California schools from the infectious mid-cont tier-3 schools.
Agreed
Adding those four Big 12 schools — Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State — allows the western teams to get back together in a West Division comprised of the old Pac-8. That’s gotta be somewhat appealing to the Northern Cal schools, who would be reunited with USC and UCLA in the same division.
The East division becomes five old Big 12 programs, Utah and the Arizona schools, which also preserves some of the rivalries of the old Big 12. Actually makes a lot of sense, nevermind the fact that 16 is a bit unwieldy.
Pac-16 West: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Cal, Stanford, UCLA, USC
Pac-16 Southwest: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, Utah
Editor, BC Interruption
It will get rave reviews with the Pac 8 schools
Zona, ASU, Colorado and Utah have got to be pissed, though. The Arizona schools have been members for a while and rely on CA heavily for recruiting. Colorado entererd thinking it’d get more play in CA. And Utah? I guess, who cares about their feelings at this point?
The one thing I’d caution is that having 5 Big 12 teams (specifically the block of four from OK & TX) creates a cultural rift. The last conference that added a block like that didn’t fare to well (Big 8).
I believe the rift is a financial one, not a cultural one. The unequal revenue split is what will do in the Big 12.
Editor, BC Interruption
It was a combination of both
The old Big 8 schools were largely at odds with the 4 SWC schools during the 15 years of the Big 12. The offices moved from KC to Dallas, revenue spits favored the South (more tv sets), and rule changes became more Texas centric.
Without going full Nebraska-angle on the issue, there were always tensions and a unified culture was never established. The conference always felt exactly like what it was: a shotgun wedding.
If the Pac-16 is to learn from this lesson, it really should make an effort to find a unified culture with this block of Okies and Texans. A home and home with cross-divisional rivals every eight years may spell trouble.
If Scott and the rest of the conference truly cared about Utah’s feelings, they would have offered them a full share of the revenues in year one.
Utah just seems happy to have access to the BCS now.
Editor, BC Interruption
Short answer: No.
However, if the non-football members of the Big East are eventually bounced, that puts the biggest fish in the conference realignment pond — Notre Dame — back in the market for a conference home for its hoops and Olympic sports. Could the Irish eventually find themselves in the ACC for all other sports and maybe even for football in a post-apocalyptic, four superconference world?
My hatred for Purdue is so great that no mortal human can detect its existence.
The NYT is reporting
That there will be no political road blocks to A&M leaving in the event of a Big 12 collapse. This is contrary to Orangebloods’ reports that seem to be angled at keeping OU in the fold.
The other issue that is not to be underestimated in this is the Big East / Big 12 left behinds formation. There may be considerable exit fees on the table and this may be a way for the football programs to ditch the hybrid system.
The Big East would keep its BCS auto-bid — all the remaining conferences would still have access to the BCS — but adding the Big 12 leftovers makes the football product even worse.
Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State / Baylor … yeesh.
Editor, BC Interruption
I never said it would be pretty
… but money talks and money walks.
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