Big Ten and other Conference Expansion

[Muck]

A colleague at work made it sound like it was a done deal for Okie and Okie State to the Pac-10, but I can't find it anywhere.

OU's sole focus now on joining Pac-12

University of Oklahoma sources are indicating the school's focus is squarely on joining the Pac-12. By nature of Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis' comments Saturday, it would seem OSU is also focused on 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.

.../cont/...

Sources: Texas has three viable realignment options

University of Texas President Bill Powers and athletic directors DeLoss Dodds and Chris Plonsky boarded a plane early Sunday afternoon for a meeting at the University of Oklahoma with one hope: Find a creative solution to save the Big 12.

Their Oklahoma counterparts had a different agenda.

In fact, before the Longhorns party had arrived, OU's board of regents had instructed school President David L. Boren to prepare a document to formally apply for admission to the Pac-12, a source close to the situation said.

Oklahoma is expected to be joined in exodus by Oklahoma State to become the Pac-12's 13th and 14th institutions.

"There's nothing Texas could have offered Oklahoma that would have changed their mind. They were set on leaving the Big 12 before Texas got there," a well-placed source at a Big 12 school said, adding that Sunday's meeting had a very friendly and cooperative tone. "The Big 12's done. Oklahoma wasn't open to creating Big 12 stability."

The Sooners could find themselves without stability as there is no guarantee the Pac-12 will extend an invitation. Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, who last week said his conference would prefer to keep the status quo, had no comment Monday about Oklahoma's plans, but recent developments suggest OU and OSU could be Pac-12-bound.

"Texas must have come into the meeting and seen the handwriting on the wall," said a source close to OU and Texas who is familiar with these realignment issues. "I think OU and OSU will seek membership to the Pac-12 in the next two weeks, but A&M comes first."

.../cont/...

Pac-12 football: the latest on expansion

The Austin American Statesman is reporting that a meeting between Texas and Oklahoma officials Sunday produced no change in OU?s course ? the Sooners reportedly will apply for admission to the Pac-12 within two weeks (with Oklahoma State presumably in tow).

Texas wants to keep the Big 12 together, but that may not be an option if the Oklahoma schools depart.

.../cont/...

Source: Oklahoma nowhere near move (Warning: ESPN link)

The University of Oklahoma's leadership is interested in a move to the Pac-12 from the Big 12, but such a move is far from a done deal, as the school's overriding concern remains assuring a stable future for its athletic programs, a source said Tuesday.

"There is strong interest within the leadership of Oklahoma about the Pac-12, really strong, but to characterize it as already (having) been done, well, that's going too far," said the source. "It is fair to say there is strong interest, but that doesn't mean the Big 12 is not an option anymore. The concern is long-term stability."

.../cont/...

Sooner fans seem to feel it's a done deal but everything appears to be in a holding pattern until someone makes the first move in the Mexican standoff between A&M/SEC, Baylor & OU/Pac12.

The OU BOR met on Monday & the following items were on the schedule:

Item 28 – ISSUE: CONFERENCE ALIGNMENT – NC

ACTION PROPOSED:
The Board of Regents will discuss potential legal ramifications of athletic conference
realignment options and/or consider new athletic conference membership and take any
appropriate action. An executive session may be proposed pursuant to Section 307B.4 of the
Oklahoma Open Meetings Act.

Item 29 – LITIGATION – ALL

ACTION PROPOSED:
This is reported for information only. No action is required.
An executive session may be proposed for the purpose of meeting with General
Counsel for a report on pending and possible litigation pursuant to Section 307B.4.

 

[BrutusBobcat]

We got unemployment at under 5% in Nebraska. What you got?

We have a balanced state budget here in Nebraska What you got?

We get rain. What you got?

We play football in a viable conference. What you got?

I saw the Nebraska game on TV last week. What you got?

Now be quiet, or Warren Buffet will come down there and buy your state and give it to the Mexicans. Then you'll all be playing soccer.

That's my idea of a "cultural fit". Welcome to the B1G, fellas.

:bigten2:

 

[muffler dragon]

OU's sole focus now on joining Pac-12



Sources: Texas has three viable realignment options



Pac-12 football: the latest on expansion



Source: Oklahoma nowhere near move (Warning: ESPN link)



Sooner fans seem to feel it's a done deal but everything appears to be in a holding pattern until someone makes the first move in the Mexican standoff between A&M/SEC, Baylor & OU/Pac12.

The OU BOR met on Monday & the following items were on the schedule:

Thanks Muck. Just didn't google the right phrase apparently.

 

[BrowardBuck]

Now that post is hilarious. I shot soda out of my nose from laughing and choking from reading that!

BB

That's my idea of a "cultural fit". Welcome to the B1G, fellas.

:bigten2:

 

[Dryden]

Thanks Muck. Just didn't google the right phrase apparently.

Yeah. I just Googled "Shay Laren Playing Wii" and didn't get any search results on conference expansion either.

 

[Muck]

Thanks Muck. Just didn't google the right phrase apparently.

I just went back & found them all again (I remembered reading them before) on Frank The Tank's blog...no Google required.

 

[MaliBuckeye]

OU Board of Regents Meeting on Monday.

2 hours later, UT BOR meeting, where " Discussion and appropriate action regarding potential legal issues related to athletic conference membership and contracting" is on the agenda.

FrankTheTank says Monday's the day.

 

[colobuck79]

I heard from a friend that it is only a 30 minute agenda item, which if true, seems more like a vote than a discussion item.

 

[Muck]

OU Board of Regents Meeting on Monday.

2 hours later, UT BOR meeting, where " Discussion and appropriate action regarding potential legal issues related to athletic conference membership and contracting" is on the agenda.

FrankTheTank says Monday's the day.

For some reason I thought the OU meeting was this past Monday. Thanks for correcting that.

 

[Muck]

Syracuse and Pitt in Talks With A.C.C.

Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh, two bedrock members of the Big East Conference, are engaged in talks about joining the Atlantic Coast Conference, according to a source with direct knowledge of the talks.

No one from Pittsburgh, Syracuse or the A.C.C. denied the conversations were taking place. Officials from all three entities declined to comment on the matter.

The person with knowledge of the talks declined to speculate on a timetable or the seriousness of the discussions. But in this delicate time for conferences and their futures, the discussions between the 12-team A.C.C. and two Big East members is significant.

.../cont/...

Is there anyone who would have called the ACC potentially being the first conference to make an actual move?

 

[jlb1705]

Syracuse and Pitt in Talks With A.C.C.



Is there anyone who would have called the ACC potentially being the first conference to make an actual move?

It was certainly plausible. Their seat at the BCS table could be at stake.

 

[Ryan36_1]

Looks like Pitt and Syracuse submitted applications.

Looking for non-ESPN source, I'm sure they stole it from someone.

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/32034930

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Atlantic Coast Conference has received letters of application from Pittsburgh and Syracuse, a high ranking league official told CBSSports.com.
The ACC also has recently been contacted by 10 schools, the official said. However, they would not disclose what conferences those schools were from.

 

[BuckTwenty]

Looks like Pitt and Syracuse submitted applications.

Looking for non-ESPN source, I'm sure they stole it from someone.

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/32034930

If 14 will be the number all the conferences are gunning for (at this stage, anyways), makes it interesting that they are raiding the Big East and not the Big XII, especially after all the talk about Texas. Bet Texas was one of the 10 that "contacted" the ACC, which would be why such a fuss was made over "TEXAS TO THE ACC!!!1!".

If Pitt and Syracuse leave, sure opens the door for WVU to the SEC. If those three leave, the only way the Big East survives is if the Big XII falls first and the Big East picks up the remaining former members. Kansas would be their #1 target with a bullet.

Also should be interesting to see if the remaining Big East members file a similar lawsuit to what Baylor did for another conference plundering/tampering with their member schools. It looks like the ACC is making no bones about their intentions, which is pretty ballsy.

 

[MaxBuck]

Looks like Pitt and Syracuse submitted applications.

Looking for non-ESPN source, I'm sure they stole it from someone.

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/32034930

Interesting development. Could pave the way for Kansas and K-State to the Big East, where basketball is king. I think the ACC is more consistent with where Pitt and Syracuse would like to be from an academic standpoint as well as football.

The BTN is the only network that promises to give Tejas as much revenue as they could get from the LHN - plus it's an established brand. I think early disappointing returns from the LHN will get the 'Horns thinking maybe they made a mistake there, and that the Big Money Conference (our new name; like it?) is the best place for them.

 

[MaliBuckeye]

Interesting development. Could pave the way for Kansas and K-State to the Big East, where basketball is king. I think the ACC is more consistent with where Pitt and Syracuse would like to be from an academic standpoint as well as football.

The BTN is the only network that promises to give Tejas as much revenue as they could get from the LHN - plus it's an established brand. I think early disappointing returns from the LHN will get the 'Horns thinking maybe they made a mistake there, and that the Big Money Conference (our new name; like it?) is the best place for them.

Sure, but there are a lot of folks in Texas who don't want to lose the LHN (Even though it's not been a proven resource as of yet).

Another rumor that's out there- UT to the ACC in all sports but football (independent), but they'd schedule 4 games a year with the ACC. I'm guessing that ND would join the ACC in a similar capacity (same as they have now with the Big lEast).

Of course, this is all about TV revenue, and ESPN owns all the ACC rights and the LHN partnership. One of the figures being tossed around regarding this scenario uses the word "Billion" in regards to TV dollars.

My take- If the B1G loses UT, that's no big deal. It'd be great to have them, but not a necessity in terms of footprint (plus, they're not historically good partners).

If we lose "regional" and AAU/CIC schools (ND, Pitt, Syracuse) w/o landing a big name (Rutgers/Mizzou are not big names), then the conference has significantly dropped the ball... and the "ESPN against the BTN" narrative will go defcon eleventy.