NCAA Conference Realignment

[Roadhawg]

Just a short message from the folks in Nebraska

[OKCisOK4me]

They just need to figure something out. Notice how none of us OSU fans are chiming in? Put us in a revenue conference and we'll be happy. I don't care if its only with Texas, only with OU, both or neither. This whole deal is ludicrous!

[hughmo]

At this point several things need to happen at the same time. 1) Invites to West Virginia and TCU need to be made, along with an invite to any of the following schools: BYU, South Florida, Air Force, SMU (I'd love to see Arkansas come back, ain't gonna happen tho). 2) New bylaws and revenue sharing platform in place. 3) Bebee gets his incompetent a$5 out as commish, and someone who knows how to organize in an unbiased way steps in.

I hate to admit it, but my heart sank a little when I heard the news last night. I don't hate Texas, but after all this it seems their ultimate goal is to be bigger than Notre Dame.

[urbanity]

Upon further review

OU, OSU not headed to Pac-12, which OU regent calls an ‘academically and athletically superior’ conference.

http://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/ar...er-review.html

[Kokopelli]

The new Big 12...

*New commissioner

*Equal revenue sharing of all television revenue and the creation of a Big12 Network.

A conference should be a conference of equals and therefore all television revenue should be equal period. No more of each school going their own way and creating their own network either you are part of a conference or you are not.
The other successful conference do it this way and they do not have members leaving. Texas will not be able to join another conference without making major concessions to the TLN - so why should the Big12 allow it. If the PAC is getting enough for their 3rd tier television to give each of their members 15 million -- how much can the Big 12 get.

Until all the schools agree to equal sharing the conference realignment issue will come back and bite them again and again. This issue and all other issues need to be settled now.

Expansion; To start off we target 3 schools to get back to 12 members, logically it makes sense to add Air Force, BYU and TCU.
Then we give 4 additional schools a five year audition. This would shows that the Big12 is serious about being one of the surviving conferences

None of them are glamorous names but lets be honest with ourselves there are no glamorous named schools to be had. Adding Big East schools just doesn’t make logical sense besides the Big East is also in aggressive expansion and survival mode.

What the four audition schools do offer is media markets, potential, and proximity. The 4 audition schools would be Colorado State, Houston, Memphis and New Mexico.
With the addition of BYU, Colorado State, Memphis and New Mexico we just added 4 top 50 media markets to the conference. Add in a conference championship game we now have lots of reason for renegotiations with the television networks.

At that point with 16 teams lets go to pod scheduling meaning 9 conference games a year ala 3-2-2-2.

The pods could look something like this;

Mountain Pod: Air Force, BYU, Colorado St, and New Mexico
Texas Pod: Baylor, Houston, Texas Tech and TCU
Central Pod: OU, OSU, Texas and either KU or KSU
Eastern Pod: KU or KSU, Iowa St, Memphis and Missouri

At the end of the 5 year audition period we revisit maybe everyone works out and maybe not. At least we wouldn’t be flying all over the USA as all of the schools for BYU and Memphis are in a fairly compact area.

[Native Okie]

Texas is a problem, yet not as big of a problem as dragging OSU along with you where ever you go. Baylor ISU problems as well should Mizzou jump ship. If we are going to resurrect the Big 12 I agree we need to get back into the Colorado market. It has always worked wonderfully with CU & CSU being in different leagues. I wish Oklahoma as a state (& Boone) would figure that out, works well in Georgia and Iowa to name a couple more. The loss of Nebraska and now A&M are major blows to the conference. For Nebraska the problem was Texas. It reminds me of Arkansas leaving the SWC, and why did they leave Texas. It is not a hate longhorn thing, as much as it is a Texas dominated /controlled league seems to be what they desire. I have a feeling something will be offered to the Sooners in the near future. I just hope Boren has the ability to pull the trigger without having to carry osu.

[MikeOKC]

Put this in a post about something else - it should have been its own post.

I saw a great interview today from a former league commissioner back east and he thinks this is all just madness with the rush because of scheduling. We're ending up with conferences so far out of regions it's ridiculous. He said it's like if the Founding Fathers created a United States with the former colonies, Alaska, Uruguay, Costa Rica and something across the Atlantic for good measure. If you think about it, it's true. Too much, too fast. Not thought out. It's chaos.

[oneforone]

I think OU got a hard dose of reality when the Pac 12 shut them down. They are not the hot commodity everyone here thinks they are. For the last ten years they have had a good season and just choked when bowl season arrived. Not to mention, the days of OU, Texas and Nebraska dominating football are over. More and More Freshmen are looking at the quality education they are going to receive and the quality of campus life. Many of the mediocre schools are selling the big picture not just playing for a winning team that has high levels of national media exposure. More players realize now more than ever the chances of them going to the NFL and actually landing an all star career are very slim therefore, they need a solid education to fall back on. You have to ready to get a real job after college. There is only x amount of sports radio jobs and spokesman jobs for Mom and Pop companies are not going to pay your bills on a regular basis.

[betts]

I think our two biggest problems are our market size and the fact that we seem to come as a package: OU and OSU. As a state, we have a smaller population than many cities. OU may have a storied history, but we have to be honest and say that, at least in football, OSU does not. The problem is that over time, if we're in a mediocre conference, OU's storied history will vanish out of people's memories. In today's market, it's all about what you've done lately, and even the best of programs has bad decades. One bad decade in a mediocre conference and OU will be an average program in a small state, to most people. The time to move was last year, or now if we can find a conference that wants us. I'd be calling the SEC if I were Boren. It's actually a better fit and they've got 13 programs.

[MikeOKC]

I think OU got a hard dose of reality when the Pac 12 shut them down. They are not the hot commodity everyone here thinks they are. For the last ten years they have had a good season and just choked when bowl season arrived. Not to mention, the days of OU, Texas and Nebraska dominating football are over. More and More Freshmen are looking at the quality education they are going to receive and the quality of campus life. Many of the mediocre schools are selling the big picture not just playing for a winning team that has high levels of national media exposure. More players realize now more than ever the chances of them going to the NFL and actually landing an all star career are very slim therefore, they need a solid education to fall back on. You have to ready to get a real job after college. There is only x amount of sports radio jobs and spokesman jobs for Mom and Pop companies are not going to pay your bills on a regular basis.

Oh, please. They are not. First of all, besides the quarterback position and a few others, most of these players (80% at OU) are "special admits" - in other words, they wouldn't even be able to go to the University of Oklahoma without the waiver as a special admission. They aren't thinking about academics - period. They're thinking about football - period.
That's the dose of reality.

[oneforone]

Oh, please. They are not. First of all, besides the quarterback position and a few others, most of these players (80% at OU) are "special admits" - in other words, they wouldn't even be able to go to the University of Oklahoma without the waiver as a special admission. They aren't thinking about academics - period. They're thinking about football - period.
That's the dose of reality.

I was not talking about all of them. You right, there always be plenty of lunkheads that want nothing more than to play on a championship team. The majority of these lunkheads will never grow past their college football stardom. Their destined to being 300 pound radio radio commentators and hocking blue collar products and services.

I was just saying more players are looking at more then playing for a championship team.

Personally, I am hoping OU, OSU and Texas will each go their own way. I am tired of all the antics that go on that make this area of the country look like the world's largest trailer park. OSU will always be team that has a 3-5 loss season. OU and Texas will have years of championships and years of failure. Their success rate is based entirely on how much money the regents can strong arm from the members of their alumni associations. When the money flow is heavy they have a winning team. When money flow is light to moderate they have a rough season. Let's face it OU and Texas are known for their shady tactics. For years OU and Texas have moved players to their backyard from other states while the kid was still in last year or two of high school. Mom and Dad get a free home, free cars with all expenses paid. The only requirement is junior has to commit to sign to OU or Texas.

[Kokopelli]

According to an ESPN article the main reason the PAC didn't expand is the TLN.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...orts-landscape

[Native Okie]

I live in PAC 10 country the news out here is The problem is the Longhorn network. USC does not like it nor UCLA. OU would be acceptable but not with OSU. Others were speaking of the Sooners or Longhorns paying off players and parents. That is not even hidden out here with SC. Even attending class is optional, I saw Alex Smith and Reggie Bush go thru that cycle. Next door neighbors kid is being recruited by the PAC schools for baseball you should see and hear some of the offers, unbelievable.

[Just the facts]

According to an ESPN article the main reason the PAC didn't expand is the TLN.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...orts-landscape

Thank you. TLN is THE reason there is not a PAC-16 today.

[Just the facts]

I live in PAC 10 country the news out here is The problem is the Longhorn network. USC does not like it nor UCLA. OU would be acceptable but not with OSU. Others were speaking of the Sooners or Longhorns paying off players and parents. That is not even hidden out here with SC. Even attending class is optional, I saw Alex Smith and Reggie Bush go thru that cycle. Next door neighbors kid is being recruited by the PAC schools for baseball you should see and hear some of the offers, unbelievable.

Not to mention Oregon just got a letter from the NCAA saying it is being investigated

[venture]

http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.c...70202/32175771

Beebe should be fired today. Chuck Neinas, former Big 8 commissioner, sounds like the guy coming in to replace him.

[Roadhawg]

http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.c...70202/32175771

Beebe should be fired today. Chuck Neinas, former Big 8 commissioner, sounds like the guy coming in to replace him.

About 3 years too late

[Just the facts]

We should have known something was wrong the day the Big 8 took on 4 Texas orphans and the conference headquarters moved to Dallas.

[BB37]

Thank you. TLN is THE reason there is not a PAC-16 today.

This. Per Thursday's DOK, the PAC wants nothing more to do with ut and its demands for special treatment. Plus, Dodds (ut AD) is quoted in the Statesman as saying the LHN is non-negotiable.

IMHO, OU is stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place. There will never be true "harmony" in the B12 as long as ut is a member, but if ut leaves, the conference won't survive. Much as I hate to say it, I think OU's best chance for long term success now is in the SEC

[kevinpate]

We should have known something was wrong the day the Big 8 took on 4 Texas orphans and the conference headquarters moved to Dallas.

I think you probably meant we shoulda known it was gonna end badly when the GTO's muscled up and took over the Big8 turf and money pipeline without firing a shot. Dang the complacency that allowed, and allows, dem Grimy Texas Orphans to rule da hood.

[venture]

If TLH is completely off the table as Dodds likes to think, change the conference rules to adapt. If a school goes out of their way to launch their own network to carry their games, the amount earned by that network is taken out of their share of revenue that would have been generated by the conference. So money wise it is a wash. The other major issues are the recruiting implications. Complete ban on any school sponsored network from having any non-collegiate athlete or sports team from being shown.

The options we have are limited.
1) Reorganize under the Big East organization and not invite Texas.
2) Force Texas to compromise on the LHN or deal with going independent.
3) Put up with it and go begging to the PAC or SEC to try to let us in.

Yeah Texas is a major part of the Big 12, but saying that it can only survive because of Texas is the whole reason we are in this mess.

[venture]

Big East is going full steam ahead...while the Big 12 slumbers still. The latest...

- Big East will be seeking an immediate removal of Syracuse and Pittsburgh from the conference.
- Football only invites are being issued to Navy and Air Force (knew this already).
- Big East has been approached by (and invites may be pending) for UCF, Houston, and ECU.

[dcsooner]

We should have known something was wrong the day the Big 8 took on 4 Texas orphans and the conference headquarters moved to Dallas.

The conference HQ should be moved out of Texas to Mo, either KC or StL

[MikeOKC]

It's all becoming madness. Venture, you say HOUSTON might go to the Big EAST? This is all ridiculous - no rhyme or reason to the conferences anymore that have always been region specific. "Student athletes" - it's all just a big joke now. Make it semi-professional and let them do what they want with their network contracts, big money donors, special admit athletes to represent them and quit the farce. It's becoming comical. This is as good a time as ever with all the changes for $$$ and greed to just change everything from top to bottom. There doesn't even seem to be anybody in charge at the NCAA who could have shown some leadership and put a freeze on all this. Now, it's just chaos.

[kevinpate]

The conference HQ should be moved out of Texas to Mo, either KC or StL

I don't follow. Huskers are gone, and MO still flirts w/ leaving. Whether they are serious, or it is a bluff by MO, what are the
benefits to setting the HQ that far north in the conf., other than to take it out of Texas?