Big 12 Conference

[Pete]

Not that there was any doubt, but the OU Regents just voted unanimously to accept the invite to join the SEC.

It's official now.


Still lots of legal wrangling and tons of scheduling and timing issues, of course.

[Zuplar]

S.E.C., S.E.....nope, nope, you're better than that.

[Laramie]

It is reported that OU & UT could leave the Big 12 by mid-2022.

...With the additions of OU and Texas, the SEC is expected to distribute $60 million per year to each of its now 16 members. The Big 12’s revenue distribution last year was just less than $35 million per school, more than $10 million less than the SEC’s payout.--Oklahoman, July 30, 2021

What will be the fate of the remaining 8 schools left in the Big 12. Will they expand or disband...

We do know that once the two marquee school exit the Big 12, Texas will have to dissolve the Longhorn Network. OU & UT could owe the Big 12 as much as $80 million each to leave early.

If most of the remaining schools leave the Big 12 early and the conference dissolves--will any schools owe anything. It looks as though that could be the case as a majority of Big 12 schools are now looking for a soft landing place with other power five conferences.

[Pete]

Not to get too far off on a tangent regarding academic rankings, but OU President Joe Harroz just included the following in an email blast.

If OU could gain AAU status, that would be a game-changer for the entire state:

While this decision most obviously affects OU Athletics, it’s not just about our sports programs. We know this decision will benefit our entire university, advancing our purpose and important work. This move positions OU for success in fulfilling our Strategic Plan. Much of our plan speaks to our aspiration to become an AAU-caliber institution, with benchmarks based on the criteria by which AAU institutions are judged. A move into a conference with more AAU institutions provides us the chance to align OU further and more closely to the standards we will need to meet to reach our goal. Our Strategic Plan is ambitious and certainly requires a conference alignment that affords us the opportunity to aggressively invest in our academic mission.

[Martin]

^
i'd love to see the university aspire to that level... but i don't see a pathway to aau membership. nebraska lost its aau status because its medical school is around 50 miles away in omaha. ou is in a similar situation with ouhsc roughly 20 miles away. in this day and age of telecommunications and interconnectivity, it seems like an arbitrary guideline. in ou's situation, i'm positive that hsc would function at a lower level if it were physically located on the norman campus.

[GoGators]

Not to get too far off on a tangent regarding academic rankings, but OU President Joe Harroz just included the following in an email blast.

If OU could gain AAU status, that would be a game-changer for the entire state:

No one is moving to the SEC for the academics. it's a sports/money decision and there is nothing wrong with that. No need for him to try and spin it into something it clearly isn't. I get every new president of a non member university is going to say they want to move toward member status, but it comes off as even more disingenuous here.

A move into a conference with more AAU institutions provides us the chance to align OU further and more closely to the standards we will need to meet to reach our goal.

There are currently 4 AAU members in the SEC and 3 AAU members in the Big 12.
The original Big 12 had 6 members (7 including Nebraska). That didn't help OU get invited either.

[David]

While this decision most obviously affects OU Athletics, it’s not just about our sports programs. We know this decision will benefit our entire university, advancing our purpose and important work. This move positions OU for success in fulfilling our Strategic Plan. Much of our plan speaks to our aspiration to become an AAU-caliber institution, with benchmarks based on the criteria by which AAU institutions are judged. A move into a conference with more AAU institutions provides us the chance to align OU further and more closely to the standards we will need to meet to reach our goal. Our Strategic Plan is ambitious and certainly requires a conference alignment that affords us the opportunity to aggressively invest in our academic mission.

Hmn. On one hand athletic conference membership should have nothing to do with academic ranking, and if it suddenly does then that academic ranking feels like it's probably a lie of some degree. On the other hand though, maybe the idea here is SEC membership is going to drive enough additional academic dollars to make the difference?

[Pete]

No one is moving to the SEC for the academics. it's a sports/money decision and there is nothing wrong with that. No need for him to try and spin it into something it clearly isn't. I get every new president of a non member university is going to say they want to move toward member status, but it comes off as even more disingenuous here.



There are currently 4 AAU members in the SEC and 3 AAU members in the Big 12.
The original Big 12 had 6 members (7 including Nebraska). That didn't help OU get invited either.

It's not about just getting invited, it's about reaching the benchmarks the AAU requires.

Look, if the university president thinks there is an academic advantage, I'll listen to him rather than somebody who seems insistent in arguing almost every academic post I make.

[GoGators]

It's not about just getting invited, it's about reaching the benchmarks the AAU requires.

Look, if the university president thinks there is an academic advantage, I'll listen to him rather than somebody who seems insistent in arguing almost every academic post I make.

its just kind of an embarrassing statement from the president.

[Pete]

its just kind of an embarrassing statement from the president.

According to you.

Harroz is a very well-respected university administrator and a super sharp man. I trust that he knows what he's talking about.

[WheelerD Guy]

According to you.

Harroz is a very well-respected university administrator and a super sharp man. I trust that he knows what he's talking about.

+1. I’d be more surprised if he didn’t make that statement!

[Pete]

its just kind of an embarrassing statement from the president.

Aren't you an OSU grad despite your screen name?

[soonermike81]

Aren't you an OSU grad despite your screen name?

That would make complete sense. The guy obviously has some real disdain for OU. I was literally about to comment that it was weird coming from a gator.

[PhiAlpha]

its just kind of an embarrassing statement from the president.

LOL. How embarrassing. A university president speaking about what he believes to be an academic benefit of the massive decision he just announced.

[GoGators]

According to you.

Harroz is a very well-respected university administrator and a super sharp man. I trust that he knows what he's talking about.

No one is saying any different. One can have the upmost respect for a person and think a pr statement is cringey. They aren’t mutually exclusive

[Pete]

No one is saying any different. One can have the upmost respect for a person and think a pr statement is cringey. They aren’t mutually exclusive

You are an OSU grad and fan with ulterior motives, plain and simple.

[GoGators]

You are an OSU grad and fan with ulterior motives, plain and simple.

It’s not an ulterior motive to understand that joining an athletic conference doesn’t increase your chances of obtaining AAU status but also why a university president would want to link the two. Didn’t know that would be such a controversial statement. Seems kind of obvious to me.

[HOT ROD]

What a joke. Neither Ohio State nor Michigan are South or East. This whole thing is a mess, or starting to be one.

As for your second tidbit, college football has become a professional sport. It became that way when athletes were ruled eligible for financial incentives through deals and whatnot.

This will hurt the NFL. If I were NFL owners I would be pretty concerned about the long term future. Nick Saban said that some of his players will be millionaires by the time they finish their college career. If you had enough money to live off of for the rest of your life at 23, would you continue to play such a dangerous sport such as football at the next level? I don't think a few will. I'm sure there will be a few, but I'm guessing we will see a lot decide to take their life in another direction.

but it's also great that those with the talent in the NCAA can make $$ while their bodies will still allow instead of having to wait to the NFL. It's kind of like basketball really, best to get your $$ now.

From an academic standpoint I agree, but from a wear and tear/talent prospective there's no reason why an athlete should wait 4 years to earn if they're THAT GOOD now.

[Plutonic Panda]

It’s not an ulterior motive to understand that joining an athletic conference doesn’t increase your chances of obtaining AAU status but also why a university president would want to link the two. Didn’t know that would be such a controversial statement. Seems kind of obvious to me.

What is the issue with linking the two? I don’t get it.

[Martin]

was watching the first half of the 2015 ou/tennessee game earlier tonight and it dawned on me that we might be playing against josh heupel in our near future... that could shape up to be a pretty interesting series.

[Pete]

was watching the first half of the 2015 ou/tennessee game earlier tonight and it dawned on me that we might be playing against josh heupel in our near future... that could shape up to be a pretty interesting series.

Josh Heupel, Mike Leach and Shane Beamer. All head coaches in the SEC who used to coach for OU.

Plus Bob's brother, Mark Stoops at Kentucky.

[Martin]

Josh Heupel, Mike Leach and Shane Beamer. All head coaches in the SEC who used to coach for OU.

Plus Bob's brother, Mark Stoops at Kentucky.

oh, right... totally forgot about mike leach and mark stoops! there are going to be some interesting matchups ahead. leach lost a lot of points with me after the msu/tulsa game last year.

[mugofbeer]

Right now there will be no "breather" games. I bet this also gets the SEC Championship game out of Atlanta every year. Jerry J. must be lickin' his chops right now.

[Pete]

Right now there will be no "breather" games. I bet this also gets the SEC Championship game out of Atlanta every year. Jerry J. must be lickin' his chops right now.

They have more good teams but they have some clunkers: Vandy, S. Carolina, Miss St., Ole Miss, etc.

The only real breather in the Big 12 was Kansas.


SEC will be tougher overall, no doubt.

[mugofbeer]

Yeah, l guess in some years some of those are clunkers. I guess l'm seeing the schedule with less Western Carolina's and such. I know Alabama always has one or 2 but if OU works to keep bedlam, there won't be as much room for them.