Big 12 Conference

[Pete]

Great points. Lincoln does really get it. That’s why we get the players we do.

If he hadn't been saddled with Mike Stoops and a horrific defense, he'd likely have won at least one national championship.

As it was, he couldn't fire the brother of the guy that hired him and then handed him the head job, so he rode with it for a while then ended up letting MS go mid-season and everybody completely understood.

In his first big hire, he gets Alex Grinch who is a giant leap forward. With at least a decent and heading towards good/great D, we will be even more competitive.


I loved Bob Stoops. He was the right man at the right time. But I like Lincoln even more and would rather have him than literally anyone else in the country; Saban is 69 and doesn't have many more years in him anyway. If Lincoln wants this move to the SEC, then so do I. And if it comes to pass it will likely help to keep him in Norman for a very long time.

[sooner88]

Another big change rippling through CFB: the ability for players to get paid for name, image and likeness.

The huge exposure and success of the SEC will trickle down to the players.

That is going to affect recruiting, you can be sure... Especially when half our games come on before most recruits are out of bed.

Saban said Bryce Young has inked close to $1mm in likeness deals. The recruiting advantages for the SEC are hard to comprehend.

[Pete]

Saban said Bryce Young has inked close to $1mm in likeness deals. The recruiting advantages for the SEC are hard to comprehend.

You don't think they'll be repeating those numbers to every single player they want to sign?

In football, high school seniors are still 3 years away from getting paid, at the very earliest. Only the biggest schools with the most exposure will have players making serious income before they turn pro.

Imagine being 17 and knowing that kind of money was at least a possibility within a year or two.

[BDP]

Another big change rippling through CFB: the ability for players to get paid for name, image and likeness.

The huge exposure and success of the SEC will trickle down to the players.

I suspect this is a big part of this, as well, and why it's coming up now.

Players are going to be attracted to where they can get the most exposure and turn that into money. You can make an argument that this would help the Pac-12, given the size of markets they play in, but those markets aren't necessarily as invested in college football. Certainly not as much as the SEC.

The dynamics in CFB are going to change dramatically in the next few years and I think the admins and coaches at OU and Texas feel they need to be in a more high profile conference to recruit players looking for NIL money.

[WheelerD Guy]

You don't think they'll be repeating those numbers to every single player they want to sign?

In football, high school seniors are still 3 years away from getting paid, at the very earliest. Only the biggest schools with the most exposure will have players making serious income before they turn pro.

Imagine being 17 and knowing that kind of money was at least a possibility within a year or two.

Would be disingenuous to make that representation to the linemen and/or most defensive players.

And there’s a bit of a novelty aspect to NIL deals at this point. Will be interesting to see how durable the money is over the intermediate term.

[BDP]

lol... as a guy who watches most of the games on tv, i actually like the 11am games... i get to watch and then get on with my day.

i'll show myself out. : )

Ha. Sometimes it is nice even when you go to the games, because you get home in time to watch the featured afternoon and evening games.

But it's definitely not the best thing for the school, conference, and local businesses.

[Pete]

But it's definitely not the best thing for the school, conference, and local businesses.

It's horrid on recruiting.

You can't get kids and their families there in time for the game. That's a very big deal and why OU pitches a fit (to no avail in the Big 12).

[BDP]

That, too.

If this does happen, I just hope the home crowd never EVER chants "S.E.C.... S.E.C...."

[PhiAlpha]

That, too.

If this does happen, I just hope the home crowd never EVER chants "S.E.C.... S.E.C...."

God I hope they don't. I'm bracing myself for it but hoping everyone remembers the fact that we've done it ironically every time we beat an SEC team.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Ha. Sometimes it is nice even when you go to the games, because you get home in time to watch the featured afternoon and evening games.

But it's definitely not the best thing for the school, conference, and local businesses.

It was great when I sold parking on game days as a student. You just had to sell from about 8am to 11. The night games were selling all day from 10am to kickoff. Gets hot (or cold) out there.

[Pete]

Players are going to be attracted to where they can get the most exposure and turn that into money. You can make an argument that this would help the Pac-12, given the size of markets they play in, but those markets aren't necessarily as invested in college football. Certainly not as much as the SEC.

Most in the big west coast markets would never even know college games were being played.

I can't describe to you the difference between that area and the Big 12, let alone the SEC.

Let's just say absolutely everyone I knew in L.A. was aware I was from Oklahoma and went to OU and even in the ultra-dark days of John Blake, nobody even knew or cared to give me crap. In that respect, it was quite nice!

OTOH, I was working in downtown L.A. with a ton of USC graduates when we won it all in 2000, and we had a big meeting the very next day. I didn't say a word; just sat there with a huge smile on my face to the extreme envy of everyone from USC and UCLA.

[floyd the barber]

I hope we don't join the SEC, but I feel like it is trending towards us joining.

The SEC is just out of our league. Yes I know we beat Florida last year, but LSU destroyed us the year before. Alabama will always be a mark on the L column. And I fear a good Florida, LSU, Georgia team will be one too.

I get it. It's more money for the University of Oklahoma, but until we see a 12 team playoff, I want out. The Big 12 is probably the only reason why OU joins the four team playoffs every year. As far as I know it is still only talk of a 12 team playoff and nothing has changed.

Worst case scenario we see OU joining the SEC, the four team playoff stays, and we see OU lose three or four games a year and miss the playoffs. Not to mention I like watching Bedlam, and who knows what will happen to that. A year without OU vs. OSU just isn't something I want to see.

[dankrutka]

Saban said Bryce Young has inked close to $1mm in likeness deals. The recruiting advantages for the SEC are hard to comprehend.

You mean Alabama, right? Do you think Vanderbilt players are rolling in the dough? Lol

[PhiAlpha]

I hope we don't join the SEC, but I feel like it is trending towards us joining.

The SEC is just out of our league. Yes I know we beat Florida last year, but LSU destroyed us the year before. Alabama will always be a mark on the L column. And I fear a good Florida, LSU, Georgia team will be one too.

I get it. It's more money for the University of Oklahoma, but until we see a 12 team playoff, I want out. The Big 12 is probably the only reason why OU joins the four team playoffs every year. As far as I know it is still only talk of a 12 team playoff and nothing has changed.

Worst case scenario we see OU joining the SEC, the four team playoff stays, and we see OU lose three or four games a year and miss the playoffs. Not to mention I like watching Bedlam, and who knows what will happen to that. A year without OU vs. OSU just isn't something I want to see.

This is just 100% false. We just waxed their second best team by 35 points last year and took their second best team to double overtime 3 years ago with a defense that couldn't stop UCO. The only team in the SEC that will out recruit OU once we get there is Alabama now that the other schools lose the SEC selling point that get's some kids to pick one of them over OU. OU will consistently compete for the 1 or 2 spot every year as long as Riley is still on the staff. We've played Alabama twice in the last decade and are 1-1 and we most likely will not play them every year. I predict that we will be out recruiting Alabama or at least be on par with them within 2 years of joining the SEC.

How do you think you beat the best teams? You have to play them year in and year out.

[dankrutka]

The SEC is just out of our league.

You might be better suited as an Texas A&M fan. Lol.

OU will be fine.

[PhiAlpha]

You mean Alabama, right? Do you think Vanderbilt players are rolling in the dough? Lol

OU will be on that level. No one else outside of Alabama has the winning history, prestige and coach that OU does. You can't compare OU's SEC recruiting advantages with Vanderbilt.

[PhiAlpha]

You might be better suited as an Texas A&M fan. Lol.

OU will be fine.

HAHA. Their fanbase is painful to watch right now.

[floyd the barber]

This is just 100% false. We just waxed their second best team by 35 points last year and took their second best team to double overtime 3 years ago with a defense that couldn't stop UCO. The only team in the SEC that will out recruit OU once we get there is Alabama now that the other schools lose the SEC selling point that get's some kids to pick one of them over OU. OU will consistently compete for the 1 or 2 spot every year as long as Riley is still on the staff. We've played Alabama twice in the last decade and are 1-1 and we most likely will not play them every year. I predict that we will be out recruiting Alabama or at least be on par with them within 2 years of joining the SEC.

How do you think you beat the best teams? You have to play them year in and year out.

Well Florida was missing a lot of players who opted to sit out and Trask had a bad game, which I admit could happen any day.

It remains to be seen. But I think we can all agree the road to the FBS championship will be more difficult if OU joins the SEC.

And we can't sleep on LSU, Georgia, Florida, even Auburn and South Carolina have their seasons.

[BDP]

Most in the big west coast markets would never even know college games were being played.

I can't describe to you the difference between that area and the Big 12, let alone the SEC.

Let's just say absolutely everyone I knew in L.A. was aware I was from Oklahoma and went to OU and even in the ultra-dark days of John Blake, nobody even knew or cared to give me crap. In that respect, it was quite nice!

OTOH, I was working in downtown L.A. with a ton of USC graduates when we won it all in 2000, and we had a big meeting the very next day. I didn't say a word; just sat there with a huge smile on my face to the extreme envy of everyone from USC and UCLA.

Haha.

Yeah, when I lived in CA, I often felt like I was introducing people to the world of college football. lol

Being at a bar at 9AM to watch college football always felt strange, though. That's usually reserved for futbol fans, not football fans.

[Pete]

^

All sports on the left coast are pretty insignificant in relative terms.

I had a friend come visit from OKC and he mentioned Tiger Woods was playing in a big tourney just miles from my house and that we should go. I had no idea and we just bought tickets at the event. Imagine if he was playing in OKC or Tulsa or even Dallas.

[WheelerD Guy]

HAHA. Their fanbase is always painful to watch.

Fify

[unfundedrick]

It remains to be seen. But I think we can all agree the road to the FBS championship will be more difficult if OU joins the SEC.

With a 12 team playoff, I totally disagree with that statement. The SEC could easily get 3 or 4 teams in.

[unfundedrick]

Money talks.

And this would be a financial windfall for all involved.

Given the fact that all universities have taken a huge financial hit over the last two years with perhaps more tough times ahead and with everything shifting heavily to streaming, revenue is what will drive all these decisions.

I heard speculation today (I believe it might have been Berry Tramel) that OU could expect to receive an extra $22 million per year in the SEC.

[soonergolfer]

People, do not understand the financials of this deal. The next few tweaks SEC will probably make about $10M per school I under the current structure That’s BOUT 35m to b12 and 45m for sec for a few years. In two years ESPN bought the top sec game of the week for #$3b for the best game of the week. That will up the pay In Two years to around $60M per team. All I’m the while, the Big 12 won’t get nw extension. Even though ESPN didn’t have want to extend b12, that was the writing on the wall were over paid on the last deal and sureley won’t get as the current deal. ESPN Will facilitate the OU TX buyout, knowing they will not py the 8 BIG12 teams squat.

[PhiAlpha]

Well Florida was missing a lot of players who opted to sit out and Trask had a bad game, which I admit could happen any day.

It remains to be seen. But I think we can all agree the road to the FBS championship will be more difficult if OU joins the SEC.

And we can't sleep on LSU, Georgia, Florida, even Auburn and South Carolina have their seasons.

With OU in the conference, those schools will start to lose out on recruits.

And you’re making excuses for Florida. If the SEC is as good and deep as everyone acts like it is…Florida should’ve just been able to reload and at least be competitive. They weren’t even close and got run out of the stadium. That’s the team Florida is putting on the field this season. One or two years in and OU will be treating the SEC like Alabama does. Not being able to say “we’re In the SEC” is one of the few things keeping us below Alabama. We have the number 5 recruiting class for 2022 and the number 2 for 2023…do you really think those numbers won’t get a boost when we join the SEC?

Mark my words…assuming Riley stays for awhile we will own that conference within 3-5 years.

And with a 12 team playoff, what are we all agreeing on? The sec will routinely get 3-4 teams in the playoff…how is being the top 4 in the Alabama Conference any more difficult than winning the Big 12?

The defeatist attitude among some OU fans is asinine. If you don’t want to compete against the best and let the chips fall where they may…you should probably pick a different team to follow.