Expansion: OK St to Pac 10(?), Texas bundled

Submitted by Geaux_Blue on

According to the Dallas News, which has accumulated reports from other newspapers and sources, Oklahoma State, as first reported by TMX (eyeroll), will be announcing its departure to the Pac 10 shortly. This is fueled by a separate report involving crossed wires at OK St

 

Oklahoma State's athletic department informed ksbitv.com that there will be some sort of statement out of the president's office later Thursday. However, the university released a statement saying, "The report circulating about an immediate announcement today concerning Oklahoma State University and conference realignment is without merit.   There are no announcements planned by Oklahoma State University.  We remain committed to the Big 12 Conference.  If there are additional defections, we will have to evaluate our options."

As such, it appears OK St officials might be forcing Nebraska to formally act out its departure before making the call. What's more, the reports acknowledges and advances the idea the three Texas' schools (A&M, Tech and UT) will be a package deal. 

OK State bolting would be the final straw of the Big 12 recovering from the departure of Nebraska and Colorado - two schools with limited rivalries/in-state matchups - and likely create a free for all that would finally balance out where the Big Ten is headed, what the Big East is going to make ND do and IF there will be an SEC expansion/shakeup included in this mess.

NJWolverine

June 10th, 2010 at 3:55 PM ^

Then Texas is out of the picture.  The new 16 team Pac 10 happening is pretty unbelieveable.  It'll be interesting to see if more dominos fall.

van

June 10th, 2010 at 4:10 PM ^

I'd hate to be someone working on an annual publication (team specific or national). There's so much uncertainty about how things are going to shake out. Even though the realignment won't go into effect for a few years, pretty much everyone is focused on it and would want to read about it. I'm reading the Phil Steele annual and it's odd thinking about the future of the conference system. So much for the normally slow summer (college football-wise).

tenerson

June 10th, 2010 at 4:00 PM ^

Has said he is not for leaving if it can possibly be avoided. Sure, it seems inevitable, but I would think he would like to see more teams leave before them. Just an interesting note there. IMO, the PAC 10 is trying to force Texas to coming without Tech and Baylor. If they get CU, OK St., and Oklahoma, I see no way Texas and aTm can stay. Good work by the Pac 10 if true. Also good for the remaining members as that will leave 6 of them and fulfill the 6 team requirement for BCS status. Pick up BYU, TCU, Utah, New Mexico, Boise, and Houston and you have yourself a conference. Likely still BCS IMO.

tenerson

June 10th, 2010 at 4:22 PM ^

you get Missouri I would guess. Then, the remaining Big 12 teams could then join the MWC and make a 14 team conference also fulfilling the 6 team requirement and they would be a conference that I would guess has a great shot at the vacated autobid. You could also throw out Baylor or ISU and take Boise and I think that is almost a lock for the autobid. I am NOT in favor of giving conferences more than one bid. They wanted to expand, that is their fault if they only lock up one spot.

Geaux_Blue

June 10th, 2010 at 4:01 PM ^

has it ever been discussed the idea of a school "buying out" another school's spot in a conference? with all of this drama, it would be interesting if a school like Florida State would be interested in buying the SEC rights of Mississippi State to join. with the rumblings (read: blogger fantasy) that Miami and Florida State want to join the SEC, it's something that would be interesting with all this conference realignment: schools heavily outmatched in their respective conference agreeing to step out and into whatever develops (Conference USA could pick up 4 Big 12 scraps to make their own 16 team conference!)

Geaux_Blue

June 10th, 2010 at 4:11 PM ^

Miss St has been basically the ugly cousin the SEC would rather go to prom with their mom than take out for a soda. the conference was hasty in throwing them in the mix with programs like LSU and UF. their recruiting is almost solely based on those players Ole Miss, LSU, UF and others passed up on that then got through the grasp of schools like UM who recruit nationally. their main goal is simply to screw up other team's seasons. they could play for conference championships if they regularly played the likes of Tulane, SMU, etc.

Beavis

June 10th, 2010 at 4:17 PM ^

I can't see a lot of people coming to the table to buy out a team in a conference.  That'd probably come at a price tag of about $100MM or so.  And that might be a low estimate. 

joeyb

June 10th, 2010 at 4:02 PM ^

If OSU goes to the Pac10, the Big12 is truly done. I don't see them taking 3 mid majors to fix things. That's like using a band-aid to fix a harpoon wound. This would force the Texas State Legislature to drop Baylor and maybe TTU from the package. That would really mix things up.

Geaux_Blue

June 10th, 2010 at 4:09 PM ^

their basketball team has turned things around but c'mon...they should be in Conference USA

Big Twelve dissolution: 

Iowa St, Kansas St, Baylor, A&M to Conference USA (puts them at 16)

Colorado, Ok St to Pac 10 (puts them at 12)

Kansas to the Big East (puts them at ?? due to Big 10 expansion)

Missouri, Nebraska to Big 10 (puts them at ??) 

Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Texas all free agents

jrt336

June 10th, 2010 at 4:21 PM ^

A&M would never fall to CUSA. They would get picked up by one of the P10, B10, or SEC. The B10 would take A&M if TT doesn't have to come, which is what you're implying by making TT, A&M, and Texas go different ways. Everyone would like Texas and A&M to be 13 and 14, it's the Tech problem that is keeping those 2 away.

tenerson

June 10th, 2010 at 4:28 PM ^

speak, ISU is the second best basketball program in the conference. They have the second most with two. I'm just throwing that out there because it makes me feel good and it is the one positive thing I have.

 

The ISU AD and coaches were supposed to meet today to discuss this whole situation. I have reason to think that this is because of a discussion involving the AD with other entities. I don't think he would be meeting with these teams rumored to be leaving. I don't see a reason for that to happen. Part of me is worried here and part of me is excited. It seems like you can't rule anything out at this point.

I still don't understand why you guys don't want us. You have to have someone to beat on. If the whole conference is good that makes things harder. Take us and you have the guy that costs a little money but it's like a bye week (Sarcasm..........kind of)

Seth9

June 10th, 2010 at 4:11 PM ^

1. No way does Oklahoma State get an invite from the Pac 10 without partners (Oklahoma at the minimum, but even then probably not). They bring absolutely nothing worthwhile into the Pac 10.

2. Oklahoma State brings nothing substantial to the Big 12. Losing Colorado hurts because Colorado brings in the third biggest market in the conference and losing Nebraska hurts because it means that one of the big 3 football programs is gone. Oklahoma State is only in the Big 12 because of Oklahoma.

joeyb

June 10th, 2010 at 4:17 PM ^

If the Pac10's ultimate goal is to force Texas/Oklahoma into joining them, then dissolving the Big12 by bringing the conference down to 9 teams is a great start. Imagine if the Big10 sees what they are doing and then invites Missouri. 8 teams. Now Texas has to do something. Baylor is out no matter what. Big 10 is better, but we won't take TTU, so the legislature has to make a choice. TTU or money?

Double Nickel BG

June 10th, 2010 at 4:39 PM ^

its getting down to crunch time. The State of Texas is going to have to choose what is best for every school as its own identity, or keep hanging onto this mythical bond.

The best the State of Texas can do is have UT and A&M go to the B10 and get the big bucks. Then TTU and Baylor get to stay with the Big 12 and see if they can keep the conference alive, or get relagated to another conference where they can be competitive.

We can dream that A&M joins the SEC and Texas is sitting pretty for the picking right?

 

I love how quick this is playing out. Time is ticking ND and UT.

Seth9

June 10th, 2010 at 4:51 PM ^

Then what's to stop Oklahoma from going to the SEC. The reason that Oklahoma would go to the Pac 10 in the first place is that their state legislature is not willing to let Oklahoma State fall by the wayside and wouldn't let Oklahoma join another conference without Oklahoma State. However, if the Pac 10 offers Oklahoma State a home with no strings attached, then Oklahoma becomes a desirable free agent that would rather join the SEC than the Pac 10.

turd ferguson

June 10th, 2010 at 4:34 PM ^

i've heard this argument a lot lately (with various awkward pairings), but it doesn't do much for me. i'm sure that penn state vs. iowa and penn state vs. minnesota seemed goofy to everyone right when PSU was joining, too, but with a little time, these matchups will feel natural. plus, it's not like arizona state vs. oklahoma state is any less ridiculous than arizona state vs. washington state.