Houston Chronicle exclusive: Texas, Oklahoma reach out to SEC about joining conference.

[Goatmeat]

Bowlsby is a loser. UT and OU are gone…as they should be. His tone was very different when he was arrogantly interviewing suitors to the Big 12 several years ago.

 

[John]

Reports Kansas and Iowa State in talks with Big10

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Adios]

Reports Kansas and Iowa State in talks with Big10

ISU to the Big Ten would be a wild move. It seems adding to the west may help give Nebraska room to restore the program to more wins annually on average. ISU fanbase is quite hardcore, too.

 

[UConnJim]

Reports Kansas and Iowa State in talks with Big10

So, the SEC adds Texas and Oklahoma and Big 10 adds Kansas and Iowa St? With these moves, the SEC enhances their value and the Big 10 dilutes their value. That would be a weak reactionary move for the Big 10.

 

[uconnric]

So, the SEC adds Texas and Oklahoma and Big 10 adds Kansas and Iowa St? With these moves, the SEC enhances their value and the Big 10 dilutes their value. That would be a weak reactionary move for the Big 10.

Which is why the Big Ten won't be adding those teams.

 

[huskymedic]

Which is why the Big Ten won't be adding those teams.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Reports Kansas and Iowa State in talks with Big10

B1G definitely won't be expanding just to add these 2. Still think B1G will try to steal USC and UCLA to consolidate media rights of top schools. If B1G can weaken P12, then Fox Sports can save a ton of money overall by not having to pay the likes of Oregon State and Washington State.

 

[Waquoit]

Nobody knows nuthin'

 

[WestHartHusk]

If the Big10 can grab USC/UCLA, then the PAC12 can grab UConn. Just sayin.

 

[jostar1]

Sources in the Big 12 continue to tell ESPN they are still trying to understand exactly what Oklahoma and Texas are looking for. One Big 12 source told ESPN their conference officials are anticipating that the SEC presidents and chancellors will eventually vote on whether to formally extend an invitation to Oklahoma and Texas. There is no current timetable as to when a vote might happen, according to an SEC source. The question is if the SEC would extend an invitation knowing the legal strategy of Texas and Oklahoma is to stay through the duration of the TV contract -- if that's what those schools choose to do.

There's also a chance that Texas will shop itself to other conferences, leaving open at least a slim possibility that the SEC isn't its final destination.

Big 12 executive committee meets with Texas, Oklahoma presidents amid talk of departure to SEC (espn.com)

 

[freescooter]

The flip side is the B12 fights to keep Texas and Oklahoma in the gor deal for 4 more years. That would be my strategy. Then who knows what happens…Maybe the SEC gets tired of waiting and lands Clemson. Maybe Texas continues to struggle on the field and the SEC says we don’t need another Missouri. Who knows if you need to make this work that long. These things only work if you can buy your way out in rather reasonable amount of time. The gor will make it much more difficult and expensive. I’d try to make it take a long time too.

 

[coachcap]

Sources in the Big 12 continue to tell ESPN they are still trying to understand exactly what Oklahoma and Texas are looking for. One Big 12 source told ESPN their conference officials are anticipating that the SEC presidents and chancellors will eventually vote on whether to formally extend an invitation to Oklahoma and Texas. There is no current timetable as to when a vote might happen, according to an SEC source. The question is if the SEC would extend an invitation knowing the legal strategy of Texas and Oklahoma is to stay through the duration of the TV contract -- if that's what those schools choose to do.

There's also a chance that Texas will shop itself to other conferences, leaving open at least a slim possibility that the SEC isn't its final destination.

Big 12 executive committee meets with Texas, Oklahoma presidents amid talk of departure to SEC (espn.com)

Why would "Sources in the Big 12" even be talking ESPN about this? The mouse would be the ultimate beneficiary in this game of musical chairs. It's akin to the Allies giving away the strategy to D-Day to the Axis partners. It makes no sense.

 

[UConnJim]

Although money is the driver of conference realignment, there are other factors. Look at where the top recruits from Texas are going compared to 10 years ago.

2011 Top 25 Texas football recruit destinations:

Big 12: 21/25

SEC: 1/25

2021 Top 25 Texas football recruit destinations:

Big 12: 6/25

SEC: 15/25

(Note: In 2011, both Texas A&M and Nebraska were in the Big 12, but players are now choosing the SEC.)


Florida is undergoing a similar transition and I have to think Florida State notices:

2011 Top 25 Florida football recruit destinations:

ACC: 13/25

SEC: 7/25

2021 Top 25 Florida football recruit destinations:

ACC: 7/25

SEC: 13/25

 

[BlueDogs]

Don’t back down. Your point is a good one. Does UConn women’s basketball draw more than best football games, absolutely not. Does it drawn more than the worst P5 football games, absolutely.

I wish WBB had some value. It doesn’t . If the most successful college program in college sports history meant anything, we would be in a P5. In fact if MBB even moved the needle, we would be in a P5. UConn suffers from delusions of grandeur and can’t get it through its head that football is all that matters in college sports, rightly or wrongly. The move to the NBE was brilliant for rejuvenating MBB, and it’s fun to see them on the rise, but to what end really.

 

[Adios]

I wish WBB had some value. It doesn’t . If the most successful college program in college sports history meant anything, we would be in a P5. In fact if MBB even moved the needle, we would be in a P5. UConn suffers from delusions of grandeur and can’t get it through its head that football is all that matters in college sports, rightly or wrongly. The move to the NBE was brilliant for rejuvenating MBB, and it’s fun to see them on the rise, but to what end really.

Women have value, I hope. So can't necessarily cast aside women's sports just for football. It would make our educational system look backwards, as if it isn't already. Colleges aligning just based on athletics.

 

[BlueDogs]

Here is what I don’t get. One has to believe ESPN is behind some of this. The realignment is too consequential. How are they getting away with this interference with existing contractual relationships? I suppose the game is they claim they are negotiating future GOR. But when is a conference like the Big12 (much like what happened to the BigEast) going to sue ESPN for a couple of billion for destroying their economic existence? I think the only way this gets fixed is via Congress with fundamental reform with system wide revenue share. Otherwise, we will have maybe 32 to 48 schools playing football and consuming all monies.

 

[freescooter]

I wish WBB had some value. It doesn’t . If the most successful college program in college sports history meant anything, we would be in a P5. In fact if MBB even moved the needle, we would be in a P5. UConn suffers from delusions of grandeur and can’t get it through its head that football is all that matters in college sports, rightly or wrongly. The move to the NBE was brilliant for rejuvenating MBB, and it’s fun to see them on the rise, but to what end really.

I think this is absolutely right. And guess what? When only 2 leagues are getting 69-70 million per team that money will spill over to basketball too. Somebody write that the New Big East will come out of this as the best basketball conference. LOL. like the one eyed man in the land of the blind.

 

[TJT]

Just for those that may have delusions about UConn realigning itself, consider the deal made when joining the Big East:

As part of the contract with the Big East, UConn has agreed not to seek football membership at this time in any Power Five conference and to pay a $30 million exit fee if it leaves the Big East during its first six years of membership. The fee would eventually drop with time to $15 (years 7-9) and later $10 million (10+years).

This is on top the $17M that its cost to recently leave the AAC and the $3.5M it cost to join the Big East.

 

[UConnJim]

Just for those that may have delusions about UConn realigning itself, consider the deal made when joining the Big East:

As part of the contract with the Big East, UConn has agreed not to seek football membership at this time in any Power Five conference and to pay a $30 million exit fee if it leaves the Big East during its first six years of membership. The fee would eventually drop with time to $15 (years 7-9) and later $10 million (10+years).

This is on top the $17M that its cost to recently leave the AAC and the $3.5M it cost to join the Big East.

That exit fee is not an obstacle at all as joining a P5 conference would probably add $20 to $30 million per year in media revenues alone plus the pickup in football ticket revenues.

 

[Durks07]

Just for those that may have delusions about UConn realigning itself, consider the deal made when joining the Big East:

As part of the contract with the Big East, UConn has agreed not to seek football membership at this time in any Power Five conference and to pay a $30 million exit fee if it leaves the Big East during its first six years of membership. The fee would eventually drop with time to $15 (years 7-9) and later $10 million (10+years).

This is on top the $17M that its cost to recently leave the AAC and the $3.5M it cost to join the Big East.

If Uconn was invited into the Big 10, they would pay that in a heartbeat. That is not even one year of Big 10 revenue.

 

[RSTuthill]

Women have value, I hope. So can't necessarily cast aside women's sports just for football. It would make our educational system look backwards, as if it isn't already. Colleges aligning just based on athletics.

I have it from a very reliable source that the B12 were very interested in the WBB team before they decided not to expand.

 

[uconnric]

Here is what I don’t get. One has to believe ESPN is behind some of this. The realignment is too consequential. How are they getting away with this interference with existing contractual relationships? I suppose the game is they claim they are negotiating future GOR. But when is a conference like the Big12 (much like what happened to the BigEast) going to sue ESPN for a couple of billion for destroying their economic existence? I think the only way this gets fixed is via Congress with fundamental reform with system wide revenue share. Otherwise, we will have maybe 32 to 48 schools playing football and consuming all monies.

I don't believe that ESPN is behind this, they're aren't that stupid. Contractually I"m sure they have positioned themselves with a way out of existing contracts if a conference were to implode or lose key members. Members left the Big East because we weren't proactive in protecting our turf, which was made difficult by the basketball v. football issue. Trusting members to stay in a conference is not enough, just ask the Big 12.

 

[John]

That exit fee is not an obstacle at all as joining a P5 conference would probably add $20 to $30 million per year in media revenues alone plus the pickup in football ticket revenues.

Exactly - ACC or Big10 invite would quickly put the Big East in the rearview mirror, money wouldn't even be an object. As Jean-Luc Picard said "MAKE IT SO".