Interview with OU president David Boren | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Interview with OU president David Boren

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Oklahoma knows how many fans went to Arizona a few years ago. They might have even been nervous a bit in the first quarter.

Can we get a rematch please? Repeatedly?
 
Skiblets said:
Biggest unknown for me is why the BIG and SEC capitulated on the championship game. Why? Doesn't add up
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There had to have been discussions between the Delany and Sankey about that. I'm curious as to what they are plotting too.
 
junglehusky said:
The geography quote, on its own, sound discouraging.
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There is also this additional reference which I also read as positive:

Q: So what’s the solution you’d like to see come February?

A: “Well, I’d like to see us add two more teams, and we’ve been doing a lot of thinking about that, which teams fit, which teams are additive to our conference — and I mean schools that have very strong athletic programs as well as very strong academic programs, that fit our profile. And there are several schools potentially around the country that would be additive. You don’t want to just add schools for the sake of adding schools. So they need to be — put it this way: they need to be the right schools.
 
Skiblets said:
Biggest unknown for me is why the BIG and SEC capitulated on the championship game. Why? Doesn't add up
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I think all that Delany wanted to know is what the championship game would "look like".

The ACC "looks like" they want to game the system.

The Big 12 just wants a game. And now that there's a definitive selection process, it's not a problem.

I could see the presidents weighing in with "whatever you do, don't blow up the Big 12".
 
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Skiblets said:
Biggest unknown for me is why the BIG and SEC capitulated on the championship game. Why? Doesn't add up
Expand ...
I thought your 9 point scenario was on - realignment tremors. Perhaps the B1G and SEC both know that they are granite while the Big 12 and/or ACC are loose gravel. Let them have their championship game because the situation is short term anyway. Consensus is that the Big 12 is weaker at 10 so it will hasten the inevitable.

Seems like just last week the Big 12 was absolutely not expanding...

Big 12 should add UCONN, Cincy, Temple, and one other. One travel partner for WVU is one thing. A pod of 4 programs is much better.
 
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Skiblets said:
Biggest unknown for me is why the BIG and SEC capitulated on the championship game. Why? Doesn't add up
Expand ...
I don't think they want the big 12 to expand. They will remain more unstable if they don't. SEC and B1G want to expand into new markets so further destabilization is in their favor.

They didn't like the orginal legislation as it read because they didn't like the idea of full deregulation and essentially giving a conference free rein to pick their "top 2" teams for a conf champ game. This was mostly pointed at the ACC. It's assumed they wanted to scrap divisions altogether and pit their top two ranked teams in the CCG regardless of conf record.
 
Skiblets said:
Biggest unknown for me is why the BIG and SEC capitulated on the championship game. Why? Doesn't add up
Expand ...
Because they have interest in some G5 teams that they want and do not want B12 to get them.
Exit 4 said:
I can only conclude that neither wanted to see UConn join the B12. :rolleyes: Each with their own selfish reasons.
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UCONN13KC said:
I thought your 9 point scenario was on - realignment tremors. Perhaps the B1G and SEC both know that they are granite while the BIig 12 and/or ACC are loose gravel. Let them have their championship game because the situation is short term anyway. Consensus is that the Big 12 is weaker at 10 so it will hasten the inevitable.

Seems like just last week the Big 12 was absolutely not expanding...

Big 12 should add UCONN, Cincy, Temple, and one other. One travel partner for WVU is one thing. A pod of 4 programs is much better.
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I would like that personally, but Boren was pretty clear about adding two.
 
Another thought occurred to me. I believe there are situations where the P5 schools (65) vote on issues, such as full cost of tuition, in which case the Big 12 is also at a disadvantage in only having 10 votes, or 15%, the least share of all P5 conferences. Jumping up to 14 programs puts it on equal footing with all other conferences and increases UCONN's odds...
 
Skiblets said:
I've refrained from commenting on this board after the spring game stuff but have been following this forum closely - probably too closely (work productivity in the hopper). Here's my uninformed, not connected to anyone or anything take/ideal scenario
1. We know Delaney is strategic
2. Silence is deafening in Storrs. Herbst sent out media deflection message
3. We're working feverishly to raise our profile - almost as if we were provided a roadmap from someone
4. SEC and Big 10 do a massive 180 on Big 12 Championship game. Why? They know that will start the realignment tremors. See item 1.
5. Tremors are good for us
6. OK and UConn to Big
7. OK State and ? to SEC
8. Texas goes ND model
9. AAC schools and remaining Big 12 merge
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What about Kansas?
 
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UCONN13KC said:
I thought your 9 point scenario was on - realignment tremors. Perhaps the B1G and SEC both know that they are granite while the Big 12 and/or ACC are loose gravel. Let them have their championship game because the situation is short term anyway. Consensus is that the Big 12 is weaker at 10 so it will hasten the inevitable.

Seems like just last week the Big 12 was absolutely not expanding...

Big 12 should add UCONN, Cincy, Temple, and one other. One travel partner for WVU is one thing. A pod of 4 programs is much better.
Expand ...

Are you thinking 3 pods of 4 for the B12? Would they be allowed to do that under the recent deregulation?

EDIT: My math skills are weak today. Adding 4 brings them to 14.
 
Stinger92860 said:
Are you thinking 3 pods of 4 for the B12? Would they be allowed to do that under the recent deregulation?

EDIT: My math skills are weak today. Adding 4 brings them to 14.
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I'm not thinking any fixed number. I'm just saying a grouping of 4 programs near WVU makes more sense than just two. Cincy, Conn, Temple, WVU is about equivalent to Louisville, BC, SU, and Pitt.
 
UCONN13KC said:
I'm not thinking any fixed number. I'm just saying a grouping of 4 programs near WVU makes more sense than just two. Cincy, Conn, Temple, WVU is about equivalent to Louisville, BC, SU, and Pitt.
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Agreed to that. I think getting to 14 would make B12 much more stable for the long term. Putting WVU in the same pot as UCONN, Cincy, and Temple might work but WVU might not like it. It will allow this pot to play each more and minimize traveling.

ACC really screwed us over twice. Not only did they not take us, they took Louisville commuter college and screwed the B12. Had they let B12 have Louisville, we would have been in the ACC right now and everyone would be better off. Instead, ACC took UL just to screw B12 and screwed us again in the process.

I believe Boren only went public because he is unable to get things done in the background regarding expansion. I believe he was very upset after losing UL last year to the ACC. He is going public because he wants public pressure from rest of the B12 schools and fans to Texas regarding LHN and other issues. All B12 schools outside OU and Texas must realize if either of those schools left, chances are B12 is done. B12 has to expand now or there won't be a B12 in the coming years.
 
http://www.landgrantholyland.com/20...nference-expansion-rumors-oklahoma-ohio-state

Wait. So could Oklahoma really eventually join the Big Ten?
By Matt Brown@MattSBN on Jan 15, 2016, 11:48a

Normally, the offseason hasn't been going on nearly long enough for us to poke at the conference realignment ideas bag. But the fallout from the Big 12's conference championship vote actually could potentially impact Ohio State in the future, so here we are.

For those that haven't been following the story, representatives from the FBS conferences voted earlier this week to allow the Big 12 to potentially hold a championship game without dividing into divisions or expanding to 12 teams. You would think that this would probably defuse realignment talk and drama with the Big 12 for a little while. But then you'd be wrong, because Oklahoma's university president, David Boren, has been very adamant about what he wants. Boren still wants the Big 12 to expand, and he wants them to start a conference network, even if that means taking an axe to the Longhorn Network.


That may be a tall order, given that it's pretty clear that not everybody in the Big 12 wants to expand, or could even agree on who to add if they did. Texas also isn't about to let go of their money-printing TV channel unless they earned financial concessions from everybody else. Plus, who's to say ESPN would even want to start a Big 12 network right now?

So that is all interesting from a national perspective. But Ohio State fans may be most interested in what Boren said to the Tulsa World about what might happen with the Sooners if the Big 12 doesn't take those steps. Here's the full quote:

Q: I understand the Big Ten Conference essentially has a standing invitation to OU. Can you say if that's true or not?

A: "Well, I wouldn't comment on that. I don't think it would be appropriate to comment. I would say that there are no official outstanding invitations from anyone right now, but there are always, always informal conversations that we get approached (with) from time to time, and I think the strength of our program, we're always considered a Top 10 program in the country. So we're always attractive to the conferences. We have comprehensive strength. We're talking about football, we're talking about basketball, we're talking about gymnastics, other things. We have a very strong, comprehensive program. Our brand, I noticed in one of the magazines recently, they measured the worth of the top brands in the country, as they saw it, athletically, and we were in the top six, ranked in that fashion. So I think there are always opportunities for Oklahoma.

Wait. What? Let's try to unpack that for a second.

Throughout this interview, Boren is pretty clear that he would prefer to stay in the Big 12. It makes sense, after all. OU has historical ties with most of the member institutions, they're a very influential member of a power conference, they have financial flexibility; it's a good gig. But Boren has also been very clear that he is not happy with the status quo of the Big 12, or where it stands relative to other power conferences. It certainly isn't the most stable. It doesn't have a conference title game (... yet). And when this round of Grant of Rights agreements end (in the 2020s), one could easily argue they have multiple members who could be attractive to other conferences. Including, say, Oklahoma.


So being public about this sort of this can be a way of trying to influence his other presidents to fall in line. We need to do X Y and Z, or else some universities who have other options might be tempted to look elsewhere. Universities like this one.

But 'essentially a standing invitation to the Big Ten'? Is that possible? Likely? What would that mean?

Per the USA TODAY database, Oklahoma has the seventh largest athletic department in the country. It's not just a football power, but solid in basketball (Top 3 in KenPom at the moment) and a slew of other non-revenue sports, which would make it an attractive addition to any conference, from the Pac-12, SEC, to sure, the Big Ten. Given that the western flank of the conference seems to be lagging as far as football is concerned, Oklahoma could potentially be a huge upgrade.

But Oklahoma also isn't in the AAU, and lags behind the academic reputations of virtually every other member institution, something the Big Ten purports to care about. That could be mitigated a little if the conference decided to add another AAU member at the same time (say, Kansas, or hell, Texas), and it's also possible OU's athletic profile is so excellent that the conference might decide to ignore academics. If OU had to take Oklahoma State with them due to political pressures, however, it's nearly impossible to see Big Ten administrators agreeing to take them.

Big Ten expansion is not very likely in the next several years. Ohio State fans would be perfectly fine if the league never expanded again either, since any additional team means the Buckeyes would play traditional Big Ten opponents like Iowa or Wisconsin a little less often. But Oklahoma might be enough to forget all of that tradition mumbo jumbo. It would be a huge jolt for football, give Ohio State some excellent games, and make a more competitive league in virtually every sport.

You shouldn't bet on it happening. But it is a fun thought. And it'll make the Big 12 meetings next month a little more exciting for everybody to watch, including Buckeye faithful.
 
B1GOSU said:
http://www.landgrantholyland.com/20...nference-expansion-rumors-oklahoma-ohio-state

Wait. So could Oklahoma really eventually join the Big Ten?
By Matt Brown@MattSBN on Jan 15, 2016, 11:48a

Normally, the offseason hasn't been going on nearly long enough for us to poke at the conference realignment ideas bag. But the fallout from the Big 12's conference championship vote actually could potentially impact Ohio State in the future, so here we are.

For those that haven't been following the story, representatives from the FBS conferences voted earlier this week to allow the Big 12 to potentially hold a championship game without dividing into divisions or expanding to 12 teams. You would think that this would probably defuse realignment talk and drama with the Big 12 for a little while. But then you'd be wrong, because Oklahoma's university president, David Boren, has been very adamant about what he wants. Boren still wants the Big 12 to expand, and he wants them to start a conference network, even if that means taking an axe to the Longhorn Network.


That may be a tall order, given that it's pretty clear that not everybody in the Big 12 wants to expand, or could even agree on who to add if they did. Texas also isn't about to let go of their money-printing TV channel unless they earned financial concessions from everybody else. Plus, who's to say ESPN would even want to start a Big 12 network right now?

So that is all interesting from a national perspective. But Ohio State fans may be most interested in what Boren said to the Tulsa World about what might happen with the Sooners if the Big 12 doesn't take those steps. Here's the full quote:

Q: I understand the Big Ten Conference essentially has a standing invitation to OU. Can you say if that's true or not?

A: "Well, I wouldn't comment on that. I don't think it would be appropriate to comment. I would say that there are no official outstanding invitations from anyone right now, but there are always, always informal conversations that we get approached (with) from time to time, and I think the strength of our program, we're always considered a Top 10 program in the country. So we're always attractive to the conferences. We have comprehensive strength. We're talking about football, we're talking about basketball, we're talking about gymnastics, other things. We have a very strong, comprehensive program. Our brand, I noticed in one of the magazines recently, they measured the worth of the top brands in the country, as they saw it, athletically, and we were in the top six, ranked in that fashion. So I think there are always opportunities for Oklahoma.

Wait. What? Let's try to unpack that for a second.

Throughout this interview, Boren is pretty clear that he would prefer to stay in the Big 12. It makes sense, after all. OU has historical ties with most of the member institutions, they're a very influential member of a power conference, they have financial flexibility; it's a good gig. But Boren has also been very clear that he is not happy with the status quo of the Big 12, or where it stands relative to other power conferences. It certainly isn't the most stable. It doesn't have a conference title game (... yet). And when this round of Grant of Rights agreements end (in the 2020s), one could easily argue they have multiple members who could be attractive to other conferences. Including, say, Oklahoma.


So being public about this sort of this can be a way of trying to influence his other presidents to fall in line. We need to do X Y and Z, or else some universities who have other options might be tempted to look elsewhere. Universities like this one.

But 'essentially a standing invitation to the Big Ten'? Is that possible? Likely? What would that mean?

Per the USA TODAY database, Oklahoma has the seventh largest athletic department in the country. It's not just a football power, but solid in basketball (Top 3 in KenPom at the moment) and a slew of other non-revenue sports, which would make it an attractive addition to any conference, from the Pac-12, SEC, to sure, the Big Ten. Given that the western flank of the conference seems to be lagging as far as football is concerned, Oklahoma could potentially be a huge upgrade.

But Oklahoma also isn't in the AAU, and lags behind the academic reputations of virtually every other member institution, something the Big Ten purports to care about. That could be mitigated a little if the conference decided to add another AAU member at the same time (say, Kansas, or hell, Texas), and it's also possible OU's athletic profile is so excellent that the conference might decide to ignore academics. If OU had to take Oklahoma State with them due to political pressures, however, it's nearly impossible to see Big Ten administrators agreeing to take them.

Big Ten expansion is not very likely in the next several years. Ohio State fans would be perfectly fine if the league never expanded again either, since any additional team means the Buckeyes would play traditional Big Ten opponents like Iowa or Wisconsin a little less often. But Oklahoma might be enough to forget all of that tradition mumbo jumbo. It would be a huge jolt for football, give Ohio State some excellent games, and make a more competitive league in virtually every sport.

You shouldn't bet on it happening. But it is a fun thought. And it'll make the Big 12 meetings next month a little more exciting for everybody to watch, including Buckeye faithful.
Expand ...

I am pretty sure B1G would take OU in a sec, as would SEC or the PAC-12. However, they do have the Okie State problem and there is no way any conference would take that team other than maybe the SEC. Based on that, OU is most likely bolt to the SEC before the B1G. Kansas and UCONN to the B1G is more realistic since Kansas is AAU and UCONN is a land grant university with strong academics.

OU basically told the rest of the B12 in public that if you guys don't listen to us this time, there will be consequences. We got options. We can go many places. If rest of you want to make the B12 stable, you better vote for expansion or you will be SOL once Texas decides there is something better elsewhere. Follow
 
I don't know much about what the Big 12 plans to do expansion wise, but one thing I DO KNOW is that they will absolutely not be taking Houston. The Texas schools of the Big 12 have had a dirty past with Houston and have made it clear they will not take them. Houston is in the same predicament for B12 acceptance that we were with BC during ACC expansion.
 
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Skiblets said:
Biggest unknown for me is why the BIG and SEC capitulated on the championship game. Why? Doesn't add up
Expand ...
I saw the idea floated somewhere that their reasoning was allowing the Big 12 to hold a championship game at 10 furthers their destabilization. Clearly there's a faction of the conference that wants to add new members and enforcing the 12-team rule would force them to expand, thus theoretically stabilizing the conference. Allowing them the championship game at 10 throws them some bait, but ultimately doesn't solve the underlying problem of a conference that's too small, isn't located in many good TV markets, doesn't have a network, is dominated by one school's desires, and has suffered in the CFP because of their structure. If you're the B1G or SEC and you want to eventually poach a school or two from the current Big 12, this is a great way to make that happen.
 
Seaa Blue said:
I think all that Delany wanted to know is what the championship game would "look like".

The ACC "looks like" they want to game the system.

The Big 12 just wants a game. And now that there's a definitive selection process, it's not a problem.

I could see the presidents weighing in with "whatever you do, don't blow up the Big 12".
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That is because the ACC consists of a bunch of members who don't want to play a significant portion of their own conference. How do you set up divisions in a conference like that?
 
auggie22 said:
That is because the ACC consists of a bunch of members who don't want to play a significant portion of their own conference. How do you set up divisions in a conference like that?
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If not wanting to play some of the schools in your conference is a common trait among ACC schools UConn is a great fit for the ACC. I don't think UConn really wants to play of any schools in our current conference.
 
Some of those quotes indicate there would be an immediate ultimatum from Oklahoma if the GOR penalties weren't in the way. Tired of being the Schooner with Texas navigating.
 
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pj said:
There's no scenario in which an ACC meltdown leads top schools to go to the B12 over the B1G or SEC. If B12 wants Pitt, Syracuse, BC, and Wake Forest, they might as well take Cincy, UConn, and BYU.
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There isn't. The thing the B-12 (actually B-12 members not named UT or OU) are hoping is that a) the conference remains intact until the B1G & SEC decide to expand again and b) that expansion targets ACC members.

The two schools that would help the B-12 the most (FSU & Clemson) have little value to the B1G and none to the SEC. UT and OU know they will have no problems log term regardless of what happens to their conference. The remainder of that conference survives on the hope that they will outlast the ACC (and absorb what they need to of the ACC's remnants). This no longer appears to be realistic as either UT or OU will be unhappy with the resolution of this issue.
 
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The hope is that the B12 can survive to maintain their current rivalries and then get FSU and Clemson. This is one of the reasons UConn may prove a good addition. The market would be huge to the conference for a network with those schools added in. The ACC has a weak GOR from what we hear and their tv deal stinks. If the B12 can show FSU that all the pieces are in place for a big pay day if they come on over, then maybe they will. UConn and BYU would be huge in that plan and it would keep UConn out of the ACC as well, hurting their network aspirations.

One of these two conferences needs UConn for a network and will figure it out before long. It is so obvious they need markets and programming which we offer in spades. This leads me to believe that ESPN is holding us back to preserve the AAC, which is much better than expected and costs them peanuts.
 
I don't think that the Big 12 championship game worried the B1G or SEC.

They didn't want the ACC to have the schedule flexibility to schedule three rotating divisions (pods) of five...allowing schools to see each other more often (Bowlsby commented on the ACC and three divisions). The top two schools would play in the CCG.

This scheme also would allow Notre Dame into a division while still rotating through the conference....and that would be worrisome.
 
billybud said:
I don't think that the Big 12 championship game worried the B1G or SEC.

They didn't want the ACC to have the schedule flexibility to schedule three rotating divisions (pods) of five...allowing schools to see each other more often (Bowlsby commented on the ACC and three divisions). The top two schools would play in the CCG.

This scheme also would allow Notre Dame into a division while still rotating through the conference....and that would be worrisome.
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This....Billy hit the nail right on the head....this is the reason Delaney made his amendment.
 
I wonder if in the past few days the UConn powers that be (Herbst) have reached out to our apparent allies at OU? Would be a wise move - be it as a way to keep stirring the B12 pot and/or the B1G(ger) pot...
 
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