Non-Key Tweets

[JSM1970]

There would be no KU. It could be p5, but it's a very weak conference. Each other league has 2+ elite programs. This one has 0.

Also, I think the additions would be UConn,Cincy, Houston, UCF and USF. Possibly BYU instead of one of the FL schools.

All of that is extremely unclear.

We know that Texas has already flirted with the PAC12 in the past. Would they go there? Would they join the ACC with ND as a full member? Would the SEC come calling? And would Texas give up the Longhorn Network in order to do any of the above moves? It's all unclear to me.

The only thing that is clear to me is that Texas would call their own shots. Furthermore, a merged conference of UConn, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State, West Virginia, TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech, Cincy, Houston, Navy, etc., would most definitely be considered a P5 conference. There's no doubt about it. That conference would be better than the current ACC without the addition of ND and Texas, that's for sure...

 

[djct1999]

If OK/KU go B1G where will that leave us? So close, yet so far.

UConn offers the B1g way more than Kansas. If they do away with AAU for OU, precedent is set, and the other add will be us, not Kansas.

 

[JSM1970]

I disagree, KU is a very attractive asset and enables the whole contiguous thing with Nebraska, KU-OU. OU may have a plan to get to AAU or it really doesn't matter.

UConn offers the B1g way more than Kansas. If they do away with AAU for OU, precedent is set, and the other add will be us, not Kansas.

 

[UConnDan97]

There would be no KU. It could be p5, but it's a very weak conference. Each other league has 2+ elite programs. This one has 0.

Also, I think the additions would be UConn,Cincy, Houston, UCF and USF. Possibly BYU instead of one of the FL schools.

Even without Oklahoma and Texas, that combined conference would have 3 of the top15 in the final AP football poll (4 of the top25), and 5 of the top25 in the current men's basketball AP poll. They would be plenty "P5" for the rest of the country...

 

[JSM1970]

You can't compare the 2. This is with OU-KU-UT. Once they leave recruiting will fall dramatically in the conference, just above AAC levels.

$$ would be better but nowhere near other P5 levels.

Even without Oklahoma and Texas, that combined conference would have 3 of the top15 in the final AP football poll (4 of the top25), and 5 of the top25 in the current men's basketball AP poll. They would be plenty "P5" for the rest of the country...

 

[CallMeBruce]

UConn offers the B1g way more than Kansas. If they do away with AAU for OU, precedent is set, and the other add will be us, not Kansas.

If the Big 12 falls apart and the ACC loses a Virginia and a NC school, I'd have to imagine that whichever of us and Kansas is available gets one of the open spots, with the other one probably going to WVU. Not a bad consolation prize, all things considered.

 

[CL82]

You can't compare the 2. This is with OU-KU-UT. Once they leave recruiting will fall dramatically in the conference, just above AAC levels.

$$ would be better but nowhere near other P5 levels.

Disagree. They are established brands in rich recruiting grounds.

 

[JSM1970]

Top kids will go to SEC, B1G (OU and KU) or wherever UT ends up.

Disagree. They are established brands in rich recruiting grounds.

 

[CL82]

Top kids will go to SEC, B1G (OU and KU) or wherever UT ends up.

The top programs always get the top kids. No change there.

 

[Gurleyman]

The whole contiguous thing makes absolutely zero sense any more in an era where media markets are much more significant than whether states border. Can you imagine the Pac 12 saying they can't take Texas without New Mexico?

But Kansas brings a national brand, so the question would really boil down to how significant a conference office thinks our NYC (and Boston) potential dents are if it comes down to a head to head battle. You'd like to think the upside of the major EC markets would hold sway over dominating the flyover corridor with OK-KS-NE, but who knows.

 

[JSM1970]

If the B1G breaks up and UT ends up with ND in ACC the ACC will be among the strongest conferences.

If B12 goes to 12 (and UConn not in) it could help with B1G because the expectation would be the B12 assets (OU, KU) are off the market. But where would our partner come from?

If the Big 12 falls apart and the ACC loses a Virginia and a NC school, I'd have to imagine that whichever of us and Kansas is available gets one of the open spots, with the other one probably going to WVU. Not a bad consolation prize, all things considered.

 

[dayooper]

Oklahoma culturally belongs in the SEC rather than the Big Ten. The SEC must be salivating over OU and UNC right now.

That would leave Kansas and UConn or UConn and UVA to the Big Ten. Unless the SEC aims for UVA somehow, too.

Oklahoma fits culturally best in the Big12, but they aren't fulfilling what OU needs right now. Boren wants to OU to greatly improve its academic standing (and it needs to). The path to that, if possible, is better in the Big10 than it is in the SEC.

 

[DudeOfCT]

The whole contiguous thing makes absolutely zero sense any more in an era where media markets are much more significant than whether states border. Can you imagine the Pac 12 saying they can't take Texas without New Mexico?

But Kansas brings a national brand, so the question would really boil down to how significant a conference office thinks our NYC (and Boston) potential dents are if it comes down to a head to head battle. You'd like to think the upside of the major EC markets would hold sway over dominating the flyover corridor with OK-KS-NE, but who knows.

As I understand it, the contiguous requirement is a CIC thing, not a B1G thing. Who knows what the requirement means?

 

[CL82]

As I understand it, the contiguous requirement is a CIC thing, not a B1G thing. Who knows what the requirement means?

The B1G has an office in NYC. We're contiguous.

 

[FDNY99]

Oklahoma fits culturally best in the Big12, but they aren't fulfilling what OU needs right now. Boren wants to OU to greatly improve its academic standing (and it needs to). The path to that, if possible, is better in the Big10 than it is in the SEC.

The problem this will cause OU Football is this..if they go to the B1G w/o a Texas team..their recruiting will suffer in Texas BIG TIME. Take a look at what happened to Nebraska recruiting in Texas since they left the B-12 for the B1G. At least with the SEC they will play aTm and still have a recruiting presence there.

 

[CallMeBruce]

The problem this will cause OU Football is this..if they go to the B1G w/o a Texas team..their recruiting will suffer in Texas BIG TIME. Take a look at what happened to Nebraska recruiting in Texas since they left the B-12 for the B1G. At least with the SEC they will play aTm and still have a recruiting presence there.

Nebraska =/= Oklahoma when it comes to Texas recruiting, but you're not wrong that OU would be better off in the SEC than B1G.

 

[JSM1970]

Unless they can maintain the Red River Rivalry, which would seem unlikely. UT probably does not want that to happen either, another thing that could play into UT supporting expansion.

The problem this will cause OU Football is this..if they go to the B1G w/o a Texas team..their recruiting will suffer in Texas BIG TIME. Take a look at what happened to Nebraska recruiting in Texas since they left the B-12 for the B1G. At least with the SEC they will play aTm and still have a recruiting presence there.

 

[UConnDan97]

The problem this will cause OU Football is this..if they go to the B1G w/o a Texas team..their recruiting will suffer in Texas BIG TIME. Take a look at what happened to Nebraska recruiting in Texas since they left the B-12 for the B1G. At least with the SEC they will play aTm and still have a recruiting presence there.

That's a double-edged sword, though.

If you go to the SEC, but aren't able to finish in the top 4 or top 5 teams in the conference on a yearly basis, then you will have very little recruiting edge at OU anyways. The allure of OU, as I see it, is that they are constantly in the top15 annually with a chance at the national championship game. That's what gets the highly rated Texas kids into OU much more so than the fact that they play in Lubbock or Austin. Can they continue that in the SEC?? I'm just not sure...

 

[FDNY99]

That's a double-edged sword, though.

If you go to the SEC, but aren't able to finish in the top 4 or top 5 teams in the conference on a yearly basis, then you will have very little recruiting edge at OU anyways. The allure of OU, as I see it, is that they are constantly in the top15 annually with a chance at the national championship game. That's what gets the highly rated Texas kids into OU much more so than the fact that they play in Lubbock or Austin. Can they continue that in the SEC?? I'm just not sure...

At least it puts them in the Texas recruiting conversation..where they have always seemed to have a seat at the table. They have always dome well recruiting in TX and I'd bet 2/3's of the present OU roster is from TX. They bolt the B-12..no way UT plays them anymore...unless they go together which won't happen.

 

[JSM1970]

If they go to the SEC west and play games every year against Bama, LSU, A&M, Auburn and other schools they will have no trouble recruiting Texas.

That's a double-edged sword, though.

If you go to the SEC, but aren't able to finish in the top 4 or top 5 teams in the conference on a yearly basis, then you will have very little recruiting edge at OU anyways. The allure of OU, as I see it, is that they are constantly in the top15 annually with a chance at the national championship game. That's what gets the highly rated Texas kids into OU much more so than the fact that they play in Lubbock or Austin. Can they continue that in the SEC?? I'm just not sure...

 

[UConnDan97]

If they go to the SEC west and play games every year against Bama, LSU, A&M, Auburn and other schools they will have no trouble recruiting Texas.

I think the same thing.....provided they can still win!!!

If they play those games and end up losing half of them, they will be no better off than Mississippi State in terms of recruiting Texas. For a frame of reference, Mississippi State currently has 0 Texas commitments. Oklahoma currently has three 4-star TX recruits and one 3-star TX recruits as commitments. You've gotta win games to keep 'em...

 

[DarthGrumpy]

If UConn is the apple of the Big XII's eye, it is all the more reason the Big Ten eases their non-existent AAU requirement and preemptively extends an invitation to UConn.

And without UConn, a XII network may not be feasible and without a XII network, the XII is dead. My preference like many is for the B1G; but, the ACC should be calling UConn today because if the XII dies, the ACC will likely live in the race to a P4 configuration.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

If OK/KU go B1G where will that leave us? So close, yet so far.

Oklahoma would be a big addition to the B1G's football slate; but, college presidents, especially in the B1G, decide on expansion candidates and academics are a major issue to them. Would Oklahoma's lack of AAU status be a roadblock? UConn is a lot closer to AAU status that the Sooners. Ignoring the GOR issue for a moment, ideally, the B1G takes Kansas and UConn now to get to 16 teams. Then, when the XII fully implodes by time the GOR does expire, take Oklahoma and 3 other programs to get to 20. That would allow a few years for Oklahoma to get its academic house in order, much like UConn has been doing lately.

 

[Adios]

And without UConn, a XII network may not be feasible and without a XII network, the XII is dead. My preference like many is for the B1G; but, the ACC should be calling UConn today because if the XII dies, the ACC will likely live in the race to a P4 configuration.

The ACC can either absorb some Big 12 teams or the the schools in the AAC now can be split between the remnants of the ACC and Big 12.

If the Big 12 survives, and adds whatever MWC and/or AAC schools, the "P5" perception will probably remain intact.

 

[jostar1]

Christopher Lambert Retweeted

Berry Tramel ‏@BerryTramel · 3h3 hours ago
Academics matters in conference realignment http://Post original url/1PbrKOo

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV · 49m49 minutes ago
Pay attention to Berry Tramel. He has the final piece about UC & UCONN.

Christopher Lambert
‏@theDudeofWV @snoopdoug44 @geoffmitchell The leadership at UT is far more open than the previous one.

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV · 48m48 minutes ago
@snoopdoug44 @geoffmitchell OU has told certain media members no AAU status then B1G not possible. Listen to them.

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV · 41m41 minutes ago
Likely B12 will expand & commission a study on the feasibility of a network.

Christopher Lambert ‏@theDudeofWV · 38m38 minutes ago
@jay_256 12 is a pit stop on the way to 14.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 1m1 minute ago
So what does OU do now? What have they been planning? What is plan B?...plan C? Here we go...

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 2m2 minutes ago
You remember what we said here in last 6 months how the B12 Expansion Train was well down the tracks... Read what Boren just said...

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 17m17 minutes ago
Boren in a Q&A talked about how they had an outside group look at expansion candidates...how they the EXP Comm had been working on it....

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 16m16 minutes ago
We now...because of the same OU contacts...can now tell you Oklahoma has been working on plan B...plan C for some time....

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 13m13 minutes ago
According to OU contacts. OU has not been directly talking with the Big Ten...with no Big Ten officials on the issues of Realignment. None

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 11m11 minutes ago
There has been no need to. B10 knows what they need to know about the value of OU/KU. Both sides since 2011 knows there is shared interest

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 9m9 minutes ago
Oklahoma & Kansas were not rejected by B10 in 2010/11. B10 needed East Coast EXP when it had its opening...

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 8m8 minutes ago
Let me repeat... Boren has had no direct communication with any Big Ten Official on the issues of future realignment. However...

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 6m6 minutes ago
Oklahoma has reasons to believe indirectly that they are the next in line to be realigned with the Big Ten Conference,..along with Kansas.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 4m4 minutes ago
Before we get to the question of when and how....we need to put out some info that OU contacts have told us that you would fine interesting.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 2m2 minutes ago
According to OU contacts, no one has worked harder along side Boren to reform the B12 than WVU Gee. As you know the reasons are clear why..

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 2m2 minutes ago
But there is another HUGE reason why Gee has been pulling and pushing the cart of B12 reform. Gee knows B10 future intentions on OU/KU.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 44s44 seconds ago
We didn't know it at the time...but it's the reason why UCONN got the huge late push by EXP COMM. UCONN is what Kansas wanted if EXP happens

Two ways this could break.

1) Texas decides OU and KU are bolting no matter what happens, so they keep the LHN and block expansion because why not? Or maybe Texas wants them to bolt because then Texas will not look like the bad guy when they go to the ACC at the end of this TV deal.

2) Texas likes its current independence and flexibility within the Big 12, and decides to try to make things work out. Folding the LHN into a Big 12 Network is not hard. They would just structure the B12 Network to be based on some kind of performance compensation (ratings or on field/court performance or appearances) and Texas could get a guarantee of $15MM out of the Network. It would actually make the LHN a lot more valuable to simply rebrand it as the B12 Network, and I would bet ESPN would be flexible just to try and turn that lemon into lemonade.

Following CR Rule #1, I expect an agreement among Big 12 members to explore the second option, which will go on for months and even involve UConn and Cincinnati, and then something somewhere will happen and the whole thing will fall apart.

It is impossible for the Little 8 members of the Big 12 to ignore Oklahoma. Texas Tech, TCU and Baylor may be Texas' beeatch, but are they going to do something that helps Texas and hurts them?

 

[amory]

Two ways this could break.

1) Texas decides OU and KU are bolting no matter what happens, so they keep the LHN and block expansion because why not? Or maybe Texas wants them to bolt because then Texas will not look like the bad guy when they go to the ACC at the end of this TV deal.

2) Texas likes its current independence and flexibility within the Big 12, and decides to try to make things work out. Folding the LHN into a Big 12 Network is not hard. They would just structure the B12 Network to be based on some kind of performance compensation (ratings or on field/court performance or appearances) and Texas could get a guarantee of $15MM out of the Network. It would actually make the LHN a lot more valuable to simply rebrand it as the B12 Network, and I would bet ESPN would be flexible just to try and turn that lemon into lemonade.

Following CR Rule #1, I expect an agreement among Big 12 members to explore the second option, which will go on for months and even involve UConn and Cincinnati, and then something somewhere will happen and the whole thing will fall apart.

It is impossible for the Little 8 members of the Big 12 to ignore Oklahoma. Texas Tech, TCU and Baylor may be Texas' beeatch, but are they going to do something that helps Texas and hurts them?

I want to believe this is when something might finally break our way. If the goal is to eventually form a Big 12 network (whether that'll happen or not), they need the viewership that eithier BYU or UConn offers. Expansion without UConn makes no sense if establishing a network is the #1 goal. And BYU, by many accounts, is too much of a primadonna and refuses to play sports on Sunday.

I know all about CR Rule #1, but this finally seems like our big chance.

 

[hardcorehusky]

I have always felt that 16 is not the stopping point for the Big 10. But if they allow Oklahoma in without AAU, it opens a door for UCONN. The partner for UCONN would be the issue. IF it is OU and KU, who is our partner- someone from Virginia who is locked in until when?

If the Big 12 wants to stay together, then they need the Network as well as expansion. Expansion alone means nothing and none of them want to expand unless it makes them more money. Hence the network.

The wildcards here are the SEC and the Pac 12. The PAC 12 has a good thing- Texas makes it even better and so would OKLAHOMA and KU.
The SEC would look good with Oklahoma. In the end, OU has options even if the Big 10 doesn't pan out. Once the OU moves, the tectonic plates will shift again.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Something tells me if OU and KU end up in the B1G, we will not.

That said, the B1G has had numerous opportunities to take Mizzou and hasn't, what's going to make them really want KU? KU has better bball but that's it, Mizzou has better football, respectable BB, better academics, AAU membership, better TV markets. They've decided not to add them but are going to jump at KU? Ehhh.

 

[Kolumbo]

Yes, we know a Big 12 network is smart.
http://cjonline.com/sports/2016-01-18/kevin-haskin-smart-move-big-12-consider-conference-network