Death of the Big 12 (10)

[jonzr]

Texas announced their own network in a deal with the World Wide Leader.  Colorado and Nebraska have already fled and TX A&M is going to the SEC in 2012.  I've been wondering what OU will do about all this and now there's a rumor that they may join A&M in the SEC!

That would be SWEET!  Yeah, it'll be tough as hell to win the conference - as they've dominated the Big 12 over the last decade - but it will raise the level IMO.  I do hope this is true.

[KeystoneKC]

It should be entertaining, if nothing else.  Once any one of the "Big 3" conferences moves above the current 12-school level, they're all going to go.  I'd expect that the ACC, after taking a hit, would try to follow and both the Big 12 & Big East would wind up as smokin' holes in the ground.

The Pac 1012 made a dash last year for 16, but came up short.  It appears that they're talking again http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6927204/pac-16-oklahoma-sooners-texas-longhorns-being-discussed-source-says.  Interesting tidbit from the article that I hadn't heard before:  "On Friday, Oklahoma president David Boren confirmed multiple conferences have shown interest in the Sooners and he expects to decide whether to leave the Big 12 or not within the next three weeks.".  Any conference in the country would love to have the Sooners.

[jonzr]

Man, I hope it's not the PAC 12, they'd be so much better off in the SEC, seems a more natural fit - more regional, etc.  But I guess these things are always business decisions and no doubt, the money will do the talking.

[leighclay]

Does anybody else see this as a push by the conferences to overthrow the NCAA?

Not that that would be a bad thing....

[KeystoneKC]

Does anybody else see this as a push by the conferences to overthrow the NCAA?

Yup.  (4) 16 -18 team conferences could tell the NCAA to pound sand & refuse to schedule anyone outside the clique.  The rich would get richer, and the bottom tier of the Division 1 schools get pushed back to the Kid's Table.  On the plus side:  No more PSU v Indiana State, or Florida State v Louisiana-Monroe.

[jonzr]

And now I'm hearing more about OU to the PAC 12.  Meh.

[msdmnr2002]

I had even heard Texas to the ACC rumors, which seems absurd, but no more to than TCU in Big East.

By the way, think the HOrny Frogs are crapping themselves?  They're all set to join Big East, and they may well be going under.  When carousel stops, I'm betting TCU gets left out.  If they have any way to bail and try to hook up somewhere else, they should take it.