There’s massive potential Big 12 fallout here. And it’s not just an SEC thing. The Big Ten and Pac-12 would also be involved because the Big 12 might very well be “scuttled” should Texas (the major driver here) and OU bail. We would officially have a Power 4 instead of a Power 5, and the SEC would become the biggest and most powerful brand in the sport — by far.
Barrett Sallee (CBS Sports) — As if College Football Playoff expansion and NIL rights were not enough to shake up the sport, another round of conference realignment appears to be only a matter of time. Texas and Oklahoma have reached out to the SEC about leaving the Big 12 and joining the nation’s most powerful conference, sources tell CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd.
Citing “a high-ranking college official with knowledge of the situation,” the Houston Chronicle‘s Brent Zwerneman first reported that the SEC could announce the additions of the Longhorns and Sooners “within a couple of weeks.” Yes, things may move that quickly.
While SEC commissioner Greg Sankey along with officials from Texas and Oklahoma have all released statements refusing to comment on these reports, there have been no outward denials to this point. This despite resistance from some tangential parties, namely Texas A&M (not wanting another Lone Star State team in the SEC) and Oklahoma State (not wanting to be left alone in the Big 12).
This is the second time in just over a decade that the Longhorns and Sooners have given serious consideration to leaving the Big 12. Back during the last round of realignment, the programs (along with the Cowboys) came within 30 minutes of leaving for what was then the Pac-10. (This time it appears that Texas is willing to give up the back half of its Longhorn Network contract).
The additions of Texas and Oklahoma would make the SEC the first 16-team superconference while simultaneously adding massive brand power to a league already seen as the best in college sports. Whether these programs leave now or leave for the SEC specifically, their departure from the Big 12 appears inevitable, as well as possibly a huge legal fight over what is called a “binding grant of rights”…
cbssports.com
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Buckeye fan here. Let’s do it. USC and UCLA, ASU, Colorado, UW, and Stanford. Come on join the B1G. The only national conference coast to coast. Checkmate the rednecks. The B1G has always looked West but moved East 10 years ago to secure the clicks and eyeballs of NYC and WDC. Combined we’d have like 12 of the largest metro areas in the US to the SEC’s 4, maybe 5. And we are all AAU members to make the nerds and school presidents happy. But the reality is Ohio State brings in 7.5 billion in medical research, but $250M in… Read more »
I’ve thought of the merger of the Big Ten and Pac-12, or parts thereof, and I think it has possible merit. Something has to be done to prevent the SEC from taking completely over.
The Big Ten and the Pac-12 have always been connected through the Rose Bowl. Maybe that’s a good backbone.
The B1G Network runs a commercial during the football season that visits each campus, shows the football stadiums, etc. the commercial starts at the Rose Bowl and ends at the Statue of Liberty. There’s more connecting the two conferences. The B1G is not just an athletic conference. It’s a research consortium. Schools have to be AAU members. John’s Hopkins is a B1G member, competes in lacrosse, but is a conference member for the group medical research. The research generates billions, athletics only millions. I think the PAC 12 is set up similarly with a similar focus. Oklahoma wouldn’t qualify to… Read more »
An idea I read elsewhere which I liked was to merge the pac 12 with the Big 10. Play only the original conference (which would be a division) during the regular season. All OOC games would be against the other division. The championship game would alternate between the Rose Bowl and Lucas Oil in Indy.
Dreaming…..the new commish sounds as open minded as Adolph Hitler.
From the Mercury News:
George Kliavkoff states, “I consider the Pac-12 an exclusive club with a high barrier to entry. I love the schools and teams we have today. We are not actively seeking to poach any teams from any conferences. But we’d be foolish not listen if schools call us.”
Interesting use of the words “high barrier” and “exclusive club” by Kliavkoff here. The Pac-12 has always been very elitist in how it’s viewed itself, in large part because of USC football, UCLA basketball and STAN/CAL academics.
Suddenly, TEXAS and OU desiring to leave the Big 12 for the BMOC SEC puts the Pac-12 to the test and in a tough spot. With everyone else actively trying to improve themselves, I would imagine Kliavkoff will be returning some calls.
Or placing some.
It was humorous how Kliavkoff basically said, “We don’t need you, but why don’t you give us a call?”
That’s one way to fish, I guess.
Negotiating bluster. The PAC 12 is the weakest of the Power 5. If Utah can get good terms from the Big 12, it would be irrational to stay in the Pac.
Another consideration for leaving: after Oklahoma and Texas leave, UTAH might be a better team than any of the other leftovers.
How would the long-time Big 12 members feel about UTAH, a team that hasn’t won big in the Pac-12, suddenly coming aboard and getting “good terms.” Not very happy at all, I would imagine. It would be a matter of solving one problem in exchange for a bunch of others.
They would need to consider the alternative, without UTAH or Colorado or BYU they would be on par with Mountain West Conference.
Yes, indeed. But shoving their many, many years of allegiance down their own throats to bend over big-time for newbies UTAH or CU? I’m wondering how schools like BAY and OKS, who would already be hurting, would feel about that?
But then again, as you say, you’ve gotta do what you’ve got to do to survive. But I doubt that either UTAH or CU would find it easy leaving the Pac-12 based on legalities, and neither has near the financial clout of TEXAS to just bully its way to wherever.
Yes, better than the alternative, for sure, if I’m the Big 12. Colorado would be coming back home to the conference they left, and Utah proved they belonged in the PAC after the jump up from the Mountain West Conference. And they both have had success in other sports like basketball.
I think losing CU and UTAH would really set the Pac-12 on its ear. Funny how those two teams suddenly seem so valuable to me now.
I think have Folt as President of SC and Helton as its HC has set the Pac-12 on its ear! If Utah and CO bolt, I doubt the “woke” Presidents (SC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, ASU, and UW) would care. They would probably be pleased.
Agree, RJJ. Having the Socialist folt and Caruso (God knows what his motivations are for his Alma Mater, but none of his actions have been for good) in position of decision making at this juncture of conference realignment bodes poorly for SC to be in a good position for the future.
I honestly would be fine, if Utah and Colorado leave, going back to the PAC 10, playing every team in the conference, and schedule strong out of conference opponents. Especially if we can’t replace teams with at least proven winners from the conference they came from. Utah was a proven winner from where they came from. Bottom line is “ if you build a winner they will come”. USC under Pete, played and beat all comers. The overall conference was weaker during that time, but no one cared because the big dog was nationally relevant and it trickled down to… Read more »
If the new playoff format includes automatic winners from the power 5, we would be fine as long as we win
The problem is of course, Who Came First? The better quality teams, or the large TV deal numbers? A Catch-22 for the west because of our geographical location.
But yes, it sure would help if our Pac-12 presidents all got serious about football success, and committed themselves to it. But how many Pac-12 presidents do we have that are even like that now? Who would you say they are?.
Allen, You just made the best argument in the world for Utah to leave the Pac. It will always be second fiddle to the West Coast schools. It has a huge disadvantage in both location and resources. It will also never be accepted by the likes of Berkeley or Stanford as an equal. And, those Presidents will tolerate football and not seek to nourish it. Utah fits much better in an expanded Big 12. And, it can establish its own counter-culture and brand. And, it can compete for the NC every year. If I were the Utah AD, I would… Read more »
No way I’d leave the Pac-12 — which actually has truly marquee football programs like USC and ORE (we never miss those teams on TV if we can help it, ever) — for the Big 12, which just lost its only two, both huge: TEXAS and OU. The Big 12 just lost all its cache, and a school like UTAH would never move the left over needle IMO. You know me. I like to make predictions, and I predict that neither CU nor UTAH will leave the Pac-12. They both REALLY wanted into this conference. I don’t think they want… Read more »
Not enough, and that’s the problem. Why isn’t it obvious to them that you can be a prestigious academic institution and also be a prestigious sports program. They compliment each other and are mutually inclusive. Athletic success leads to greater financial contributions from Alumni, better professor and research candidates who , while maybe not saying so in public, like the idea of being part of success when all other options may be equal. Bigger shares of TV and merchandise income, help all facets of University infrastructure. I’m not trying to be simplistic about it, but what negatives are there about… Read more »
Do you like who ARIZ hired to replace Sumlin, Jedd Fisch?
At least they had the guts to fire their coach in search of improvement. I know not much of Fisch — but I do know I always thought Sumlin would flop big and fast at ARIZ.
Not carol folt.
Of course the PAC 12 is not “actively seeking to poach,” because it can’t. Conferences cannot approach schools, only schools can approach conferences. Texas approached the SEC, not the other way around.
Really? Approaching only goes one way? That seems silly to me (so it must be true!) and invites clandestine activity (the old backchannel route), which we know is how many things get actually started anyway in this world.
I was kind of hoping the Pac-12 was taking an aggressive and smart stance here to either pick off the best of the leftover teams, or merge itself with another CFB heavyweight conference.
The landscape of CFB is changing so rapidly. It seems like the early bird getting the worm might be an applicable aphorism here.
This conference “free for all” is unsettling to those of us who are traditionalist and resistant to major change. I know it’s inevitable, and the answer to all the questions is always money. I can see a scenario where the Big 12 aggressively tries to stay alive by quickly going after Utah and Colorado, which geographically makes sense. When the dust settles, it will be interesting to see what all the conferences look like, and how little geography may play into it. It all kinda reminds me of the NBA, where all the stars want to join each other to… Read more »
USC fans have often seemed to relish in putting down both CU and UTAH as cheap substitutes for replacing TEXAS, OU and OKS back a decade ago when Scott swung and missed at the last second. It’ll be interesting to see how Trojan fans would react if either CU, UTAH or both split for the Big 12, which would leave the Pac-12 in an interesting lurch. Personally, I’ve always liked both those schools in the Pac-12. I felt they were a pretty good fit, adding some diversity and also some real excellence in some areas. This is such an amazing… Read more »
I like both CO and Utah in the Pac. But I think the Big 12 will make an extremely attractive offer. Utah could dominate the Big 12 and assure itself of a CF Championship appearance yearly. Why stay in the Pac and complete against Oregon (and its Nike backing), UW, SC, and UCLA. Makes far more sense for Utah to realign. In fact, it appears foolish for Utah to stay. It simply cannot compete in the brave new world of NILs with Oregon, UW, or the southern Cal schools.
I wonder though if UTAH sees the Pac-12 as just a more desirable alignment to be involved in, maybe even significantly so. It would be interesting to know how both CU and UTAH see themselves in all ways from having joined the Pac-12.
But from my own personal vantage point, I’d be more inclined to be a part of a better conference than one where I could win more. That would be an easy choice for me. I think VANDY feels the same way.
I think you are on to something! Makes sense the Big 12 would go after Utah and CO as well SMU and Houston. Big 12 would become 12 teams, North would be CO, Utah, KS, KS St, Iowa State, and WV. South would be OK St., Baylor, TCU, SMU, Houston and TX Tech. PAC 12 would add UNLV and Boise St. UNLV is an excellent add because of its stadium and it is a great destination for a game. Boise State gives media coverage in the SLC market, has a good stadium, and a good football reputation.
Were I UTAH or CU, I’d definitely be pushing for any advantages I could get from the Pac-12 now.
Were those schools to suddenly try to leave the Pac-12 for the Big 12, I don’t think the newly reduced Pac-10 would be looking very smart, or profitable.
I don’t see either CU or UTAH leaving the Pac-12, however. And I would much rather have them than UNLV or BOISE ST, that’s for sure.
i wonder if NE would consider going back to the Big 12. the move to the Big 10 has not been a good choice, IMO.
I would think NEB would go back in a heartbeat if invited. It’s been all downhill for the Huskers since they left the Big 12.
But getting out of these conference contracts seems like it would be prohibitive for most schools to accomplish. But maybe not for some reason.
I seem to remember Larry Scott trying to increase the PAC 12 by adding 4 more teams. He bungled the negotiations like a guy with a huge cold sore at a kissing booth.
my question would be who would the want to join?
BAY, IA ST, OKS and TCU, would seem the most attractive at first glance. Those teams will likely be going somewhere in the feeding frenzy to come. The Pac-12 likes to think of itself as academically superior, so I don’t know which Big 12 programs suit its requirements in that regard. From here, I don’t see any Big 12 leftovers adding much to the Pac-12, but I haven’t really looked into it. TEXAS and OU pretty much absorb all the oxygen as I see it. If the SEC takes them, I have no idea how everyone disperses, or if the… Read more »
Seems like the naming of the conferences needs to change. The “SE” in SEC is South Eastern. Since when is College Station (Texas A&M) in the Southeastern portion of the United States? Likewise with the PAC, since when is Colorado in the Pacific region of the USA? Or Utah for that matter. If OU and UT bolt for the SEC, then maybe Boise St. and NDSU will join the Big-12. Makes no sense to me anymore.
How about the Big-10? They did not wish to change their name because, I guess, “Big-10” is a brand every sports fan recognizes, and so money can be made. And it is all about the money these days, isn’t it?– So many American companies and the government are gouging the public trying to make up for a low-income 2020 and into 2021. But would Texas and/or Oklahoma make more money if moving to the SEC?– Perhaps not. For starters, it would be much more difficult for those teams to make the playoffs when competing against 10-or-so SEC teams that could… Read more »