Anybody else a college football fan? All this expansion talk is crazy! I'm not sure any of this will actually go down but I guess there is some substance to some of these rumors.
College Football Conference Expansion
- Thread starter thunda123
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys are blazing a trail to the Pacific-10 Conference ... according to a source -- and leaving the future of the Big 12 Conference in serious jeopardy.
A source in the OK State athletic department tells TMZ Sports the move is a "done deal." The Pac-10 just made it official that Colorado is also jumping off the Big 12 ship.
We're told it's "just a matter of time" before the OK State announcement is also made. It's been rumored that Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M will also join the new super conference. Nebraska, it's widely believed, will go to the Big 10.
As for why this is all going down -- our source says "everyone wants a playoff system ... and this is the first step toward doing it."
A source in the OK State athletic department tells TMZ Sports the move is a "done deal." The Pac-10 just made it official that Colorado is also jumping off the Big 12 ship.
We're told it's "just a matter of time" before the OK State announcement is also made. It's been rumored that Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M will also join the new super conference. Nebraska, it's widely believed, will go to the Big 10.
As for why this is all going down -- our source says "everyone wants a playoff system ... and this is the first step toward doing it."
Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton didn't learn of Colorado's move to the Pac-10 until just before meeting with the board of curators for lunch, but the first thing he did was call Texas president Bill Powers, according to his comments to reporters earlier this morning.
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
They’re a member of the Big 12, so the first thing I did was [pick] up the phone and call [Texas president] Bill Powers because right now he’s in the chair role of the Big 12,” Deaton said before being whisked away by handlers. “I wanted to chat with him about the implications of that.”
Deaton later told reporters "anything could happen" and that "we're working hard to hang together and move forward."
Missouri has yet to receive an official invitation from the Big Ten to apply, and if the Big 12 South -- minus Baylor -- makes a move to the Pac-10, the Tigers being left outside a conference with an automatic BCS bid is looking like a real possibility.
Apparently, Deaton may have exhausted his reservoir of reminders that Missouri was a proud member of the Big 12 during last week's meetings.
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
They’re a member of the Big 12, so the first thing I did was [pick] up the phone and call [Texas president] Bill Powers because right now he’s in the chair role of the Big 12,” Deaton said before being whisked away by handlers. “I wanted to chat with him about the implications of that.”
Deaton later told reporters "anything could happen" and that "we're working hard to hang together and move forward."
Missouri has yet to receive an official invitation from the Big Ten to apply, and if the Big 12 South -- minus Baylor -- makes a move to the Pac-10, the Tigers being left outside a conference with an automatic BCS bid is looking like a real possibility.
Apparently, Deaton may have exhausted his reservoir of reminders that Missouri was a proud member of the Big 12 during last week's meetings.
I wont believe it till I hear it, but its nice to hear this still in the discussion. Texas might be hesitant to join P10 since the P10 isn't allowing them to do what they want (with baylor), and since USC has just been sanctioned, which basically kills that conference as it is now.
its not that this sounds crazy, its that this has 0% chance of happening.
ND has long time running rivalries with many of the teams in the B10. They also have their rivalry with USC. Theres now way they would end up in the B12 for these reasons.
ND is still big enough to remain independent, and unless both the B10 and SEC grab 3-4 more schools as well as the P10 gaining 6, they wont budge because they can still remain in the BCS talks without all the "super conferences"
If they join a conference, which I don't think they will, it can only be the B10.
nah, colorado will do better in the P10. The road is clear in that conference. ASU might be the best team next year since USC is out of bowl season for the next 2 years, and oregon lost their QB.
heck, CU might be able to win it if no other B12 teams join
i stole this from a poster named psuKinger off of the Texas scout.com boards. good reasoning why texas would want to join the B10 over the P10
I'm still skeptical. It all still hinges on what Nebraska does. If the B10 gets Nebraska then there is no way that Texas will follow.
its becoming more and more possible that texas could somehow end up in the B10.
orangeblood.com is still saying a P16 with texas schools there, which i also agree is by far the more likely situation, but there are shreds of evidence saying it could be the B10 instead.
texas A&M is still talking things out with the SEC. if tAM goes east, it might free up UT to go to the B10.
KU AD resigns
LAWRENCE, Kan. --
Todd Ummelman/KMBC
More
University of Kansas Athletic Director Lew Perkins announced Thursday he will leave his post next year.
Perkins's resignation will be effective Sept. 4, 2011.
KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said in a news conference that she was surprised when Perkins told her that he was leaving Lawrence. She said she did not ask for his departure.
“I was surprised by it,” she said. “We talked about why he wanted to retire, his reasons, as I mentioned, personal, family and professional reasons and things like that. I was not expecting this conversation today."
She said she expected her conversation with Perkins on Thursday to be about the future of the Big 12.
She said she had heard no objections that Perkins would remain on board until September 2011.
Gray-Little praised Perkins for leading KU Athletics "during a time of remarkable growth and success," and said he will play a key role in determining its future.
Perkins has come under fire after a review done for KU found more than $3 million worth of premium athletic tickets were scalped or given away. The FBI and IRS are investigating KU's ticket operations.
Perkins has maintained he had no knowledge of the events. The university on Wednesday night cleared Perkins of any ethical wrongdoing over use of a more than $6,000 hot tub. A former employee had claimed Perkins accepted it in exchange for the owners getting premium tickets, but the review said the donation was made to KU Athletics.
Perkins filed a police report saying the former employee attempted to blackmail him.
In a news conference, KU basketball coach Bill Self praised Perkins' contributions to KU Athletics.
As KU AD, Perkins presided over the popularity of KU football and the basketball team winning a national championship.
In a statement, Perkins said, "I have loved my time here at the University of Kansas and I will continue leading Kansas Athletics over the course of the next year."
He said the future of the Big 12 and conference realignment remain his biggest priority.
But he said with his 65th birthday in 2010 that he decided now was the best time to retire.
"After more than 40 plus years in the athletics business, I look forward to retiring next year, spending time with my wife, our children and grandchildren, as well as finding a little more time on the golf course," Perkins said.
He promised a seamless transition.
Perkins became the athletic director at KU in June 2003. He had previously worked at the University of Connecticut.
Gray-Little said she will work with Perkins to implement changes needed to ensure "trust and confidence" in KU's ticket operations.
"Recent days have been challenging, and there is much uncertainty in the college sports landscape, but by remaining through the coming school year, Lew will be able to help guide the university as conference realignment continues," Gray-Little said in a statement before the news conference. "I know this is an anxious time for Jayhawks. I want to reassure our fans that we have been proactive throughout the conference realignment discussions, and our efforts to advance the interests of KU will remain extremely aggressive."
LAWRENCE, Kan. --
Todd Ummelman/KMBC
More
University of Kansas Athletic Director Lew Perkins announced Thursday he will leave his post next year.
Perkins's resignation will be effective Sept. 4, 2011.
KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said in a news conference that she was surprised when Perkins told her that he was leaving Lawrence. She said she did not ask for his departure.
“I was surprised by it,” she said. “We talked about why he wanted to retire, his reasons, as I mentioned, personal, family and professional reasons and things like that. I was not expecting this conversation today."
She said she expected her conversation with Perkins on Thursday to be about the future of the Big 12.
She said she had heard no objections that Perkins would remain on board until September 2011.
Gray-Little praised Perkins for leading KU Athletics "during a time of remarkable growth and success," and said he will play a key role in determining its future.
Perkins has come under fire after a review done for KU found more than $3 million worth of premium athletic tickets were scalped or given away. The FBI and IRS are investigating KU's ticket operations.
Perkins has maintained he had no knowledge of the events. The university on Wednesday night cleared Perkins of any ethical wrongdoing over use of a more than $6,000 hot tub. A former employee had claimed Perkins accepted it in exchange for the owners getting premium tickets, but the review said the donation was made to KU Athletics.
Perkins filed a police report saying the former employee attempted to blackmail him.
In a news conference, KU basketball coach Bill Self praised Perkins' contributions to KU Athletics.
As KU AD, Perkins presided over the popularity of KU football and the basketball team winning a national championship.
In a statement, Perkins said, "I have loved my time here at the University of Kansas and I will continue leading Kansas Athletics over the course of the next year."
He said the future of the Big 12 and conference realignment remain his biggest priority.
But he said with his 65th birthday in 2010 that he decided now was the best time to retire.
"After more than 40 plus years in the athletics business, I look forward to retiring next year, spending time with my wife, our children and grandchildren, as well as finding a little more time on the golf course," Perkins said.
He promised a seamless transition.
Perkins became the athletic director at KU in June 2003. He had previously worked at the University of Connecticut.
Gray-Little said she will work with Perkins to implement changes needed to ensure "trust and confidence" in KU's ticket operations.
"Recent days have been challenging, and there is much uncertainty in the college sports landscape, but by remaining through the coming school year, Lew will be able to help guide the university as conference realignment continues," Gray-Little said in a statement before the news conference. "I know this is an anxious time for Jayhawks. I want to reassure our fans that we have been proactive throughout the conference realignment discussions, and our efforts to advance the interests of KU will remain extremely aggressive."
Now that Colorado has become the first school to officially leave the Big 12 Conference, and Nebraska appears to be next, the Kansas State leadership is now turning its attention to keeping the University of Texas.
It appears the Pac-10 has already extended invitations to UT, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. And with a decision possibly looming in the next few days, the key to keeping all five in the Big 12 has always been and continues to be Texas.
Given that, K-State president Kirk Schulz said Thursday if UT can be convinced to stay, then there's a good chance the rest of the Big 12 South teams would stay as well.
"The University of Texas, in particular, is a key cog in much of this," he said. "In general conversations with some of the other schools, the Oklahoma schools and the other Texas schools, there's a lot of support to stay in the Big 12 still.
"But if Texas decides to go, then their number one rival Texas A&M will go. Then Texas Tech will want to be there, then so on — you know how it goes."
Schulz said he expects those conversations to take place during the course of the next week in what has become a very nervous time for K-State and Kansas as the dismantling of the Big 12 is already underway.
"We have been talking to them all through this week anyway, but the next week becomes very important now," Schulz said. "I think the question then becomes if we can move forward with a 10-team Big 12 and possibly look at expansion options over the next several months."
That's a scenario that Schulz thinks is still a possibility, despite numerous reports that already have the Big 12 dead and buried and the Big 12 South heading west.
"I don't think this one is that far-fetched because the current revenue-sharing deal that is in the conference is very good for some of the big-dollar, big-market schools," he said. "I think there's always something good about being a big fish in a small pond.
"Plus, we're all in the central time zone and have a nice north-south configuration and we don't have to go three time zones to play in these sporting events. We're going to start pushing hard on that as also another object of consideration."
But if that doesn't work and seven schools do in fact leave the Big 12, the five remaining institutions — K-State, KU, Iowa State, Missouri and Baylor — could be left with no conference.
When asked if K-State can survive such a doomsday scenario, Schulz's answer was simple: "We have to."
The next week could prove to be very critical for the Wildcats as the rest of the Big 12 continues to wait for the decisions of a few to affect the entire league.
"So far, we haven't really looked at a lot of scenarios of where we'd go or what conference we might try to align ourselves with, but in the next week or so if it looks like we're not going to have a viable Big 12 or we get into a every-person-for-themselves mentality, I think then, I'll start to panic," Schulz said.
"But right now, we're going to look and see how things unfold, continue to review our options and sit down with the chancellor (Bernadette Gray-Little) and athletics staff at KU, and our folks, and start asking, 'What are we going to do together here and what are some possible scenarios for KU and K-State?'"
Throughout this entire process, Schulz and Currie have maintained their desire to work with KU and make the two programs a package deal, no matter what happens to the Big 12. But KU, at times, hasn't seemed quite as committed to the idea as K-State.
"We have talked about that quite a bit, visited with the chancellor earlier in the week and I have a feeling some of that is the way things have been phrased," Schulz said. "It may look like there is a weakening there, but I know in our conversations with the athletics staff and leadership at KU, they have a strong desire to be together as well."
It's also Schulz's desire to keep the remaining Big 12 schools together and perhaps form a new conference if the South does choose to opt out and join the Pac-10.
"I think if that is what occurs, I think we will get those five schools in a room and talk about this," Schulz said. "That, in my mind, would certainly be a top preference, if it comes down to that."
But getting everyone to the table could be difficult.
That's especially true with Missouri because after making strong overtures toward joining the Big Ten the last few months, the Tigers appear to now be left at the doorstep with no date.
"If somebody's been out there fishing and didn't catch what they wanted, its critical that we make sure we stay with our historical alliances that have been really good to us over the long term," Schulz said.
"That requires everybody to come half way and if we stand on one side of the room and folks on the other side are not willing to go half way, I think we need to extend the olive branch out and say, 'Hey, look, lets stick together on this deal and move forward.' That's going to be my approach and I'll be the first person out there with that olive branch if that's how this settles."
It appears the Pac-10 has already extended invitations to UT, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. And with a decision possibly looming in the next few days, the key to keeping all five in the Big 12 has always been and continues to be Texas.
Given that, K-State president Kirk Schulz said Thursday if UT can be convinced to stay, then there's a good chance the rest of the Big 12 South teams would stay as well.
"The University of Texas, in particular, is a key cog in much of this," he said. "In general conversations with some of the other schools, the Oklahoma schools and the other Texas schools, there's a lot of support to stay in the Big 12 still.
"But if Texas decides to go, then their number one rival Texas A&M will go. Then Texas Tech will want to be there, then so on — you know how it goes."
Schulz said he expects those conversations to take place during the course of the next week in what has become a very nervous time for K-State and Kansas as the dismantling of the Big 12 is already underway.
"We have been talking to them all through this week anyway, but the next week becomes very important now," Schulz said. "I think the question then becomes if we can move forward with a 10-team Big 12 and possibly look at expansion options over the next several months."
That's a scenario that Schulz thinks is still a possibility, despite numerous reports that already have the Big 12 dead and buried and the Big 12 South heading west.
"I don't think this one is that far-fetched because the current revenue-sharing deal that is in the conference is very good for some of the big-dollar, big-market schools," he said. "I think there's always something good about being a big fish in a small pond.
"Plus, we're all in the central time zone and have a nice north-south configuration and we don't have to go three time zones to play in these sporting events. We're going to start pushing hard on that as also another object of consideration."
But if that doesn't work and seven schools do in fact leave the Big 12, the five remaining institutions — K-State, KU, Iowa State, Missouri and Baylor — could be left with no conference.
When asked if K-State can survive such a doomsday scenario, Schulz's answer was simple: "We have to."
The next week could prove to be very critical for the Wildcats as the rest of the Big 12 continues to wait for the decisions of a few to affect the entire league.
"So far, we haven't really looked at a lot of scenarios of where we'd go or what conference we might try to align ourselves with, but in the next week or so if it looks like we're not going to have a viable Big 12 or we get into a every-person-for-themselves mentality, I think then, I'll start to panic," Schulz said.
"But right now, we're going to look and see how things unfold, continue to review our options and sit down with the chancellor (Bernadette Gray-Little) and athletics staff at KU, and our folks, and start asking, 'What are we going to do together here and what are some possible scenarios for KU and K-State?'"
Throughout this entire process, Schulz and Currie have maintained their desire to work with KU and make the two programs a package deal, no matter what happens to the Big 12. But KU, at times, hasn't seemed quite as committed to the idea as K-State.
"We have talked about that quite a bit, visited with the chancellor earlier in the week and I have a feeling some of that is the way things have been phrased," Schulz said. "It may look like there is a weakening there, but I know in our conversations with the athletics staff and leadership at KU, they have a strong desire to be together as well."
It's also Schulz's desire to keep the remaining Big 12 schools together and perhaps form a new conference if the South does choose to opt out and join the Pac-10.
"I think if that is what occurs, I think we will get those five schools in a room and talk about this," Schulz said. "That, in my mind, would certainly be a top preference, if it comes down to that."
But getting everyone to the table could be difficult.
That's especially true with Missouri because after making strong overtures toward joining the Big Ten the last few months, the Tigers appear to now be left at the doorstep with no date.
"If somebody's been out there fishing and didn't catch what they wanted, its critical that we make sure we stay with our historical alliances that have been really good to us over the long term," Schulz said.
"That requires everybody to come half way and if we stand on one side of the room and folks on the other side are not willing to go half way, I think we need to extend the olive branch out and say, 'Hey, look, lets stick together on this deal and move forward.' That's going to be my approach and I'll be the first person out there with that olive branch if that's how this settles."
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