Conference Realignment..?

[NewtonHawk11]

Houston Chronicle reporting that Texas and OU have started talks about joining SEC.

Big 12 owns any TV rights to schools up until 2025.

Could be just fodder before the season begins, but anytime Texas AND OU both stick their necks out there, it's something.

Don't know why you would leave Big 12 with new 12-team playoff and top 6 conference winners awarded a spot, but who knows.

[UnholyLivingDead]

As it stands right now, one of OU or Texas is basically guaranteed a spot in the playoff. Why would they willingly leave and make their path to a championship harder? College sports the way we know it are going to get blown up sooner rather than later and, honestly, I'm pretty excited about it.

[BigTamale]

All about the $$$. Can't blame them.

To me, this rumor seems more likely. NIL, 12 team playoff, Grant of Rights ends in 4 years... seems like this is a 2025 move.

Gives KU 3.5 years to put their affairs in order.

[UnholyLivingDead]

If many of the reports surrounding the AD search this spring are accurate, the hiring committee placed a major priority on finding someone who could navigate the conference realignment waters. Travis Goff, Big 10 connections, can't be a bad thing. And good for the hiring committee to see this was going to be an issue again real soon. We'll see how it plays out.

[Deleted User 89]

i’ll believe it when i see it

seems at least once a year this topic surfaces, but save for the initial couple? years there hasn’t really been much to actually happen

[NewtonHawk11]

This has more teeth than all the other crap, I feel like.

KU will go to Big 10 if this happens. They'll be in a division with like Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois and Northwestern. And Iowa State and kstate will likely be along for the ride as well.

[PhDhawk]

There's also a chance the Big12 tries to save itself. They'd go after Nebraska, who's not too happy in the B1G, and then you need one more team....Houston, BYU, or you go after someone unhappy in the SEC, like potentially Arkansas.

[BigTamale]

This has more teeth than all the other crap, I feel like.

KU will go to Big 10 if this happens. They'll be in a division with like Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois and Northwestern. And Iowa State and kstate will likely be along for the ride as well.

I think most would welcome this move. But does the Big 10 really want us? Geographically it makes sense. I just don't think we have much to offer besides easy travel and filling programming for the Big 10 network on a random Thursday night. Perhaps the KC market?

That is all I can think of. What am I missing?

[PhDhawk]

This has more teeth than all the other crap, I feel like.

KU will go to Big 10 if this happens. They'll be in a division with like Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois and Northwestern. And Iowa State and kstate will likely be along for the ride as well.

I think most would welcome this move. But does the Big 10 really want us? Geographically it makes sense. I just don't think we have much to offer besides easy travel and filling programming for the Big 10 network on a random Thursday night. Perhaps the KC market?

That is all I can think of. What am I missing?

Yeah, and tv markets are becoming increasingly less important.

[Deleted User 89]

This has more teeth than all the other crap, I feel like.

KU will go to Big 10 if this happens. They'll be in a division with like Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois and Northwestern. And Iowa State and kstate will likely be along for the ride as well.

I think most would welcome this move. But does the Big 10 really want us? Geographically it makes sense. I just don't think we have much to offer besides easy travel and filling programming for the Big 10 network on a random Thursday night. Perhaps the KC market?

That is all I can think of. What am I missing?

academically, B10 makes sense (AAU membership)

if memory serves, lack of AAU membership has ruffled feathers of member institutions when considering other additions to the conference

[PhDhawk]

And if the B1G takes us, I think they go to 16 teams, not 17. So, that leaves KSU out if ISU were to come, and ISU makes more sense since Iowa is there. Also, KSU hurts the B1Gs academic reputation.

[PhDhawk]

This has more teeth than all the other crap, I feel like.

KU will go to Big 10 if this happens. They'll be in a division with like Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois and Northwestern. And Iowa State and kstate will likely be along for the ride as well.

I think most would welcome this move. But does the Big 10 really want us? Geographically it makes sense. I just don't think we have much to offer besides easy travel and filling programming for the Big 10 network on a random Thursday night. Perhaps the KC market?

That is all I can think of. What am I missing?

academically, B10 makes sense (AAU membership)

if memory serves, lack of AAU membership has ruffled feathers of member institutions when considering other additions to the conference

Yes. so, almost no way, KSU gets in.

[BigTamale]

There's also a chance the Big12 tries to save itself. They'd go after Nebraska, who's not too happy in the B1G, and then you need one more team....Houston, BYU, or you go after someone unhappy in the SEC, like potentially Arkansas.

Makes sense. I just can't see Nebraska and Arky passing up that paycheck in their respective conference. Without Texas in the Big 12, the TV deal would be with FS1 or CBS Sports/Paramount+ (or whatever it's called now) which would be significantly lower.

Big 12 should have been more proactive years ago.

[LVCHawk]

Name me something Bowlsby has done for securing the future of the conference while commish?

[NewtonHawk11]

OU seems ready to go

[sdoyel]

I’m over it. Kansas needs to look out for themselves. Nobody else.

[nu_bronco]

I’m over it. Kansas needs to look out for themselves. Nobody else.

I agree with this.

[pdub]

I think the NCAA is done for sooner rather than later and OU and UT are trying to get into the super league -- the league that'll make the decisions on whatever semipro/pro thing we'll have in five years.

[UnholyLivingDead]

I believe the end game here is OU and Texas join the SEC and then the SEC is the first to break away from the NCAA.

During the last round of realignment, the prevailing thought was you had to have a great football team to get invited to a different conference. Granted the Big 10 adding Rutgers seemed to shoot a hole in that theory, but the truth is there are no more elite level college football teams looking to move once you get past OU and Texas. Conferences are going to prioritize other things. The Big 10 places a premium on being an AAU school. They were PISSED when Nebraska joined the conference and then lost their AAU status. This is why being having an all-time great basketball program is probably going to be attractive to land KU. A conference would likely rather have a school with one elite program than just picking from the litter of also-ran football teams who aren't great at anything.

[NewtonHawk11]

KU will be just fine. There will be no Mountain West conference or anything like that. The Big 12 might be fine if they are aggressive. They will be able to go add a few good schools of their choosing. Arizona schools, Houston, A&M isn't happy that Texas might join, they want to be the only SEC school in Texas, wouldn't mind bringing an Arkansas on board along with maybe getting Colorado back.

The Big 12 still offers quite a bit. Good basketball. Above average football. Iowa State, Oklahoma State, TCU and Baylor have all been in the College Football Playoff top 5 at some point in the rankings over the last like 5 years.

But I think it's pretty clear that there is too much smoke for this all to clear. I think that OU and Texas are gone. Big 12 has to be ready to add someone immediately after.

That being said. I think the Big 12 dissolves.