Conference Realignment - where will we be in 5 yrs?

[Aargh]

This just gets better and better. The schools could claim damages if their TV contract was voided or reduced. However, the B12 has an obligation to attempt to mitigate those damages. If replacing aTm with oh, say, Houston doesn't affect the TV contract, then there are no damages.

If the B12 does nothing and the TV contract is reduced, then Baylor, ISU, and KSU could sue the B12 for failure to act to mitigate their damages. At which time, OU, Texas, Texas Tech, and OSU scurry off to the PAC 10.The SEC has authorized their president to explore the possibility of inviting Missouri. Then there is no B12 and you can't sue something that no longer exists.

Baylor, ISU, and KSU just became poison to BCS FB. Their possibility of finding a conference in the realignment just took a major hit. No one is going to want the schools that yelled, "we'll sue if you try to take away our gravy train". It would be different if those schools were revenue providers to the league, but they're not. They're revenue absorbers.

I think the rest of the B12 should sue KSU for hiring Ron Prince as their FB coach a few years back. Prince took KSU on a nosedive into the abyss. That certainly hurt the B12's ability to negotiate a TV contract. That probably cost the B12 $100 mill or so in negotiating the current contract. So, everybody, sue KSU. Maybe they can all sue each other into oblivion.

[MoValley John]

What did the SEC do? Unless they interfered, they did nothing. If aTm initiated an email to the SEC, yet the SEC never asked them to join, they did nothing. And by accepting aTm, they didn't harm the stability of the conference, aTm had already left. aTm caused the damages, but the Big XII contract has rules for leaving, which aTm followed, so no damages. Baylor is threatening to go after the SEC, which had no relationship with them or the Big XII and can only cite tortious interference. How they are going about it is akin to suing a guy for breaking up your marriage when he starts dating your wife after the divorce. Anybody can file a case, not everybody wins.

On the other hand, I have heard too many rumors on this subject and they all seem to blend together. One rumor is that Baylor is doing this not to stop aTm, but to be included in the SEC. A power play. The SEC wants two Texas schools, one of them might as well be Baylor. Afterall, Baylor is good at being a whipping boy, they have, for years, been a bottom feeder. They would gladly be a bottom feeder in the SEC.

[DoubleJayAlum]

If the SEC did nothing wrong, why are they demanding signed releases from each and every Big 12 school before admitting TAMU? If they did nothing wrong, they wouldn't be worried about the litigation.

Take my word on this - huge entities like the SEC are not afraid of litigation and are probably sued more times each year than many realize. Yeah, it is a hassle of sorts, but to huge entities, a little litigation is just the cost of doing business. Do you realize how many letters these types of entities receive each day threatening litigation? The only litigation feared by big companies is litigation were the damages could be in the millions and they aren't very confident of the outcome.

Of course the SEC tampered here. BCS programs don't just withdraw from BCS conferences without being 100% certain that another BCS conference will admit them, especially when the withdrawal fee itself is in excess of $10 million dollars.

[Khan4Cats]

The irony of all this is that is the SEC that is worried about the appearance of cheating in this. Apparently the Big XII is a bigger threat than the NCAA when it comes to possible cheating. There might be actual consequences involved.

[MVCfans]

From Joe Lunardi ESPN insider article:

But if you think power conferences suck up too many at-large bids today, just wait. The days of a Pac-16 team with a 6-12 conference record taking VCU's spot may be closer than anyone wants to believe. It won't matter that a VCU or a Northern Iowa can actually beat Kansas on a neutral floor. It will only matter that mid- and low-majors have even more hurdles in their path.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college ... id=6943283

[MSUDuo]

Before it is all said and done, you will see a huge split among schools and sports in that of the BCS schools going one way and everyone else going the other. For football, it could end up like BCS-FBS-FCS and a 3 tier system. I mean, it really is already but I think 4-5 16 team conferences would be in the final nail.

[Haha]

I think if you end up with 48 "BCS" football teams or even 64 then whatever is left over will be forced to play in one division really. I would imagine it would become that much tougher for the leftover FBS teams to keep from sinking their athletic budgets. They would be best served at that point to lower the schollies to FCS levels and participate in the playoffs. I can't see South-Alabama vs Western Michigan bowl game paying out anything when suddenly the only people playing bowl games are well those types of teams. Especially when the big boys will be doing some sort of limited playoff.

Just get ready to be ncaa division 1 in name and division 2 in the hearts and minds of fans oh and reality. I was sort of pissed at this thought in the beginning. I have changed my mind now, who cares if the big boys take their ball and go home. Valley will remain the same.

[Red]

I think the BCS teams are smart enough to know they need to include the mid-majors and even smaller conferences in the NCAA tournament.

[MVCfans]

I get the vibe that the Big 12 might just be able to hold it together. Certainly, it's in Texas' best interest in my opinion and I think Oklahoma holds the same view. I wonder if OU isn't posturing somewhat to gain concessions from Texas and the other league schools.

Texas and Oklahoma officials met over the weekend amid speculation that the Sooners are considering leaving the Big 12, a person at a conference school with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

Texas President William Powers Jr., athletic director DeLoss Dodds and women's athletic director Chris Plonsky were among a group of Texas officials who went to Oklahoma on Sunday, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the individual isn't authorized to speak publicly about the meeting.

The person also said Oklahoma president David Boren was present at the meeting, which was first reported by the Austin American-Statesman.

Oklahoma officials are reportedly considering leaving the Big 12 after Texas A&M's recent decision to leave the conference with hopes of joining the Southeastern Conference.

In the meeting, Texas expressed its desire to keep the Big 12 together, while OU made it clear it plans to pursue membership in the Pac-12. But according to an OU athletic department source, Sooner officials agreed to wait as Texas works through its next move.

It's OU's preference to go to the Pac-12 with the Longhorns, the source said, and OU is willing to wait for a short period of time while that remains a possibility before acting on its own.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story ... cials-meet

[Ali]

It seems foolish to me that Oklahoma would want to go to the PAC 12. Much better fit in the SEC although much more competitive.