Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - Big 10 Expansion Thread -Big Ten ready for a playoff .. finally?

MrBug708 · 09-12-2011, 12:22 AM

Saw this on another board about PAC-12 expansion from an "insider" so I wont say that this is gospel, just take it FWIW

Larry Scott has carte blanche and the votes needed for expansion. In fact, if the Big 12 blows up and the Pac expands, the vote will likely be unanimous, even if Arizona and Colorado are publicly wary right now (and even then it's a 10-2 vote in favor). That said, it all appears to be public posturing for travel, scheduling and recruiting sake and if Scott wants expansion, he's got it.

* Oklahoma has an invite should A&M get the nod for the SEC. OSU is tied to a bigger package only and is not an automatic invite with the Sooners. As much as they claim to be tied together, OU will not jeapordize it's future out of loyalty to OSU. Much like they areeed to be separated from Nebraska when the Big XII formed and would leave UT if they had to, OU realizes that OSU might only be a part of certain scenarios.

If OU comes and Texas balks, Mizzou and Kansas come into play. OSU and Tech are fillers, no matter how much money Boone Pickens throws at the situation. And it's likely that Tech is directly tied to UT. None of the Pac 12 presidents are relishing trips to Lubbock, but will take them for the Horns. Also, don't sleep on interest on a play for Rice as a 4th addition as this has been floated to UT. Despite Tech's big alumni presence in Dallas, the Houston market and Rice's academics are intrugiuing as a partner for Texas in the minds of many in the Pac 12 league office.

The Texas to the ACC stuff is nonsense and a negotiation ploy being floated out by UT in hopes of leverage against Larry Scott. Texas has ZERO right now and is deathly afraid of being Indy, because it will destroy their hoops and olympic sports programs. Right now, the Pac 12 is the only option being considered by the UT pres and DeLoss Dodds' job is now on the line for botching the negotiations last year and the subsequent early failure of the Longhorn Network.

Speaking of the Longhorn Network, it is no impediment as ESPN would gladly drop it (it's a loser financially that won't even give the amount of programming they first envisioned) in favor of more Pac 12-16 games in the current deal and UT would have to absorb some of the startup costs. The Pac would be willing to use some of the infrastructure of the LHN in a Pac Regional, but not the network itself as it still has to work with the rest of the model.

The people I've talked to have said that after Texas left Scott a bridesmaid last year renegging on a verbal deal, he did not panic and sees the writing on the wall anyways. So he took the tactic of not burning bridges and waiting for the eventual Big 12 armaggedon. The deal Texas made to stay was so outrageous that it infurated A&M and even caught allies OU and OSU off guard. Mizzou has been looking to get out for over a decade and UT being a "pig" only strenghtened their will. Basically everyone short of Baylor and Tech is disgusted with UT's enormous slice of the Big 12 pie and would like a better situation in terms of equality. Larry Scott now holds all of the cards, and even with Texas' cushy deal in the Big 12, Washington St currently stands to make more in long term media rights after 2012 than the mighty Horns.

The dream scenario for Larry Scott is Texas, Oklahoma, Mizzou and Kansas. Four huge schools with 2 big football and 2 big hoops traditions. 3 AAU members and 5 big new TV markets along with 3 other good, medium sized markets. That would be the ultimate for the league and at this point the golden ticket. That said, Mizzou badly wants to be in the Big 10, but views themselves as more SEC compatitable with less travel there too. The Pac 12 is a longshot, but trust me when I say that Mizzou has talked to Scott and KU would do anything to make it happen as they want to stay West.

09-12-2011, 12:22 AM	#4699
MrBug708 Head Coach Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Whittier	Saw this on another board about PAC-12 expansion from an "insider" so I wont say that this is gospel, just take it FWIW Larry Scott has carte blanche and the votes needed for expansion. In fact, if the Big 12 blows up and the Pac expands, the vote will likely be unanimous, even if Arizona and Colorado are publicly wary right now (and even then it's a 10-2 vote in favor). That said, it all appears to be public posturing for travel, scheduling and recruiting sake and if Scott wants expansion, he's got it. * Oklahoma has an invite should A&M get the nod for the SEC. OSU is tied to a bigger package only and is not an automatic invite with the Sooners. As much as they claim to be tied together, OU will not jeapordize it's future out of loyalty to OSU. Much like they areeed to be separated from Nebraska when the Big XII formed and would leave UT if they had to, OU realizes that OSU might only be a part of certain scenarios. If OU comes and Texas balks, Mizzou and Kansas come into play. OSU and Tech are fillers, no matter how much money Boone Pickens throws at the situation. And it's likely that Tech is directly tied to UT. None of the Pac 12 presidents are relishing trips to Lubbock, but will take them for the Horns. Also, don't sleep on interest on a play for Rice as a 4th addition as this has been floated to UT. Despite Tech's big alumni presence in Dallas, the Houston market and Rice's academics are intrugiuing as a partner for Texas in the minds of many in the Pac 12 league office. The Texas to the ACC stuff is nonsense and a negotiation ploy being floated out by UT in hopes of leverage against Larry Scott. Texas has ZERO right now and is deathly afraid of being Indy, because it will destroy their hoops and olympic sports programs. Right now, the Pac 12 is the only option being considered by the UT pres and DeLoss Dodds' job is now on the line for botching the negotiations last year and the subsequent early failure of the Longhorn Network. Speaking of the Longhorn Network, it is no impediment as ESPN would gladly drop it (it's a loser financially that won't even give the amount of programming they first envisioned) in favor of more Pac 12-16 games in the current deal and UT would have to absorb some of the startup costs. The Pac would be willing to use some of the infrastructure of the LHN in a Pac Regional, but not the network itself as it still has to work with the rest of the model. The people I've talked to have said that after Texas left Scott a bridesmaid last year renegging on a verbal deal, he did not panic and sees the writing on the wall anyways. So he took the tactic of not burning bridges and waiting for the eventual Big 12 armaggedon. The deal Texas made to stay was so outrageous that it infurated A&M and even caught allies OU and OSU off guard. Mizzou has been looking to get out for over a decade and UT being a "pig" only strenghtened their will. Basically everyone short of Baylor and Tech is disgusted with UT's enormous slice of the Big 12 pie and would like a better situation in terms of equality. Larry Scott now holds all of the cards, and even with Texas' cushy deal in the Big 12, Washington St currently stands to make more in long term media rights after 2012 than the mighty Horns. The dream scenario for Larry Scott is Texas, Oklahoma, Mizzou and Kansas. Four huge schools with 2 big football and 2 big hoops traditions. 3 AAU members and 5 big new TV markets along with 3 other good, medium sized markets. That would be the ultimate for the league and at this point the golden ticket. That said, Mizzou badly wants to be in the Big 10, but views themselves as more SEC compatitable with less travel there too. The Pac 12 is a longshot, but trust me when I say that Mizzou has talked to Scott and KU would do anything to make it happen as they want to stay West.