Houston Chronicle: Texas, Oklahoma reach out to SEC about joining conference

[Pharm Frog]

1st order of business: Compare notes, and confirm your known-knowns, known-unknowns, and figure out what unknown-unknowns lie ahead.

2nd order of business: Determine how many other feet are out the door

3rd order of business: Figure out if there is consensus to try the "groveling" route (VBo straw poll last night - there is not)

Important reminder: The Big 12 is a partnership, but the elected lead partner today is Boschini... He has a lot of work ahead of him, and is in a tough position trying to advocate for both TCU and the interests of the conference as a whole.

1st order of business: Find out why Okie Lite refuses to play volleyball

2nd order of business: Announce an investigation into TCU’s volleyball program for point, set, and match shaving.

3rd order of business: Move to adjourn.

 

[riffram2011]

As it pertains to what?

You had referenced an anonymous comment as well as the straw poll. What was the straw poll pertaining to?

 

[Gary's Shirtless Revenge]

On the second order of business…. We should be assuming all feet are out the door and making sure the door isn’t slammed in our face. Is anyone actually gonna admit their feet are out the door? Would UT and OU have admitted that yesterday morning? I would also think “attempt to form alliances” starts coming into play pretty quickly.

There is another Big 12 member, having known for months where this was headed, that's also been preparing a possible exit path to a fellow Power 5. They were VERY quiet yesterday.

If UT/OU were confronted behind closed doors, they would have admitted their dissatisfaction and ongoing discussion of leaving post-2025, yes. I believe this because Jay did admit this 1-1 in the past few weeks to a fellow Big 12 President.

Problem with the alliance forming: Hard to do when, as you suggest, all feet may be out the door. That's what VBo and a few other leaders are working on now. But, they won't rest if the answers aren't clear and unequivocal... This is all going to move both very fast and slow over the next 3-6-12 months.

 

[LVH]

I really hate what college athletics has become.

Same. I wouldn't want to be a part of a 64 team super organization that breaks off from the NCAA. It's not fair to the teams who get left out.

 

[Gary's Shirtless Revenge]

You had referenced an anonymous comment as well as the straw poll. What was the straw poll pertaining to?

With Texas/OU planning to announce they are seeking other conference accommodations post June of 2025, should the conference put together a counter-offer to try and keep them (aka... give them a guaranteed larger rev share in the new media agreement + arguments around lesser competition and being the "big brand" in a small pond).

 

[Bob Sugar]

Problem with the alliance forming: Hard to do when, as you suggest, all feet may be out the door. That's what VBo and a few other leaders are working on now. But, they won't rest if the answers aren't clear and unequivocal... This is all going to move both very fast and slow over the next 3-6-12 months.

 

[StealthFrog]

There is another Big 12 member, having known for months where this was headed, that's also been preparing a possible exit path to a fellow Power 5. They were VERY quiet yesterday.

.

I may have missed it, but I didn't hear anything from TCU, BU, Kansas, TTech, K-State and WVU yesterday.

 

[Moose Stuff]

There is another Big 12 member, having known for months where this was headed, that's also been preparing a possible exit path to a fellow Power 5. They were VERY quiet yesterday.

If UT/OU were confronted behind closed doors, they would have admitted their dissatisfaction and ongoing discussion of leaving post-2025 yes. I believe this because Jay did admit this 1-1 in the past few weeks to a fellow Big 12 President.

Problem with the alliance forming: Hard to do when, as you suggest, all feet may be out the door. That's what VBo and a few other leaders are working on now. But, they won't rest if the answers aren't clear and unequivocal... This is all going to move both very fast and slow over the next 3-6-12 months.

Any Big 12 school that hasn’t been planning an exit strategy is run by idiots (I’m not convinced that doesn’t apply to us) although I suppose there is only so far planning can take you if there aren’t any viable options. I see this holding my attention for a short while followed by a pretty quick transition to “can this just be over”.

 

[jake102]

I would also think “attempt to form alliances” starts coming into play pretty quickly.

Was basically my first thought last night when I posted. Donati and VBo need to create an alliance with Tech, Oky State and one other immediately. Spread misinformation through the rest of the Big 12, try to get everyone else sleeping.

 

[ticketfrog123]

Boschini is a masterclass at sticking to what he knows best and has, behind closed doors, said over and over he does not enjoy outside advisory/leadership positions (he stepped down early from some in the late 2000s). You gotta credit him for it. The guy has focus.

(This also will push out his retirement timeline, something COVID also put a dent in.)

he won’t retire until 2030 at this rate

part of him knows retiring right before the 2025 GOR expiration probably wasn’t going to happen

 

[Wexahu]

It will hurt recruiting and also scheduling. No more home and homes with P4 teams or neutral site games. If we are lucky we will get one way away games from mid tier P4 teams.

The biggest threat is the P4 shutting out the non P4 and only playing games against other P4 teams and having a playoff with only P4 teams. I think this is what happens- no playoff access and no 12 team playoff, no NY6 game access.

As I have said the NCAA Basketball Tournament is the biggest leverage the non P4 would have. A P4 only post season basketball tournament would have no where near the appeal a 16 team NBA style P4 only postseason would have

I could see the breakoff being football only

This is what I see happening. Obviously it's all about money now, nobody really seems to care about anything else. So the largest schools will ultimately peel off and form their own league. Why wouldn't they, short term that's by far the easiest route to maximizing dollars for each school.......still huge TV contracts and far fewer mouths to feed. It'll kill the sport but that will be a slow decline over time, so the move will be celebrated by all the talking heads now. But I don't think anyone is starving for another minor league professional league and that is basically what it will be.

A decent comparison I think is NASCAR. It used to be mostly a southern sport, became pretty popular in other parts of the country in the 80's and 90's with good marketing, but still for the most part kept to its roots by racing the small town tracks twice a year, etc. Then they started chasing growth and money. Built all these boring behemoth, cookie cutter tracks in major metropolitan areas, took away races from the smaller venues like Bristol, Darlington, Rockingham, Dover, etc. Lost it's soul, and now ratings are a fraction of what they used to be and it's a fringe sport at best again. Tracks 30% full. The race comes through TMS here and I barely know it happened.

Some of things I see being proposed are really short-sighted in my opinion. But again, I'm old-fashioned. Maybe the new generation will love minor league professional football.

 

[ticketfrog123]

As it pertains to what?

BOD chairman for Big 12, which is an awful job right now

he’s 65 and probably wants to retire but won’t drop TCU cold turkey in the middle of this

 

[helcap]

If Texas announces they are leaving, will "Horns down" still be a penalty?

 

[Gary's Shirtless Revenge]

Nobody from TCU (Chancellor, Football HC, etc.) that matters is going to be "retiring" in the near future, that's all off the table for now. Defcon 1 changes things.

 

[riffram2011]

This is what I see happening. Obviously it's all about money now, nobody really seems to care about anything else. So the largest schools will ultimately peel off and form their own league. Why wouldn't they, short term that's by far the easiest route to maximizing dollars for each school.......still huge TV contracts and far fewer mouths to feed. It'll kill the sport but that will be a slow decline over time, so the move will be celebrated by all the talking heads now. But I don't think anyone is starving for another minor league professional league and that is basically what it will be.

A decent comparison I think is NASCAR. It used to be mostly a southern sport, became pretty popular in other parts of the country in the 80's and 90's with good marketing, but still for the most part kept to its roots by racing the small town tracks twice a year, etc. Then they started chasing growth and money. Built all these boring behemoth, cookie cutter tracks in major metropolitan areas, took away races from the smaller venues like Bristol, Darlington, Rockingham, Dover, etc. Lost it's soul, and now ratings are a fraction of what they used to be and it's a fringe sport at best again. Tracks 30% full. The race comes through TMS here and I barely know it happened.

Some of things I see being proposed are really short-sighted in my opinion. But again, I'm old-fashioned. Maybe the new generation will love minor league professional football.

It's America and it's capitalism to a t. Get in while the money is good and screw everyone else. Not to be a commie on here, but I think it's honestly quite shocking how long it has taken for the big dogs like OU and UT to tell the little guys to piss off and go play at the kids table.

 

[Dman890]

Any Big 12 school that hasn’t been planning an exit strategy is run by idiots (I’m not convinced that doesn’t apply to us) although I suppose there is only so far planning can take you if there aren’t any viable options. I see this holding my attention for a short while followed by a pretty quick transition to “can this just be over”.

im already at “can this just be over”

 

[TCUdirtbag]

1st order of business: Compare notes, and confirm your known-knowns, known-unknowns, and figure out what unknown-unknowns lie ahead.

2nd order of business: Determine how many other feet are out the door

3rd order of business: Figure out if there is consensus to try the "groveling" route (VBo straw poll last night - there is not)

Important reminder: The Big 12 is a partnership, but the elected lead partner today is Boschini... He has a lot of work ahead of him, and is in a tough position trying to advocate for both TCU and the interests of the conference as a whole.

FWIW, I seem to recall that the Mizzou chancellor was the Big 12 Chair when they bolted for the SEC?

 

[TCUdirtbag]

Depending on how this all breaks down. Many have mentioned the option of the PAC as a possibility. How many other schools have spread diversity programs all over and removed the word freshman from the vocabulary? All these seem like prime points to fit in with the Cali schools.

Most all of them.

 

[Moose Stuff]

Nobody from TCU (Chancellor, Football HC, etc.) that matters is going to be "retiring" in the near future, that's all off the table for now. Defcon 1 changes things.

So we’re stuck with Anderson? scheissing awesome. Did I do that right?

 

[Eight]

I'm just wondering who the next Baylor-alum high up State of Texas politician that will save their sorry ass this time is.

oh wait, i thought you meant who CURRENTLY IS saving their sorry collective arses​