End of the BIG XII - THREAD FOR ALL REALIGNMENT DISCUSSION

[Sooner98]

Congratulations to the Aggies. Wish we were going with them.

This.

[OklahomaTuba]

The grass is always greener.....

[silverwheels]

I hope Boren is talking to the Pac-12 as we speak.

[soonervegas]

Bohls says PAC-12 is 70% at this point.
Chip Brown says BYU

Darts at a board right now....

[BASSooner]

Oh we're pac 12 bound no question about it. pokes and sand aggies are comin with us.

[soonervegas]

Oh we're pac 12 bound no question about it. pokes and sand aggies are comin with us.

and that might be the correct move to force Texas' hand on this issue....because they will ultimately come with us.

[BASSooner]

and that might be the correct move to force Texas' hand on this issue....because they will ultimately come with us.

That's a big 50% maybe actually. The LHN changed everything. Without it, oh yes they would come with us. However, since they have that thing going now, no other conference will take them and I think Larry Scott has also clarified this as well. Plus the conference distributes revenues equally. A texas addition is a big no no for the rest of the schools.

[B00m3R So0n3r]

Have you guys seen this? Freaking awesome:

http://rewards.thrillist.com/deal/2628/tickets-to-bcs-championship-to-watch-your-team

[NorthernIowaSooner]

Pardon me if I'm reluctant to click on a link from a guy with only two posts and is completely red.

[SicEmBaylor]

An Aggie over on BFans actually said this last night: "This move is the right one for A&M, but even if turns out badly it is still the right move."

There's so much delicious Aggie logic in that statement.

[LSUdeek]

Too bad for Bill Byrne, I guess he's going to have to renew that series with LSU.

[sooner59]

I browsed the Pitt and Louisville message boards. Pitt sounds fairly interested, yet some believe their "no comment" from their admin was to gain leverage with the Big East. A few of the Louisville people seem interested, but most scoff at the idea of jumping on a sinking ship and aren't surprised by Pitt's interest as they apparently aren't happy with what is going on in Providence.

[S008NER]

rumors are freely flowing but the one that seems consistent is that BYU is making plenty of demands in it's negotiations to join.

1. no sunday games in any sport.
2. a written agreement that ou and tx will not leave the conference.
3. cash for entering conference.
4. a fairly large piece of the revenue pie.
5. an extra non conference game.

[StoopTroup]

I wish them luck in the Big East. All this BS goes away when we win the MNC and Nebraska and Colorado get rolled in their new Conferences.

[Octavian]

Hey guys...been away for a few weeks.

I miss anything?

[StoopTroup]

Hey guys...been away for a few weeks.

I miss anything?

The site has a new Tampon Machine. :love-struck::love-struck:

[Octavian]

sweet! And what's this about Mormons?

Why are we talking about them? And why do they think we'd actually give them money lolz?

[Octavian]

Seriously though...I loved the Big 12. Never wanted it to break up. I've been squarely in the "let's stay and make it work for the kids" camp.

But...not lookin' good. And Pasadena is really nice this time of year.

[SicEmBaylor]

Seriously though...I loved the Big 12. Never wanted it to break up. I've been squarely in the "let's stay and make it work for the kids" camp.

But...not lookin' good. And Pasadena is really nice this time of year.

By kids you mean us and Iowa State, don't you?

[swardboy]

That's a big 50% maybe actually. The LHN changed everything. Without it, oh yes they would come with us. However, since they have that thing going now, no other conference will take them and I think Larry Scott has also clarified this as well. Plus the conference distributes revenues equally. A texas addition is a big no no for the rest of the schools.

At this moment I'm hoping Texas gets left out in the cold.

[badger]

rumors are freely flowing but the one that seems consistent is that BYU is making plenty of demands in it's negotiations to join.

1. no sunday games in any sport.
2. a written agreement that ou and tx will not leave the conference.
3. cash for entering conference.
4. a fairly large piece of the revenue pie.
5. an extra non conference game.

The no-Sunday thing is non-negotiable and completely understandable. The only time I could see that coming into play would be bowl games (in which case they just decline the bid themselves) or the NCAA tourney (which they haven't haven't had any problems with before to my knowledge). The Big 12 tourneys already end early so they can get more bids, so no more Sunday games there.

I don't think OU or UT would agree to stay without having outs like A&M apparently had after last year's "agreement" to stay together as 10 teams.

I don't think the Big 12 would pay cash to a school, even one the size of BYU, for entering.

The TV revenue is already uneven, so they could definitely get a large chunk for the more TV time they get, so that's probably feasible.

Extra non-conference games... well, if we go back up to 12 teams anyway...

[Boomer.....]

OU to jump to Pac-12 Sooner rather than later? (http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/01/ou-to-jump-to-pac-12-sooner-rather-than-later/)

[3rdgensooner]

The no-Sunday thing is non-negotiable and completely understandable. The only time I could see that coming into play would be bowl games (in which case they just decline the bid themselves) or the NCAA tourney (which they haven't haven't had any problems with before to my knowledge).It would come into play during basketball season.

[IndySooner]

It would come into play during basketball season.

Big problem for baseball.

[saucysoonergal]

Wow, I just did a google news search for Pac-16 and they are salivating over us. They expect OU to take the lead and it will happen within days. Interesting stuff.

[Lott's Bandana]

Big problem for baseball.

I'm guessing they require Saturday doubleheaders?

[IndySooner]

I'm guessing they require Saturday doubleheaders?

Right now they play Thurs. to Sat. typically. I promise you the coaches don't want Saturday doubleheaders. Could be a scheduling NIGHTMARE early in the season with weather, etc.

[OULenexaman]

Wow, I just did a google news search for Pac-16 and they are salivating over us. They expect OU to take the lead and it will happen within days. Interesting stuff. SWEET!! So we get to be the one that actually turn the lights off.:eagerness:

[saucysoonergal]

SWEET!! So we get to be the ones that actually turn the lights off.:eagerness:

We hold all the cards. Pac-16, Clap, clap, clap!!!

[ouduckhunter]

I'm good with this cuz I'd now get to go to lots of our games out here on west coast! Boomer!!

[Sooner_Havok]

With all this talk about how bad it would be traveling to the west coast once a year, and how much better travel would be in the SEC, I am going to leave this right here.

Anticipated SEC Teams

Norman - Athens = 857
Norman - Gainseville = 929
Norman - Oxford = 560
Norman - Starkville = 658
Norman - Baton Rouge = 616
Norman - Nashville = 689
Norman - Knoxville = 867
Norman - Lexington = 851
Norman - Columbia = 1068
Norman - Tuscaloosa = 702
Norman - Auburn = 820
Norman - Fayetteville = 247
Norman - College Station = 358

Average Distance = 709


Anticipated PAC teams

Norman - Los Angeles = 1347 (x2 for two teams)
Norman - Tucson = 945
Norman - Tempe = 970
Norman - Berkeley = 1641
Norman - Boulder = 654
Norman - Eugene = 1884
Norman - Corvallis = 1961
Norman - Stanford = 1625
Norman - Salt Lake City = 1206
Norman - Seattle = 1955
Norman - Pullman = 1773
Norman - Stillwater = 81
Norman - Lubbock = 343
Norman - Dallas = 192 (Anticipated location of OU/UT game)

Average Distance = 1195

Difference in Average Distance = 486

[Dan Thompson]

Someone must have said

"Why not an East and West Division. East would be Arizona, ASU, OU, OSU, Utah, Colorado, Texas, and ATM.
The rest of the Pac-10,12,or 16 would make up the West Division.

[sooner KB]

With all this talk about how bad it would be traveling to the west coast once a year, and how much better travel would be in the SEC, I am going to leave this right here.

Anticipated SEC Teams

Norman - Atlanta = 857
Norman - Athens = 929
Norman - Oxford = 560
Norman - Starkville = 658
Norman - Baton Rouge = 616
Norman - Nashville = 689
Norman - Knoxville = 867
Norman - Lexington = 851
Norman - Columbia = 1068
Norman - Tuscaloosa = 702
Norman - Auburn = 820
Norman - Fayetteville = 247
Norman - College Station = 358

Average Distance = 709


Anticipated PAC teams

Norman - Los Angeles = 1347 (x2 for two teams)
Norman - Tucson = 945
Norman - Tempe = 970
Norman - Berkeley = 1641
Norman - Boulder = 654
Norman - Eugene = 1884
Norman - Corvallis = 1961
Norman - Stanford = 1625
Norman - Salt Lake City = 1206
Norman - Seattle = 1955
Norman - Pullman = 1773
Norman - Stillwater = 81
Norman - Lubbock = 343
Norman - Dallas = 192 (Anticipated location of OU/UT game)

Average Distance = 1195

Difference in Average Distance = 486

Don't most people fly though? If you're going to be on a plane, I don't see why it would be a big deal to have to fly about an extra 20 minutes to California as opposed to Alabama. Plus, the places out west are way nicer to visit. I would rather travel out there even if I do have to sit on a plane for a few extra minutes.

[Sooner_Havok]

Just put that there as most people cherry pick locations. Will talk about how close Arkansas is, and point out how far Eugene is. This just puts the distances of everyone in perspective.

[westbrooke]

Just put that there as most people cherry pick locations. Will talk about how close Arkansas is, and point out how far Eugene is. This just puts the distances of everyone in perspective.

Thanks for putting those distances together in one place. I think KB is also right that most people would tend to fly, particularly to the furthest locations. From that standpoint, I thought it would be interesting to compare the distance to likely division members. In the SEC, average distance to division away games would be 523.5 miles (I went with Bama over Vandy, a trivial distinction in terms of distance). In the PAC, average distance to division away games would be 627.25 miles. Basically, 100 miles difference.

Also worth noting that the variance in PAC games would be much greater, with distances ranging from 81 to 1206 miles, versus SEC, 247 to 702.

[bluedogok]

Wow, I just did a google news search for Pac-16 and they are salivating over us. They expect OU to take the lead and it will happen within days. Interesting stuff.
In today's Austin American Statesman, the Kirk Bohls piece basically says that OU controls the future of the Big 12 in its hands.
http://www.statesman.com/sports/longhorns/one-more-move-and-big-12-is-over-1809134.html]Statesman.com - Kirk Bohls: One more move and Big 12 is over

The Cedric Golden piece says that both UT and OU need to decide if the Big 12 is worth saving.
Statesman.com - Cedric Golden: What's next for Texas, OU, Big 12 and college football? (http://www.statesman.com/sports/whats-next-for-texas-ou-big-12-and-1809356.html)

[Sooner_Havok]

Thanks for putting those distances together in one place. I think KB is also right that most people would tend to fly, particularly to the furthest locations. From that standpoint, I thought it would be interesting to compare the distance to likely division members. In the SEC, average distance to division away games would be 523.5 miles (I went with Bama over Vandy, a trivial distinction in terms of distance). In the PAC, average distance to division away games would be 627.25 miles. Basically, 100 miles difference.

Also worth noting that the variance in PAC games would be much greater, with distances ranging from 81 to 1206 miles, versus SEC, 247 to 702.

And I am going to assume if you are going to fly to LA or Washington State, you are also going to fly to Columbia or Gainesville. I would say that the average fan could make it to one more away game in the SEC than they could in the PAC in a given year.

[GottaHavePride]

I think the "average" fan probably only goes to away games if they happen to live near where the away game is happening. You know, because the average fan probably can't afford to take Friday off work every week through football season to travel.

[Sooner_Havok]

I think the "average" fan probably only goes to away games if they happen to live near where the away game is happening. You know, because the average fan probably can't afford to take Friday off work every week through football season to travel.

IDK, I try to go to at least one away game a year.

[bluedogok]

I think the "average" fan probably only goes to away games if they happen to live near where the away game is happening. You know, because the average fan probably can't afford to take Friday off work every week through football season to travel.
Pretty much my case, went to the Baylor game last season. I was planning on going to the game in Boulder this season but since OU isn't playing there after the changes we are going to a Broncos game instead.

[Lawton4Life]

Most fans wont be able to spend the money, no matter what league we're in to go to a road game in say Eugene(Knoxville)then a title game possibly in Los Angeles(Atlanta) and then turn around and go to a bowl game as well. Being a spectator has just gone through the roof in the past 10 years. OU/TX used to be 35 dollars under 15 years ago and now face vaule of a Tulsa ticket is 77 dollars!

[OrlandoSooner]

7 games a year will be the same each season. It looks like the Pac-16 will be on average 3 hours further. Assume that the SEC takes OU, Mizzou, Texas and Tex AM and the PAC 16 would take OU, TT, OSU, Texas:

SEC:
LSU - 616
Arky - 247
MISS ST - 658
OLE MISS - 560
MISSOURI - 466
TEXAS AM - 358
TEXAS - 192

Average - 442


PAC 16:
UTAH - 1206 (you should really fly)
COLORADO - 654
TEXAS TECH - 343
OK ST - 81
ARIZONA - 945
ASU - 970
TEXAS - 192

Average 627

Difference of 185

[IlliniJ]

Hopefully the B12-2-1 just adds Texas State, SMU, and Houston. That way OU fans still don't have to feel pressured with athletic competition, and can still can be affiliated with schools that don't care about academics (and thus not feel the pressure of being affiliated with institutions that care about research).

[Dio]

25 posts and not one of them worth a ****

[silverwheels]

Can this ban be permanent, please? IlliniJ adds nothing to any discussion because of his astounding ignorance.

[3rdgensooner]

Hopefully the B12-2-1 just adds Texas State, SMU, and Houston. That way OU fans still don't have to feel pressured with athletic competition, and can still can be affiliated with schools that don't care about academics (and thus not feel the pressure of being affiliated with institutions that care about research).You are just precious. Don't go changing.

[colleyvillesooner]

Blevins on Twitter:


Source: "Boren is 1 cuttin' deal. He was very happy w where things were b4 showing up late 2 c Stoops & Castiglione this afternoon" #sooners

[ouflak]

So does this mean we have let Baylor into the PAC now?

[Suerreal]

The football teams fly. Not so sure about all the other sports affected by this.

[bluedogok]

So does this mean we have let Baylor into the PAC now?
No, the Texas legislature doesn't meet again until 2013 and only Gov. Rick Perry can call a special session, he is an A&M grad and has no desire to disrupt the move of A&M to the SEC which calling a special session could possibly do even if Baylor or Tech was the original focus. The Higher Education subcommittee can call a meeting but they have no effective powers other than a stern warning until the legislature is back in session. When the SWC fell apart the legislature was in session and you had Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock driving the bus to get Tech and Baylor included. He was a grad of both schools, Ann Richards was Gov. and a Baylor grad but she was a minority player in getting Baylor included in the move to the Big 12, Bullock was the one twisting arms. Texas is a weak governor state, the Lt. Gov. traditionally has been the power broker, that is David Dewhurst (now running for US Senate) and he is an Arizona grad. Most of the power leadership now in the the legislature are A&M grads.

[ouflak]

That was a bit of a joke (referring to their upset of TCU).

[swardboy]

Well hornfans is down. Imagine that.

[GottaHavePride]

Well hornfans is down. Imagine that.

ShaggyBevo's up.

They haven't thought through the B1G angle, but the general opinion over there is that:

1. Boren just reminded everyone OU has a pimp hand.
2. "Sooners aren't really known for waiting around for someone else to tell them it's OK."

[MeMyself&Me]

Hargis just announced OSU is exploring options. Looks like OU is Pac bound. I think it's probably a done deal now.

[IndySooner]

Hargis just announced OSU is exploring options. Looks like OU is Pac bound. I think it's probably a done deal now.

Do you have a link? Not doubting, just want to read.

[MeMyself&Me]

Do you have a link? Not doubting, just want to read.

Sorry, no. I was told via text.

[3rdgensooner]

ShaggyBevo's up.

They haven't thought through the B1G angle, but the general opinion over there is that:

1. Boren just reminded everyone OU has a pimp hand.
2. "Sooners aren't really known for waiting around for someone else to tell them it's OK."Good that they recognize

[IndySooner]

http://www.dallasnews.com/incoming/20110903-oklahoma-state-president-says-he-expects-decision-to-be-made-soon-regarding-osu-oklahoma_s-big-12-future.ece

[brainpimp]

Hargis is still doing his dead level best to hang onto our coattails.

[GottaHavePride]

http://www.dallasnews.com/incoming/20110903-oklahoma-state-president-says-he-expects-decision-to-be-made-soon-regarding-osu-oklahoma_s-big-12-future.ece

Yeah, I read that as "I have made a very large sign that says 'PLEASE TAKE US WITH YOU' and I have been camping out on David Boren's front porch for the last week. I am very confident he has seen me out there."

[sooner59]

LOL!

[Boomer.....]

Interesting. Well looks like were heading to the PAC.

[SoonerMom2]

Boren sure didn't give the indication that OSU was in his equation as he looks out for what is best for OU athletically but also academically. Hargis' comments have that feel of me too, me too!

[MeMyself&Me]

Eschback just said that he knows the Pac deal is a done deal. OU and OSU and Tejas to the pac is done with the fourth team being either tech or Mizzou. He said if that fell through, OU would go to the B1G but the Pac deal is a done deal.

[sooner59]

Interesting.

[NorthernIowaSooner]

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/304770-does-ous-pac-12-bid-hinge-on-ut?sct=cf_t2_a18&eref=fromSI&eref=fromSI

Saw this on Sports Illustrated's website. Dan Beebe is dumber then we all thought if he thinks OU can't get into the PAC without Texas.

[the-rover]

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/304770-does-ous-pac-12-bid-hinge-on-ut?sct=cf_t2_a18&eref=fromSI&eref=fromSI


Saw this on Sports Illustrated's website. Dan Beebe is dumber then we all thought if he thinks OU can't get into the PAC without Texas.

He's just in denial that he's about to be unemployed.

[GottaHavePride]

Eschback just said that he knows the Pac deal is a done deal. OU and OSU and Tejas to the pac is done with the fourth team being either tech or Mizzou. He said if that fell through, OU would go to the B1G but the Pac deal is a done deal.

Between Tech and Mizzou I'd rather take KU. They'd add a good basketball team to what would otherwise be a pretty lousy league for hoops.

[SwooshOU]

http://newsok.com/ous-sole-focus-now-on-joining-pac-12/article/3601037?custom_click=lead_story_title

[Veritas]

Eschback just said that he knows the Pac deal is a done deal. OU and OSU and Tejas to the pac is done with the fourth team being either tech or Mizzou. He said if that fell through, OU would go to the B1G but the Pac deal is a done deal.
But what of the LHN? That's going to keep UT out in the cold.

[bluedogok]

I think the LHN is history, just because they have contract doesn't mean it can't be terminated and since it was such new territory you know there were out clauses for both parties all over the place. Since so few have picked it up it isn't like there are a bunch of cable company contracts to break either.

[Skratchy_Seal]

Hi all.

I noticed some concern from fans about travel distances with the possible move to the PAC. If it helps any, some PAC teams are located near major airport hubs(LA, Salt Lake City, Denver, SFO, Seattle, Phoenix, etc.). I've always noticed flights to domestic and international hubs to be much cheaper than to other destinations.

For example...just last week, I was looking to take a flight from Phoenix to Boston for this past Monday. I was debating whether to fly to Tulsa first. Cheapest ticket I found to Tulsa, was right under $350. Cheapest to Boston was $125. Needless to say, I skipped Tulsa.

Anyways, I seem to run into this type of pricing when flying. If you guys move to the PAC, let me be one of the first to say "Welcome!", and it would be great to have a program like your join us.

From an ASU Sun Devil fan...

[trwxxa]

Eschback just said that he knows the Pac deal is a done deal. OU and OSU and Tejas to the pac is done with the fourth team being either tech or Mizzou. He said if that fell through, OU would go to the B1G but the Pac deal is a done deal.

If true, I may have to become an SEC fan. The whorns should be left to twist in the wind. At best, this conference will dissolve within the next 10-15 years.

[LosAngelesSooner]

This conference will give the SEC a serious run for their money. You open the pipeline to the SoCal football talent...and open it wide...and combine it with the Texas recruiting base? That'll make Florida's talent pool second tier.

[Lott's Bandana]

In-N-Out Burger >>>>> Waffle House

[Lott's Bandana]

Hi all.

I noticed some concern from fans about travel distances with the possible move to the PAC. If it helps any, some PAC teams are located near major airport hubs(LA, Salt Lake City, Denver, SFO, Seattle, Phoenix, etc.). I've always noticed flights to domestic and international hubs to be much cheaper than to other destinations.

For example...just last week, I was looking to take a flight from Phoenix to Boston for this past Monday. I was debating whether to fly to Tulsa first. Cheapest ticket I found to Tulsa, was right under $350. Cheapest to Boston was $125. Needless to say, I skipped Tulsa.

Anyways, I seem to run into this type of pricing when flying. If you guys move to the PAC, let me be one of the first to say "Welcome!", and it would be great to have a program like your join us.

From an ASU Sun Devil fan...

Welcome...Perhaps we'll bring our Fiesta Bowl tie-in with us as well.

[SoonerMom2]

In-N-Out Burger >>>>> Waffle House

In-N-Out Burger was a perk going to the Fiesta Bowl -- there was one not that far south of the stadium. I introduced my brother to them and he is hooked! Didn't realize they had any outside of CA.

[LosAngelesSooner]

In-N-Out Burger <<<<< Waffle HouseFixed. ;)

[LosAngelesSooner]

I think I may be the only person in SoCal who thinks that In-n-Out Burger sucks. LOL

[utex74]

Word is that We don't want the blame for the demise of the Big 12 and UT and OU Presidents speak daily. OU will announce for the Pac-12 (Pac-16?) and then OSU, Tech and Texas will announce. Mizzou probably to Big-10, Kansas to Big East, Baylor is on its own, etc.

[SoonerMom2]

ESPN should have stayed out of this last summer and not given UT big bucks for their Longhorn Network and we would all be gone our separate ways. Word has been circulating that ESPN raised the anti with the network so they didn't have to renegogiate all their TV contracts and now it is now it is going to bite them big time. PAC 12 will NOT accept the Longhorn network in its current format. David Boren is driving the Schooner right to the PAC 12(16). OSU can say what they want along with that big mouth Pickens but without OU, they would be going no where.

UT is going to be blamed for the demise of the Big 12 whether they want to or not. In reality this conference was going to fail the minute they hired Beebe! He never could say NO to Texas. I blame him for TX arrogance growing and growing. The uneven split of revenue was never going to work. The day they formed the Big 12 and did away with OU/NE annual game was the beginning of the end. We should have been playing NE on Thanksgiving weekend not OSU.

[GottaHavePride]

The day they formed the Big 12 and did away with OU/NE annual game was the beginning of the end. We should have been playing NE on Thanksgiving weekend not OSU.

They only canned it because we were in the middle of our single worst football decade ever.

Really, the whole Big XII was just one big "Take advantage of the Sooners while they're down" deal. Well, sorry bitches, we're back in charge now. [/ tinfoil hat]

[SoonerMom2]

They only canned it because we were in the middle of our single worst football decade ever.

Really, the whole Big XII was just one big "Take advantage of the Sooners while they're down" deal. Well, sorry bitches, we're back in charge now. [/ tinfoil hat]

So true! I think Beebe is finding out that he is not going to tell Pres Boren what to do. When it came out that KS and MO were upset with Boren's comments and then he was left off the telephone call, it said it all. Thought it was funny he was the only one who refused to commit OU to staying with A&M leaving. Have a hunch this was never really off the board from last summer. Since Boren is the Secretary of the Big 12 and had to be present to give A&M the details on leaving, will he be giving OU the details now?

[bluedogok]

Since Boren is the Secretary of the Big 12 and had to be present to give A&M the details on leaving, will he be giving OU the details now?
I think that may have already happened in the meetings between them where they were flying back and forth. The same kind of "we are exploring our options" announcement behind closed doors instead of through the media like A&M did, the "public" announcement Boren did was probably after many discussions with others. Ultimately Boren is a politician and knows how to work things behind the scenes whereas the A&M administration doesn't seem to have that any more since Robert Gates left to go to DC.

[PLaw]

I think I may be the only person in SoCal who thinks that In-n-Out Burger sucks. LOL

In-N-OUT is highly over-rated.

BOOMER

[SoonerMom2]

Flight from Lubbock to Horseshoe Bay to OU airport was scheduled to depart for Lubbock over an hour ago: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N121P

Earlier this week flights from OU and Lubbock went to Horseshoe Bay Airport.

[bluedogok]

That must be a Tech plane flying out of Lubbock so much. They have a game in Albuquerque two weeks from now, that may explain those flights. Centennial is in the Denver area and Horseshoe Bay is a resort northwest of Austin and then there is another flight to/from Austin Executive airport.

[SoonerMom2]

The plane from Lubbock spent three hours on the ground here in Norman and is now on its way back to Lubbock.

Figure a flight to Centennial is probably for one of their women's teams like volleyball.

[bluedogok]

Centennial is south of Denver, most flights going to CU fly into Jefferson County Airport in far northwest Denver (near Westminster). Just wondering if a conference with CU officials may have been on the table but you are right, it could have been something completely unrelated.

[SoonerMom2]

They might have used Centennial to throw people off too as none of the Tech teams were scheduled to be in CO.

Once Boren admitted he was on those planes, it makes all these trips by schools involved suspect! :)

[mgsooner]

Baylor says don't mess with "Texas football"! LOL

http://www.baylor.edu/nation/index.php?id=84714

[saucysoonergal]

That there is funny stuff!

[Lott's Bandana]

Baylor says don't mess with "Texas football"! LOL

http://www.baylor.edu/nation/index.php?id=84714


There is something very revealing about that page.

Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri...don't. Exist.

[saucysoonergal]

Pac-16, Clap, clap clap!!!

[Taxman71]

Baylor says don't mess with "Texas football"! LOL

http://www.baylor.edu/nation/index.php?id=84714

That page reminds why I dislike the Big 12 so much. We gave CPR to texas football 15 years ago and they still think they invented the game.

[3rdgensooner]

I heart this:


Will Texans watch as our most precious resources—the great minds of the next generation—are exported to new conference institutions?

[Tear Down This Wall]

Baylor says don't mess with "Texas football"! LOL

http://www.baylor.edu/nation/index.php?id=84714

That's the most pathetic thing I've ever seen. Why aren't they having the leadership at North Texas join in to stop A&M? North Texas plays football in Texas.

Self-serving bastards. Shut up and accept your new Texas C-USA conference mates: Houston, Rice, and SMU. That's just as many Texas schools as the Big 12 had, pineapple husk-licking Hill Country scum.

[Tear Down This Wall]

That page reminds why I dislike the Big 12 so much. We gave CPR to texas football 15 years ago and they still think they invented the game.

Texas sucks, and we don't need them. Never did. If the Texas damn Aggies can figure out that they don't need Texas, why the hell can't Boren and Castiglione that we don't?

Texas is on the brink of being blown to football bits by their own greed. All we have to do is make the call to the SEC, and Texas is blown to hell. They're half way there anyway; just finish them off!

[SoonerMom2]

Twitter from Jake Trotter from Stoops Press Conference: @Jake_Trotter

"Wow, Stoops doesn't rule out possibility of OU-TEX series stopping. "Life Changes""

[Tear Down This Wall]

Twitter from Jake Trotter from Stoops Press Conference: @Jake_Trotter

"Wow, Stoops doesn't rule out possibility of OU-TEX series stopping. "Life Changes""

Hooray! At least our football coach gets it. Bob, please ask for an audience with Castiglione and Boren, and tell them Texas can go suck it for all we care.

[SoonerMom2]

More of Stoops at the Press Conference from Twitter:

johnehoover@John E. Hoover

Stoops: "Proximity (in recruiting) matters the most. We've always recruited heavier, stronger in N. Texas than in the South." #Sooners

****

Comment after comment from Trotter, Hoover, and OU's Mossman showed that Stoops is not worried about not being in the conference with Texas or even playing them. He doesn't think we should play them out of conference. Like Boren on Friday, Stoops was almost giddy at times. Think the decision is already made and we are out of the Big 12 headed West. Think OU from top to bottom is tired of dealing with Texas, their arrogance, and the Longhorn Network.

Texas can unite all the TX schools except A&M and reform the SWC and add a few leftovers from the Big 12 and think they can go to the Fiesta Bowl every year and totally run the conference.

Wonder if we are taking MO and KS which has been stated on several sites could happen if UT and TT don't come.

[IndySooner]

FYI, one of the planes that has been busy between Norman, Austin and Lubbock is in the air again today. Leaving Austin for Norman, then to Lubbock.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N121P

[SoonerMom2]

FYI, one of the planes that has been busy between Norman, Austin and Lubbock is in the air again today. Leaving Austin for Norman, then to Lubbock.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N121P

Nice to know I am not the only one who keeps tracking planes. Very interesting especially with Stoops comments at the press conference.

[SoonerMom2]

The planes for Lubbock and TX were yesterday.

There was a flight early this morning on the same type of plane that was flying Pres Boren around earlier to College Station, etc. That plane went to an airport outside St. Louis.

[IndySooner]

The planes for Lubbock and TX were yesterday.

There was a flight early this morning on the same type of plane that was flying Pres Boren around earlier to College Station, etc. That plane went to an airport outside St. Louis.

You're right, but if you look at the KOUN site it shows that flight again this afternoon. I'm new to the flight tracking thing, and probably will retire soon, but it's confusing to me! :)

[SoonerMom2]

Usually track commercial flights when I need to pick someone up at Will Rogers so I don't sit at the airport. Also track flights to make sure my kids got to their destination. I am new to the small airport tracking.

[SoonerMom2]

You're right, but if you look at the KOUN site it shows that flight again this afternoon. I'm new to the flight tracking thing, and probably will retire soon, but it's confusing to me! :)

TX Ags is reporting all SEC Commissioners are heading to Atlanta -- they used the same tracking software -- vote tonight on A&M admission as they submitted the paperwork and announcement expected tomorrow unless it leaks. They also tracked the same flight you did from OU to Lubbock this afternoon!

This is getting interesting.

[rainiersooner]

I think I may be the only person in SoCal who thinks that In-n-Out Burger sucks. LOL

I used to live in SoCal and I thought it sucked then and still sucks. So, you're not alone!

[georgiag]

2343
:fat:

[SicEmBaylor]

Is this **** over with yet? Good God.

[soonerboomer]

I support OU going to the Pac 12 along with Texas, TT, and OSU.

[SicEmBaylor]

I support OU going to the Pac 12 along with Texas, TT, and OSU.

Really? Why Tech? I can see UT. I can see an OU fan even wanting OSU. But Tech? WHY?

That's what I can't figure out in all this mess, WTF does anyone want with Tech?

[NathanStinson]

Some new tweets/updates:

si_ncaafb SI College Football
Kan. Board of Regents wants KU, K-St. together on.si.com/nAKzy4

si_ncaafb SI College Football
Stoops OK if realignment nixes Texas-OU rivalry on.si.com/ptKPHj

[SoonerMom2]

So KS Board of Regents will basically make sure Kansas doesn't land well?

[Half a Hundred]

Really? Why Tech? I can see UT. I can see an OU fan even wanting OSU. But Tech? WHY?

That's what I can't figure out in all this mess, WTF does anyone want with Tech?

Politically necessary, and the feasible option.

[SicEmBaylor]

Politically necessary, and the feasible option.

Feasible in what way?

[Half a Hundred]

Feasible in what way?

Tech potentially adds enough TV sets as a large state university with a considerable alumni base for a conference to swallow its mediocre academic pill. Other schools do not provide the same.

[GottaHavePride]

TV sets in Lubbock? There aren't that many Tech alumni scattered around the country.

KU would be a better choice, IMO. However, administrators in Kansas have a really ****ty track record of decision-making.

[Half a Hundred]

TV sets in Lubbock? There aren't that many Tech alumni scattered around the country.

KU would be a better choice, IMO. However, administrators in Kansas have a really ****ty track record of decision-making.

I'm not saying it makes sense, but that it's politically feasible. Lots of Tech grads in DFW, Houston, etc. There are only a few programs out there with national alumni bases, and to get one of them, the Pac-12 would likely be required to take the hit (Ann Richards and Bob Bullock are dead, after all). KU is not politically feasible, since they are attached to KSU, and no one wants a part of them.

[SicEmBaylor]

TV sets in Lubbock? There aren't that many Tech alumni scattered around the country.

KU would be a better choice, IMO. However, administrators in Kansas have a really ****ty track record of decision-making.

Well, that's not exactly uncommon for this clusterf*** situation so Kansas isn't alone.

[Vegas Sooner]

WEST COAST!!!!!!

[SoonerBK]

I havent had just a ton of time to follow this round of the conference changes. Everyone is talking about Oklahoma going to the PAC-whatever like it is a forgone conclusion, which makes me wonder if it is already done. JOe C. and Boren like to play thier cards pretty close to thier respective chests-which I love about them. Although it would be a tougher row to hoe, I would rather play in the SEC, than out west with all those limp wristed, liberal, tree hugging, wanna be's. I guess i'm the only one, but I'd much rather go to Athens, GA or Gainesville, FL than Oregon or Washington. Just me? Our tradition fits a lot better in the SEC that it does in the PAC-up-your-butt.

Plus i'm a sucker for a Southern Accent.

[saucysoonergal]

Yes.


Pac-16, Clap, clap, clap!!!

[MountainOkie]

Yes.


Pac-16, Clap, clap, clap!!!

Um, you're like really into the PAC-16 idea. I mean I'm in favor of it too, but it's like you attended a seminar or something.

[OUHOMER]

I am with you BK, don't know that I would go to LSU game , and hate the thought of them coming for a home and home. Not the team but their fans.

[saucysoonergal]

Um, you're like really into the PAC-16 idea. I mean I'm in favor of it too, but it's like you attended a seminar or something.

Yes. It was actually a Webinar, but it was AMAZING!!!

[delhalew]

Screw the 12 pack.

[Lott's Bandana]

Have you ever been to Athens or Gainesville?

Truthfully, for a visiting football fan, those places are nothing more than an excuse to build Waffle Houses. Even with Athens' rich musical tradition and hawt female Navy supply officers, it isn't worth the flight to Atlanta and the drive down. Same goes for Gainesville/Starkville/Columbia/Tuscaloosa/Auburn. I don't even have to mention the hell that are Red Stick night games.

Trips to Oregon/Seattle/Bay Area/Phoenix are exactly the opposite. With the exception of the Oregon schools, you can fly to SFO or PHX or SEA and be in amazing, cosmopolitan cities with much to do, and also enjoy great weather and awesome football.

Just my perspective.

[ouflak]

I really would rather us join the SEC. I don't like the PAC idea much. I think it will be pretty hard on our traveling fan base. I admit to being somewhat biased however, having spent a significant part of my childhood grown up in SEC/ACC territory (Pensacola, FL). I'd love to see those games. Also, east coast games get bias on ESPNAmerica here in England. Also bigger games tend to get bias, and the SEC means in general bigger games, which means I get a better opportunity of seeing them on TV, which is a nice thought.

[saucysoonergal]

Oh, come on now, Espin creams over the Pac-12. Great exposure there!

[Lott's Bandana]

I havent had just a ton of time to follow this round of the conference changes. Everyone is talking about Oklahoma going to the PAC-whatever like it is a forgone conclusion, which makes me wonder if it is already done. JOe C. and Boren like to play thier cards pretty close to thier respective chests-which I love about them. Although it would be a tougher row to hoe, I would rather play in the SEC, than out west with all those limp wristed, liberal, tree hugging, wanna be's. I guess i'm the only one, but I'd much rather go to Athens, GA or Gainesville, FL than Oregon or Washington. Just me? Our tradition fits a lot better in the SEC that it does in the PAC-up-your-butt.

Plus i'm a sucker for a Southern Accent.


One more thing. I have found it is much more fun to be surrounded by people that are not exactly the same than it is to be in a field of clones. Makes things much more interesting.
I'd much rather be on a crowded Philippines ferry than in O'Hare's terminal B, queue'd up for another sterile flight to nowhere.

[delhalew]

Have you ever been to Athens or Gainesville?

Truthfully, for a visiting football fan, those places are nothing more than an excuse to build Waffle Houses. Even with Athens' rich musical tradition and hot female Navy supply officers, it isn't worth the flight to Atlanta and the drive down. Same goes for Gainesville/Starkville/Columbia/Tuscaloosa/Auburn. I don't even have to mention the hell that are Red Stick night games.

Trips to Oregon/Seattle/Bay Area/Phoenix are exactly the opposite. With the exception of the Oregon schools, you can fly to SFO or PHX or SEA and be in amazing, cosmopolitan cities with much to do, and also enjoy great weather and awesome football.

Just my perspective.

If you are addressing me, I've been everywhere...seriously. College football in the west is an after thought. The venues and the people in the south are lovely. You are way off base. My opinion.

[ouflak]

Have you ever been to Athens or Gainesville?

Yes.

Gainesville/Starkville/Columbia/Tuscaloosa/Auburn?

Yes, I've been to two of these cities/stadiums on a game day, and they are as electric as any OU game I've attended at home. Those people are big time fans and those stadiums are FULL. It's a great experience and if we do go to the SEC, I hope that any sooner fan takes the opportunity if they happen to be in the neighborhood (which is more likely with the SEC than the PAC). And it's not like Norman, OK is an internationally renowned metropolis or something.

[bigfatjerk]

I would rather go to most Pac 10 locations than any SEC locations. Distance is a little closer for the SEC but not really as much as you would think. Especially for Georgia and Florida.

[rekamrettuB]

OU already has good recruiting ties to the West and a move to the Pac would only open up more avenues. SEC land is pretty much locked up. I think you weight the recruiting and, as of now, the easier route to NC games, and the Pac 12+ is where OU needs to land. Not only football but basketball and baseball would thrive more in the Pac. Baseball program could suffer the most in the SEC.

[sooner_born_1960]

I'm on record as supporting a move to the SEC.

[cherokeebrewer]

You're not the only one but you are in a simple minority...

[Sabanball]

It doesn't matter as long as your university prez doesn't want to come to the SEC and is using the whole 'academics' thing as cover for it, which is a farce.

As I've said here before, from a geographical, socio-political, and cultural standpoint OU is a much better fit for the SEC than being in an alignment with the west coast schools. But I just don't see it happening, for other reasons that have already been talked about here ad nauseam, even though the whole realignment process going on right now is still very fluid. It could still happen, but I'd give it maybe a 20% chance. My prediction is the SEC will now sit back and see what happens, and if the Big 12 continues to implode then the SEC will probably go after Mizzou and call it a day as far as westward expansion goes.

[SoonerMom2]

Take this for what it is worth -- cannot find Clay's Twitter account but supposedly this morning he said OU was going to the SEC. Who knows when an OSU Aggie reports the Twitter!

@KevinDeShazoKevin DeShazo


@james_ocolly truth, though I don't think the Baylor issue will ever see a court room. OU RB Brennan Clay, via Twitter, says OU to SEC.

[badger]

I'm up for a move, don't care where. The Big 12 appears to be dead. Thanks a lot aggie.

[ouflak]

I would rather go to most Pac 10 locations than any SEC locations. Distance is a little closer for the SEC but not really as much as you would think. Especially for Georgia and Florida.

Actually, having done some of this drive, I can tell that it is much more than you would think.

When I was doing my regular driving-back-home trips to Pensacola, Florida from Norman, I averaged 12 hours a trip. If I went a southerly route, I passed by Ole Miss, LSU (1/2 hour detour), was just 1.5 detour away from A&M and/or Mississippi State. If I took a northerly route, I passed by Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama. Heck I've taken bus trips that did the journey, both routes, in just over 13 hours, and that was with stops and breaks along the way! Add 4 hour detours for Georgia and Gainesville.

I also did a straight drive from Dallas, TX to Las Vegas. That was 24 hours of solid driving and I passed by Arizona, and near Arizona State (2 hour detour). Every other PAC school was farther away than that. Now Colorado isn't bad at all, but I've logged a lot of driving miles both in the U.S. and out, so I have a pretty good idea of what I think is far and what I think is a lot farther. The PAC schools are a LOT farther away. Maybe it won't be so bad if we drag OSU and some TX schools (or Kansas/Missouri schools, whatever) and they work out the schedules, but that just means we are only hell and far away from 11 of the schools in our 'conference' instead of just two in the SEC (Florida-16 hours, Georgia-16 hours).

[Lott's Bandana]

It doesn't matter as long as your university prez doesn't want to come to the SEC and is using the whole 'academics' thing as cover for it, which is a farce.

As I've said here before, from a geographical, socio-political, and cultural standpoint OU is a much better fit for the SEC than being in an alignment with the west coast schools. But I just don't see it happening, for other reasons that have already been talked about here ad nauseam, even though the whole realignment process going on right now is still very fluid. It could still happen, but I'd give it maybe a 20% chance. My prediction is the SEC will now sit back and see what happens, and if the Big 12 continues to implode then the SEC will probably go after Mizzou.


This is where Prez Boren disagrees with you. He is a conservative Democrat, but feels more aligned with the western political culture, as well as a perceived benefit from a tie-in between OU Law and the law schools at Stanford and Cal. Like it or not, agree or not, HE gets to decide.

[bigfatjerk]

Outside of LSU and Arkansas and obviously A&M I don't think most people would be driving to many SEC locations. It would be flying to those schools for the most part. Same with the PAC locations it's flying to those locations now maybe outside of Colorado and the 3 schools OU brings.

[busynothings]

No. I don't want to be a PAC-Whatever team. Not only because I live in SEC country, which isn't the couch burning wasteland several people here make it out to be, but because I think tradition wise, we have more in common with them. Maybe it's because I'm old fashioned and love history, but I find little to appreciate in the PAC-12. Also, everyone hates LSU, most of all the rest of the SEC.

[bigfatjerk]

And OU isn't going to the SEC unless it's without OSU and based on comments from both admins, I don't see that happening. Plus it would probably mean OU would have to schedule both OsU and Texas OOC. I also don't see that happening with an SEC schedule.

[Lott's Bandana]

Actually, having done some of this drive, I can tell that it is much more than you would think.

When I was doing my regular driving-back-home trips to Pensacola, Florida from Norman, I averaged 12 hours a trip. If I went a southerly route, I passed by Ole Miss, LSU (1/2 hour detour), was just 1.5 detour away from A&M and/or Mississippi State. If I took a northerly route, I passed by Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama. Heck I've taken bus trips that did the journey, both routes, in just over 13 hours, and that was with stops and breaks along the way! Add 4 hour detours for Georgia and Gainesville.

I also did a straight drive from Dallas, TX to Las Vegas. That was 24 hours of solid driving and I passed by Arizona, and near Arizona State (2 hour detour). Every other PAC school was farther away than that. Now Colorado isn't bad at all, but I've logged a lot of driving miles both in the U.S. and out, so I have a pretty good idea of what I think is far and what I think is a lot farther. The PAC schools are a LOT farther away. Maybe it won't be so bad if drag OSU and some TX schools (or Kansas/Missouri schools, whatever) and they work out the schedules, but that just means we are only hell and far away from 11 of the schools in our 'conference' instead of just two in the SEC (Florida-16 hours, Georgia-16 hours).


With the current gas prices, the cost of 1 airline ticket is almost identical to one person driving to the Bay Area and back (20mpg). Driving allows for this cost to be shared by several individuals, but also takes 4-6 days to do the roundtrip, plus gameday.

This applies to a trip to Columbia or Gainesville as well.

[Sabanball]

This is where Prez Boren disagrees with you. He is a conservative Democrat, but feels more aligned with the western political culture, as well as a perceived benefit from a tie-in between OU Law and the law schools at Stanford and Cal. Like it or not, agree or not, HE gets to decide.


Now there's an oxymoron. Lol....Seriously, most university presidents, I'd say, are liberal-minded academicians so he would still fit in nicely down in the Red South.:beguiled:

Oklahoma is the reddest of red states--am I correct in saying that not a single COUNTY was carried by Barack Obama in the '08 election? As I said, your state and fan base are much more in step with the SEC crowd than the left coast.

[Sooner_Havok]

I kind of love the SEC argument.

"We are a better cultural fit in the SEC!"

Oh, so we fit in well with the LSU fans?

"Well, not them."

Oh, the the obnoxious Florida fans?

"Well, not them either"

Oh, so the super classy South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Arkansas fans then?

"Well, not them either"

You just want to be in a conference with Alabama, don't you?

"Yeah, see, we just 'fit in better' with the SEC!"

:chargrined:

[Keller Sooner]

I'm with you. I favor the SEC. I've never cared much for the left coast. But, I support the University of Oklahoma in whatever conference we land.

[lexsooner]

I havent had just a ton of time to follow this round of the conference changes. Everyone is talking about Oklahoma going to the PAC-whatever like it is a forgone conclusion, which makes me wonder if it is already done. JOe C. and Boren like to play thier cards pretty close to thier respective chests-which I love about them. Although it would be a tougher row to hoe, I would rather play in the SEC, than out west with all those limp wristed, liberal, tree hugging, wanna be's. I guess i'm the only one, but I'd much rather go to Athens, GA or Gainesville, FL than Oregon or Washington. Just me? Our tradition fits a lot better in the SEC that it does in the PAC-up-your-butt.

Plus i'm a sucker for a Southern Accent.

So you're saying we are a bunch of stupid rednecks like SEC fans? Boren has much more important considerations than the political views and preferences of the fans. The SEC offers stronger football, but also not so strong academics and also a well-deserved reputation for widespread cheating. When the important factors are considered, the choice is easy: PAC.

[SoonerBK]

Well It looks to me like we are split on the idea. I agree with the idealogy comment about OU fitting in better in the SEC. To me Nebraska to the Big 10 made sense. They have that midwestern conservative point of view very similar to the rest of the Big 10 schools, and that relationship will probably last a long time. What do you think is going to happen when Dean rolls up to an ASU game and starts making his squirrel-head stew or whatever the heck it is outside of a Scottsdale Hotel?! Anarchy Thats What!

That being said, if you get a chance to google up the Tempe 12, its worht a stop. it's KSFW-kinda safe for work.

[NOVSooner]

I vote SEC but i live in the midst of SEC country so yes, i'm biased. In all fairness pertaining to economics, if we come to the SEC, I'm a 2 hour drive to Starkville and Oxford, 3 hours to LSU, Bama, aubie. you can stay at my house and save the hotel expense :)

[BoulderSooner79]

I'm on record as acknowledging that the powers that be do not care what I prefer. But if OU joins the PACxx, I can ride my bike to the Stanford and take a train to the Cal game, so there will be some perks.

[bigfatjerk]

With the current gas prices, the cost of 1 airline ticket is almost identical to one person driving to the Bay Area and back (20mpg). Driving allows for this cost to be shared by several individuals, but also takes 4-6 days to do the roundtrip, plus gameday.

This applies to a trip to Columbia or Gainesville as well.

A few years back I went on a trip to DC. Now it's further than Gainsville, probably about the same to Columbia really. But we did the math on how long it would take. Where we would have to go to hotels along the way. And then instantly looked for places to buy airline tickets instead because flying was MUCH cheaper. If you want to drive to most SEC locations you are either a rich fanatic that loves that type of tailgating atmosphere or whatever or don't care about your money at all. Because the only way we will travel to most of our SEC or PAC games is through flying to them. I've mentioned the possible exceptions in earlier posts. If you even want to travel to Alabama or Auburn you have to take a week off work. That's a 14 hour drive non stop. It's probably 16-17 hours if you count gas stops, food stops, and if you want to sleep somewhere it's much longer. Tuscaloosa is only about 12 hours non stop.

[saucysoonergal]

As soon as you join the SEC, your state is covered in Kudzu!!! Don't fall for it!

[Lott's Bandana]

Now there's an oxymoron. Lol....Seriously, most university presidents, I'd say, are liberal-minded academicians so he would still fit in nicely down in the Red South.:beguiled:

Oklahoma is the reddest of red states--am I correct in saying that not a single COUNTY was carried by Barack Obama in the '08 election? As I said, your state and fan base are much more in step with the SEC crowd than the left coast.


I tried not to use the term, DixieCrat...that would have confused the issue.

Regardless of how redstate Oklahoma is, Boren considers himself rather progressive and he wants OU to be the same and not be considered redneck. Your point about our (the voters of Oklahoma's) political demographic is spot-on, but again, he gets to make the call.

[delhalew]

Actually, having done some of this drive, I can tell that it is much more than you would think.

When I was doing my regular driving-back-home trips to Pensacola, Florida from Norman, I averaged 12 hours a trip. If I went a southerly route, I passed by Ole Miss, LSU (1/2 hour detour), was just 1.5 detour away from A&M and/or Mississippi State. If I took a northerly route, I passed by Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama. Heck I've taken bus trips that did the journey, both routes, in just over 13 hours, and that was with stops and breaks along the way! Add 4 hour detours for Georgia and Gainesville.

I also did a straight drive from Dallas, TX to Las Vegas. That was 24 hours of solid driving and I passed by Arizona, and near Arizona State (2 hour detour). Every other PAC school was farther away than that. Now Colorado isn't bad at all, but I've logged a lot of driving miles both in the U.S. and out, so I have a pretty good idea of what I think is far and what I think is a lot farther. The PAC schools are a LOT farther away. Maybe it won't be so bad if we drag OSU and some TX schools (or Kansas/Missouri schools, whatever) and they work out the schedules, but that just means we are only hell and far away from 11 of the schools in our 'conference' instead of just two in the SEC (Florida-16 hours, Georgia-16 hours).

Anyone tries to downplay the distance difference, doesn't know. I have driven from Dunca, OK to Atlanta or Pensecola in one day hundreds of times. It takes that same time just to reach Arizona.

[Sabanball]

As soon as you join the SEC, your state is covered in Kudzu!!! Don't fall for it!

Good one..:beguiled:

[StatesEye]

You know......the Big 10 has been unusually quiet. Below is their statement from last month (bold mine).

"In response to a number of recent media inquiries received by several Big Ten Presidents and Chancellors regarding the likelihood of further expansion by the Big Ten, the COP/C would like to reiterate that it will not be actively engaged in conference expansion at this time, or at any time in the foreseeable future, barring a significant shift in the current intercollegiate athletic landscape."

Any chance the University of Oklahoma ends up there? OU, Notre Dame, Missouri (Kansas), West Virginia (Maryland) would be a nice pick up for them. If there is a rush to 16 teams, the Big 10 will not let the SEC and Pac get all the goods.

[delhalew]

Good one..:beguiled:. We could use some kudzu.

[achiro]

WHAT ABOUT THE RASSLERS?!?!?!?!

[jumperstop]

Am I the only one who realizes that maybe OU wants no part of that cheating, racist, inbred conference. Why would you want to have to start paying players? I would rather go dominate the Pac. I've only been to auburn, but it reminded me a lot of Stillwater and College Station in terms of location. Middle if nowhere. And for you guys saying the football environment won't be great, is it great in Ames, Waco, Stillwater? Come on, think reasonably. You guys have let ESPIN brainwash you into thinking the SEC is the only place to play football.

[Lawton4Life]

I've never been but I've heard Gainesville is a poophole.

[bigfatjerk]

From Norman it's 9 hour drive to Oxford, 10+ hour drive to Starkville Ms, 12 hour drive to Tuscaloosa, 14 hours to Auburn, 15 hours to Georgia, 17 hours to Columbia, 19 Hours to Gainesville.

You are flying to most of those locations.

Same with the PAC
11 hours to Boulder, 15 hours to Tempe, 16 hours to Tempe, 19 Hours to Salt Lake City, 21 Hours, over 24 hours to Palo Alto or Berkley

Pretty much anything over 10-12 hours you are probably gonna fly to. And both conferences have a lot of those type distances.

[ouflak]

If you even want to travel to Alabama or Auburn you have to take a week off work. That's a 14 hour drive non stop. It's probably 16-17 hours if you count gas stops, food stops, and if you want to sleep somewhere it's much longer. Tuscaloosa is only about 12 hours non stop.

I've done this drive, probably about 30 times, from Norman through Alabama. It's 10 hours if you go the speed limit (which I usually did, and that's how long it took), coming from the South, 8 hours if you head 'straight' west. Add two hours to get to your desired campus. It's never taken me 16-17 hours, but there was one time when my car broke down along the way in nowhere Texas that the trip took over 24. That sucked. By bus, it has taken me as long as 19 hours twice, but those couple times I got snowed in along the way, otherwise about 13.5 hours to get my final destination in Florida. That's speaking strictly from my experience. Maybe it would take others here vast amounts of time to do these trips, but I think you would have to work at it.

[SoonerAtKU]

I have no desire to spend any time in Starkville, Oxford, Auburn, Gainesville, Lexington, Baton Rouge, Knoxville, or Columbia.

Athens, Tuscaloosa and Nashville are fine by me, and the only reason I'd go to Fayetteville is because my dad is a fan.

I would gladly visit ANY of the cities in the Pac 10 with the possible exception of Pullman.

[sooner KB]

Anyone tries to downplay the distance difference, doesn't know. I have driven from Dunca, OK to Atlanta or Pensecola in one day hundreds of times. It takes that same time just to reach Arizona.

According to google maps, OKC to Tucson is about 16 hours. (OKC to Mesa is 15.5) Add in a couple meal breaks and gas breaks, and your at 17 or 18 hours. There's no way you can make that in one day.

As others have said, almost everyone would be flying to these games (if they didn't already live in the region). I'm sure there are a few retired people out there that like to take road trips, but I would bet these people would be few and far between.

[SoonerBK]

So you're saying we are a bunch of stupid rednecks like SEC fans? Boren has much more important considerations than the political views and preferences of the fans. The SEC offers stronger football, but also not so strong academics and also a well-deserved reputation for widespread cheating. When the important factors are considered, the choice is easy: PAC.

Do you lIve in Oklahoma?? If so you might want to take a little day trip outside of the Metro and see what you find. I've lived here all my life so I can say this...We are what we are, and I love it. If it weren't for Arkansas, we'd be last in everything! I think you are just proving my point with your last comment. We'll be fine whereever we land. Heck everyone is going to hate OU anyway b/c we in all the time. If we roll up in the PAC, it'll be like Cousin Eddie visiting Clark Griswold for Christmas...Which is fine. I travel a lot with my job, and it is alsways fun to see people's reactions when they find out where i'm from. It's usually a look of "wait you have an airport there?" crossed with "But you have all your teeth!" My gut tells me its going to be west, but i'd rather go east.

[JiminyChristmas]

I prefer moving to the SEC over the PAC. All the middle of nowhere, poophole comments some people are making about SEC towns are the same comments the current PAC schools are making about Norman, Stillwater, and Lubbock while they look down their noses at us redneck hicks. Most people on both coasts think we still have covered wagons and teepees in Oklahoma, or at least nothing but trailer parks.

There is no doubt that the PAC destinations are better vacation spots, but that's also the reason that they don't care nearly as much about college football out there. There's too many other things to compete with.

If moving to the SEC means not scheduling OSU or *, then so be it. We will have plenty of games that are hyped just as much. I also believe that being in the SEC is an ace in the hole when dealing with recruits. I heard Pat Jones say on the radio the other day that the SEC schools come to Oklahoma and Texas and tell recruits "if you think you are good enough to play against the best in the nation week in and week out, come with us, if not, stay here and play in the Big IX." I think that is a powerful message to an 18 year old who thinks he is the big dog. We would get even more good players out the state to our south than we do now.

From a football only perspective, and I know there is more to it than that, the SEC is by far the better way to go in my opinion.

[jumperstop]

Google maps

Norman-Gainesville 19 hours 7 min
Norman-Athens 15 hours 23 min
Norman-Auburn 13 hours 42 min
Norman-Tuscaloosa 11 hours 32 min

There's just a sample...

[badger]

Seeing the meltdowns (http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?158602-Anyone-find-any-meltdown-gold-from-the-upsets-this-weekend) that some SEC fanbases had online this past weekend (and I know Internet fans do not reflect an entire fanbase) after loses was kind of shocking if not stereotypical.

As an A&M guy said a few weeks ago, the concern is that you have so much positive things going for your university, your program and your fanbase, and being associated with some of less positive things in college sports, the cheating, the rivalries going too far, and yeah, the racism, might cause others to associate those things with your own fanbase unfairly.

[jumperstop]

I prefer moving to the SEC over the PAC. All the middle of nowhere, poophole comments some people are making about SEC towns are the same comments the current PAC schools are making about Norman, Stillwater, and Lubbock while they look down their noses at us redneck hicks. Most people on both coasts think we still have covered wagons and teepees in Oklahoma, or at least nothing but trailer parks.

There is no doubt that the PAC destinations are better vacation spots, but that's also the reason that they don't care nearly as much about college football out there. There's too many other things to compete with.

If moving to the SEC means not scheduling OSU or *, then so be it. We will have plenty of games that are hyped just as much. I also believe that being in the SEC is an ace in the hole when dealing with recruits. I heard Pat Jones say on the radio the other day that the SEC schools come to Oklahoma and Texas and tell recruits "if you think you are good enough to play against the best in the nation week in and week out, come with us, if not, stay here and play in the Big IX." I think that is a powerful message to an 18 year old who thinks he is the big dog. We would get even more good players out the state to our south than we do now.

From a football only perspective, and I know there is more to it than that, the SEC is by far the better way to go in my opinion.

Pat Jones is a retard. I try to avoid those middle of nowhere locations as much as possible. If you would rather go to Stillwater than LA you're a retard too....

[hawaii 5-0]

If OU joins the SEC, I predict Oklahoma will soon be building a NASCAR racetrack.

5-0

[JiminyChristmas]

To everyone else in the nation, we are already associated with cheating/scandals (think about how long Switzer was blackballed) and rivalries going too far (think tearing off a scrotum in a bar fight). That doesn't change with our conference affiliation.

Plus, all the distance talk is silly. A very small % of the fan base travels to away games anyway.

[soonerboomer93]

Google maps

Norman-Gainesville 19 hours 7 min
Norman-Athens 15 hours 23 min
Norman-Auburn 13 hours 42 min
Norman-Tuscaloosa 11 hours 32 min

There's just a sample...

For example, Norman to Gainsville is 1145 miles. That means google is calculating a roughly 60 mph average speed.

Personally, my GPS and the mapsites always over estimate travel time.


What's the actual drive distance?

[jumperstop]

For example, Norman to Gainsville is 1145 miles. That means google is calculating a roughly 60 mph average speed.

Personally, my GPS and the mapsites always over estimate travel time.


What's the actual drive distance?

Calculate in food, gas, bathroom and you'll average no more than 60. I would say that's pretty good if not faster than it'd be with all the necessary stops. Sorry on my phone, it was hard enough to get those times, lol. Maybe someone else can help you.

[jumperstop]

To everyone else in the nation, we are already associated with cheating/scandals (think about how long Switzer was blackballed) and rivalries going too far (think tearing off a scrotum in a bar fight). That doesn't change with our conference affiliation.

Plus, all the distance talk is silly. A very small % of the fan base travels to away games anyway.

I don't care about being associated with it, I just don't want to have to do it to compete in the conference we're in.

[JiminyChristmas]

Pat Jones is a retard. I try to avoid those middle of nowhere locations as much as possible. If you would rather go to Stillwater than LA you're a retard too....

Pat Jones is a retard in your book because he coached at OSU? He may not be great on the radio, but he has some insight to the way things work in college and pro football that most of us do not have.

As for LA and Stillwater, I would rather vacation in LA, but for a football game, I'm not so sure. Is playing UCLA at the Rose Bowl going to be any more exciting than Bedlam has been in Stillwater? Are you going to be more amped up for that game? No way. Once the "oh wow, we are playing in the vaunted Rose Bowl" excitement wears off, it will be just another game in front of an apathetic fan base.

[delhalew]

Google maps

Norman-Gainesville 19 hours 7 min
Norman-Athens 15 hours 23 min
Norman-Auburn 13 hours 42 min
Norman-Tuscaloosa 11 hours 32 min

There's just a sample...

Remind me to never plan anything using Google maps.

[delhalew]

What's the actual drive distance?

Depends if you are smart enough to use a map to your advantage. If you are afraid to stray from an interstate, you'll need to stop along the way.

[Penguin]

Go back 2 years ago and ask what people thought about the Pac-10. The people on soonerfans would not give you a very nice response. Why have so many posters on this message board now become Pac-**** sunshine pumpers now?


Like I said before, if we wanted a world-class water polo team, we would get a ton of respect for joining and winning in the Pac-10. But, by joining the Pac-sh!t for football, we are going to the Florida State / Boise State blueprint of getting into a good bowl. Just win one game and you get an automatic big-time bowl. What a load of BS and we're starting to embrace it.

In terms of the BCS, it will no longer be win-and-you're-in in the Pac-Sh!t. We would all become slaves to the computers. An undefeated OU team will not be a no-brainer anymore if there are undefeated teams coming out of the SEC and Big 10 the same year.


Put me down for OU going to the SEC. Flying out to the West Coast will be awesome for a few years, sure. But, sooner or later, we will regret joining the Pac-Sh!t.

[silverwheels]

I hate everything about the SEC except for the random eye candy that inexplicably shows up to every game. Not a huge fan of Pac-12 culture, either, but I'll take it over the SEC. And if this were just a football move, the SEC would be fine with me. But there's more to it so it's not.

[delhalew]

BTW, if driving to Gainesville, that is a long drive, and I would suggest taking your time and enjoying yourself. Call it a day and a half. I know a good seafood place or two along the way to break up the drive.

[Mississippi Sooner]

I live in the middle of SEC country, and most of the away games would be an easy drive for me. For that reason alone, I'm sure that OU to the SEC will never happen.

[jumperstop]

Pat Jones is a retard in your book because he coached at OSU? He may not be great on the radio, but he has some insight to the way things work in college and pro football that most of us do not have.

As for LA and Stillwater, I would rather vacation in LA, but for a football game, I'm not so sure. Is playing UCLA at the Rose Bowl going to be any more exciting than Bedlam has been in Stillwater? Are you going to be more amped up for that game? No way. Once the "oh wow, we are playing in the vaunted Rose Bowl" excitement wears off, it will be just another game in front of an apathetic fan base.

No, because he can't make a clear thought without stumbling over his own tongue. Doug Gottlieb was basically owning him on the radio the other day during all the conference realignment talks, and he still would give it up. I think Gottlieb probably knows a little more about the conference realignment stuff than Pat Jones....

[delhalew]

According to google maps, OKC to Tucson is about 16 hours. (OKC to Mesa is 15.5) Add in a couple meal breaks and gas breaks, and your at 17 or 18 hours. There's no way you can make that in one day.

As others have said, almost everyone would be flying to these games (if they didn't already live in the region). I'm sure there are a few retired people out there that like to take road trips, but I would bet these people would be few and far between.

Sorry, I meant to the Arizona border. I would usually stop at the Casino in Acoma, New Mexico. An hour shy of Arizona. The point is...it's f'n far.

[sooneron]

I'd rather have the fan atmosphere of the sec and I'd rather take my family to a pac whatever venue/trip. Hmm, conundrum... SEC is mucho closer for me, so I'll leave the fam at home! :D

[JiminyChristmas]

No, because he can't make a clear thought without stumbling over his own tongue. Doug Gottlieb was basically owning him on the radio the other day during all the conference realignment talks, and he still would give it up. I think Gottlieb probably knows a little more about the conference realignment stuff than Pat Jones....

I quoted Pat Jones on a recruiting comment, not a realignment comment. Next.

[jumperstop]

I quoted Pat Jones on a recruiting comment, not a realignment comment. Next.

I was just proving to you it had nothing to do with the fact that he coached at OSU. I don't care if you jack off to pictures and quotes of Pat Jones, I still think he's a retard no matter the topic. Take your 31 post elsewhere since you're so ****ing stupid.....

[TahoeSOONER]

If you're looking for just football then it's the SEC. If you're for better travel then it's PAC.

Personally I'd rather see them out west.

[SoonerAtKU]

But, by joining the Pac-sh!t for football, we are going to the Florida State / Boise State blueprint of getting into a good bowl. Just win one game and you get an automatic big-time bowl. What a load of BS and we're starting to embrace it.

In terms of the BCS, it will no longer be win-and-you're-in in the Pac-Sh!t. We would all become slaves to the computers. An undefeated OU team will not be a no-brainer anymore if there are undefeated teams coming out of the SEC and Big 10 the same year.

So tell me in what world beating Texas, USC, Oregon, OSU, and Stanford in any given year isn't a great year? You're honestly feeling that a team that does that and goes undefeated will have trouble getting into a title game where a Nebraska team that beats Ohio State, Wisconsin, and a pile of nothing will skate through?

I think you're letting your emotions outkick your coverage here, not to mix metaphors.

[jumperstop]

So tell me in what world beating Texas, USC, Oregon, OSU, and Stanford in any given year isn't a great year? You're honestly feeling that a team that does that and goes undefeated will have trouble getting into a title game where a Nebraska team that beats Ohio State, Wisconsin, and a pile of nothing will skate through?

I think you're letting your emotions outkick your coverage here, not to mix metaphors.

Yeah if going undefeated in the Big XII-II can get us in, I think it'd be no different in the Pac 16. That said, it'd be a lot harder to go undefeated.

[picasso]

If we go to the SEC then we make a BCS bowl every 4 years. I'll pass.

[Penguin]

So tell me in what world beating Texas, USC, Oregon, OSU, and Stanford in any given year isn't a great year? You're honestly feeling that a team that does that and goes undefeated will have trouble getting into a title game where a Nebraska team that beats Ohio State, Wisconsin, and a pile of nothing will skate through?

I think you're letting your emotions outkick your coverage here, not to mix metaphors.

Because 99% of the time, Oregon, osu, and Stanford field some ****ty football teams. We're also not going to play USC every year. We will not get any respect for beating a bunch of west coast popcorn teams. I think you've been smoking some of that West Coast garbage.

[JiminyChristmas]

I quoted Pat Jones on a recruiting comment, not a realignment comment. Next.

I was just proving to you it had nothing to do with the fact that he coached at OSU. I don't care if you jack off to pictures and quotes of Pat Jones, I still think he's a retard no matter the topic. Take your 31 post elsewhere since you're so ****ing stupid.....


Thanks for proving that our fans will fit in better with the classy types in the SEC.

Awesome.

[soonerfromgeorgia]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. By going Pac 12/16 it looks like OU is somewhat dodging the SEC competition.

Is it the fact that we might can compete in a one game situation for the championship, but might not be able to do it week in and week out???


I want OU in the SEC because I live in the middle of SEC country. I'd rather be 10-2 SEC team than 11-1 Pac team.

[picasso]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. By going Pac 12/16 it looks like OU is somewhat dodging the SEC competition.

Is it the fact that we might can compete in a one game situation for the championship, but might not be able to do it week in and week out???

I want OU in the SEC because I live in the middle of SEC country. I'd rather be 10-2 SEC team than 11-1 Pac team.
It will look like a dodge to the inbred southern folk. I think there's more to it than that.

[Tear Down This Wall]

I havent had just a ton of time to follow this round of the conference changes. Everyone is talking about Oklahoma going to the PAC-whatever like it is a forgone conclusion, which makes me wonder if it is already done. JOe C. and Boren like to play thier cards pretty close to thier respective chests-which I love about them. Although it would be a tougher row to hoe, I would rather play in the SEC, than out west with all those limp wristed, liberal, tree hugging, wanna be's. I guess i'm the only one, but I'd much rather go to Athens, GA or Gainesville, FL than Oregon or Washington. Just me? Our tradition fits a lot better in the SEC that it does in the PAC-up-your-butt.

Plus i'm a sucker for a Southern Accent.

Agree 164%.

SEC is more like us; Pac-12 would be a weird fit altogether.

SEC is a football conference - we're a football school.

Pac-12 is a basketball conference with one decent football program, USC. Boring. We're a football school.

Let Kansas join the Pac-12. Let's go where they play real football in real college towns week after week in the fall.

[silverwheels]

If we go to the SEC then we make a BCS bowl every 4 years. I'll pass.

Yep. Our fans already want to burn down the stadium when we don't win over East Popcorn State by 70. Imagine how bad it will be in the SEC when we're not the **** o' the walk.


It will look like a dodge to the inbred southern folk. I think there's more to it than that.

Yeah, I don't want to associate the state of Oklahoma with the South any more than it already is.

[En_Fuego]

I'm up for a move, don't care where. The Big 12 appears to be dead. Thanks a lot aggie.

Let's not forget who started this fiasco.......Those Steer Fu**ing Queers in Austin

[3rdgensooner]

Yeah, I don't want to associate the state of Oklahoma with the South any more than it already is.Agree.


This thread basically proves once again that message board posters never agree on anything.

[Tear Down This Wall]

Come on, think reasonably. You guys have let ESPIN brainwash you into thinking the SEC is the only place to play football.

It's more like, the five national titles in a row. Also, being strong enough in strength of schedule to send a two-loss team to the national title game, where two-loss LSU thrashed one-loss Ohio State.

It's not better football because ESPIN says so. It's better because their schools win most of their big games.

How are you arguing against five national titles in a row? What? The Big Ten or Big 12 has been better than that? The Pac-12? Please. Grab the reigns of reality. ESPIN or no ESPIN, the SEC is the top college football conference, and it isn't even close.

[silverwheels]

Yes, let's go to the SEC, lose 3 or 4 games a year, cheat harder to win more, and then get put on probation again.

[OhU1]

Yeah, I don't want to associate the state of Oklahoma with the South any more than it already is.

This.

I was/am happy with the Midwest/SW connections in the B12. Oklahoma fits the southwest and Midwest as a state. The south (with the exception of urban Florida) = poverty, Waffle Huts, illiteracy, Creationists, banjoes, and kudzu. I'll happily take the West as an alternative.

[Mississippi Sooner]

Is the Missouri Valley Conference still around?

[lexsooner]

Yes, let's go to the SEC, lose 3 or 4 games a year, cheat harder to win more, and then get put on probation again.

That's pretty much Boren's thinking and why he wants the PAC, in my opinion.

[jumperstop]

It's more like, the five national titles in a row. Also, being strong enough in strength of schedule to send a two-loss team to the national title game, where two-loss LSU thrashed one-loss Ohio State.

It's not better football because ESPIN says so. It's better because their schools win most of their big games.

How are you arguing against five national titles in a row? What? The Big Ten or Big 12 has been better than that? The Pac-12? Please. Grab the reigns of reality. ESPIN or no ESPIN, the SEC is the top college football conference, and it isn't even close.

How many of their teams have won half of the conference championships and been to four BCSNCG? None, down years would come a lot more often. And honestly both OU and Texas could have easily won their NCG. And the only reason that LSU got in with two losses was because of espn in my opinion. Not saying we couldn't compete, but it'd be harder to be there as often as we are accustomed to. I still can't get over the cheating either. How many SEC teams are under investigation atm? I want no part of that.

[JiminyChristmas]

Why would we lose 3 or 4 games every year? Sure, we might, but we also might start competing for conference championships from the very beginning. That's what I would expect as a Sooner fan. We would fit right in with the elite in the SEC from day 1. If you win the "playoff" that is the SEC, you are going to wind up having a pretty good chance of winning the MNC.

Sometimes it's about the journey, not just the end result. Would you rather be like Boise St? Where you go 12-0 every year with maybe 1 close, exciting game and then have basically a one game season at the end? Or, would you rather be amped up and excited about virtually every game on the schedule even if that means you go 10-2 or 11-1, or the occasional 9-3 instead? I would prefer the latter. Obviously, the PAC falls somewhere in between, but you get the point.

Yeah, you don't need to cheat to win in the PAC, just ask USC and Oregon. To infer that cheating is exclusive to the SEC is ridiculous.

[silverwheels]

It stands to reason that if the competition in the SEC is tougher, we will lose more games. OU averages 2.5 losses a season under Stoops in the Big 12, which has not been as tough as the SEC for the better part of the past decade. To think that number will go down if we join a tougher conference is kinda silly. The same people who think that A&M would get destroyed in the SEC think that OU joining the SEC is a great idea.

Cheating is not exclusive to the SEC, but they do it better than anyone else.

[bigfatjerk]

OU is as bad if not a worse fit for the SEC as it is for the PAC. We are nothing like the SEC outside of maybe Alabama and I'm not sure we are much like them either. They are way overly obsessed with Bear Bryant, we love Barry and Bud too but we aren't obsessed like they are. You watch what happens when Alabama has a couple 8-5/9-4 type seasons in a couple year span like Bob did. The best fit for OU is the Big 12 like it was. But that can no longer happen.

[3rdgensooner]

It's more like, the five national titles in a row. Home field advantage hasn't hurt that streak.

[prrriiide]

I've said it in other threads: if the tradition, pageantry, and competition of college football are what you love about the game, USC is the only PAC school that can hold the SEC's jockstrap. From the standpoint of the college football culture (and societal culture, to a lesser extent), OU is much more closely akin to the SEC than the PAC.

[thecynic]

This.

I was/am happy with the Midwest/SW connections in the B12. Oklahoma fits the southwest and Midwest as a state. The south (with the exception of urban Florida) = poverty, Waffle Huts, illiteracy, Creationists, banjoes, and kudzu. I'll happily take the West as an alternative.


Don't forget the Nutria, there are lots of Nutria.

[King Fuzzy]

I've said it in other threads: if the tradition, pageantry, and competition of college football are what you love about the game, USC is the only PAC school that can hold the SEC's jockstrap. From the standpoint of the college football culture (and societal culture, to a lesser extent), OU is much more closely akin to the SEC than the PAC.

http://onstartups.com/Portals/150/images/charlie-sheen-winning-resized-600.jpg

[silverwheels]

I've said it in other threads: if the tradition, pageantry, and competition of college football are what you love about the game, USC is the only PAC school that can hold the SEC's jockstrap. From the standpoint of the college football culture (and societal culture, to a lesser extent), OU is much more closely akin to the SEC than the PAC.

If OU were just a football team and not an academic institution with other interests, the SEC is the only choice. But everything has to be taken into account here, not just football. OU's endowment currently puts them at 5th in the Big 12 (with A&M). That would be 4th in the current SEC and 6th in the Pac-12. The opportunity for OU to grow as a school is better in the Pac-12.

And for anyone who wants to bring the Big Ten into the discussion when academics are brought up, we're not AAU members, and they won't expand again until they have to, which may be too late for us even if they were interested.

[saucysoonergal]

I tire of these SEC whinners.


Pac-16, Clap, clap, clap!!!!

[bigfatjerk]

I've said it in other threads: if the tradition, pageantry, and competition of college football are what you love about the game, USC is the only PAC school that can hold the SEC's jockstrap. From the standpoint of the college football culture (and societal culture, to a lesser extent), OU is much more closely akin to the SEC than the PAC.

We have nothing in common with any SEC team outside of probably Alabama, and maybe Arkansas to some extent.

[silverwheels]

Only thing we have in common with Arkansas is a mutual hatred for Texas. And they hate us as well, for some unknown reason.

[C&CDean]

I would rather go to the nice cities Lott's Bandana mentioned, beat the ever-lovin' dog **** outta the west coast chumps, and win championships.

Going to the SEC means a) po-dunk cities full of TPT and other assorted trash, and b) at least 1-2 ***-whoopins a year and maybe a championship every 4-5 years.

The uber football fan in me goes "SEC." The reasonable, retired person that I've become goes "Seattle or Tuscaloosa", "Phoenix or Gainesville" and the answer is apparent. Besides, I'm from the West originally, and the first college I attended was Arizona. I've got kids/sisters/mom/etc. out there and it'd be convenient.

So, "Pac-16 clap-clap-clap."

[Taxman71]

SEC = Hot southern belles
Pac 10 = hippy chicks with dreads and hairy pits.

I'll go with SEC (as long as my wife isn't watching)

[saucysoonergal]

Tigah baite!!!!

[silverwheels]

SEC = Hot southern belles
Pac 10 = hippy chicks with dreads and hairy pits.

I'll go with SEC (as long as my wife isn't watching)

SEC = obese women with mustard stains on their moo-moos
Pac-12 = beach bunnies

I can do this, too.

[soonerfromgeorgia]

Going Pac whatever will eventually hurt our recruiting in Texas and A&M will get stronger in their own state due to them being in the SEC.

Playing the likes of Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, LSU will stand out more for the kids than playing what USC has become, UCLA, Arizona. Their drawn for OU in the past has been a great program close to home, now their parents won't be able to see them as much and with that they just as well go play the best competition which will be the SEC.

If Texas ends up a independent, they'll schedule enough ND's, Mich., Ohio States to draw even more of the recruits and when the recruits start dropping off, Stoops will began to look elsewhere.


Going Pac 12 is not the best thing for our program in the long run!

[saucysoonergal]

Nattering Nabobs of Negativity. When we were in the Big 8, we had no trouble recruiting Texas. You guys don't remember your history very well.

[silverwheels]

If two Texas schools come with us to the Pac-12 as expected, we won't see much of a drop-off in Texas recruiting. Plus we would be able to recruit California better. So it's a wash.

And Texas isn't going independent and they're certainly not going to be able to put together a good schedule on an annual basis when they have to schedule at least 11 possibly different teams every year. Notre Dame already has 6 teams they play on a yearly basis, and they've been doing this scheduling for a long time.

[Taxman71]

SEC = obese women with mustard stains on their moo-moos
Pac-12 = beach bunnies

I can do this, too.

Beach bunnies don't pound a fifth of Makers and go to football games....southern belles do!

[silverwheels]

Right, I forgot they don't drink in California.

[3rdgensooner]

OU is much more closely akin to the SEC than the PAC.
Plenty would have said the same thing about merging with the SWC, and look where that's gotten us.

Nattering Nabobs of Negativity. When we were in the Big 8, we had no trouble recruiting Texas. You guys don't remember your history very well.Amen Sistah!

[MountainOkie]

Beach bunnies don't pound a fifth of Makers and go to football games....southern belles do!

Is this a positive trait?

[Sabanball]

Going Pac whatever will eventually hurt our recruiting in Texas and A&M will get stronger in their own state due to them being in the SEC.

Playing the likes of Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, LSU will stand out more for the kids than playing what USC has become, UCLA, Arizona. Their drawn for OU in the past has been a great program close to home, now their parents won't be able to see them as much and with that they just as well go play the best competition which will be the SEC.

If Texas ends up a independent, they'll schedule enough ND's, Mich., Ohio States to draw even more of the recruits and when the recruits start dropping off, Stoops will began to look elsewhere.


Going Pac 12 is not the best thing for our program in the long run!


Agree with everything you said and for once I have nothing to add.

[LosAngelesSooner]

Stop the "this'll hurt our recruiting nonsense." Especially the bunk about it hurting us if we don't play Texas every year.

Look, regardless of whichever conference we do or do not go into, here's the facts.

Going to the SEC will NOT help us in recruiting at all, but it won't hurt us, either. All the SEC states are LOCKED UP and have been for 100 years. All those HS coaches went to SEC schools and the infamous dirty booster money has each of those pipelines rock solid to their respective terminal schools. We ain't gettin' in to any of them and will still only get the occasional steal as we do now.

We are the premier school of northern Texas. Period. Play Texas or not, the DFW area is OU's, not UT's. We don't get a ton of kids from south Texas as it is, but we will still continue to get the occasional steal as before, with or without Texas.

A&M moving to the SEC does more harm to UT than it does to us. Many of the south Texas recruits will see this as a chance to get national exposure that they wouldn't get at Texas A&M before, when they were in the Big 12 and still in UT's shadow. This frees them up AND pisses off UT because of it. Suddenly they'll be BATTLING for south Texas recruits against a MUCH stronger A&M. And the recruits for A&M will see earlier playing time than they would at UT, so there's that, too. But it won't cut into us because of the above stated reasons.

Finally, we already cherry pick the West and this will only amplify that. Now we'll have even MORE reasons for SoCal recruits to come play for us. Their mommas and poppas and grammies and grampies will be able to watch them play LIVE, every year. We'll get stronger in Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico and our recruiting base will stretch out and deepen. We'll still have the state of Oklahoma on lockdown, have even BETTER pull in Kansas and Missouri (unless Mizzou goes to the SEC, but if they go to the Big East, we'll OWN them).

Our Oklahoma and Texas recruits will STILL be able to have THEIR families watch them play at home in OU all season as well, so we won't lose them for that, either.

And as for "East Coast Bias" and "better TV exposure on the East and in the SEC," all I can say is...WHUH?! Dudes, Fox Sports is about to launch it's own ESPN killer Sports Network. THAT'S WHY, if you read ANYTHING on ESPN about conference expansion and OU to the PAC, you'll notice that they have a prevailingly NEGATIVE tone. Because the PAC is going to FOX SPORTS and it's going to give them a MASSIVE amount of clout in BIG tv markets. We'll get more, bigger, better exposure in the PAC than we will in the SEC. And in the PAC we'll be heralded as "the premier school with football tradition" along with ONLY USC. (that's right, Texas...you've got a lot of money and people, but WE are the winning program with the championships and All Americans)

ESPN does NOT want OU moving out west. And they REALLY don't want to lose Texas, either, because that'll cost 'em their Longhorn Network. That's why you'll notice that ESPN is the only network pushing the "Texas going independent" storyline.

There are more benefits to going west for OU than there are going to the SEC. Period. We won't LOSE anything if we go to the SEC, but we won't gain a THING.

Best case scenarios are that the Big 12 stays intact but gains some magical premier schools (read: NOT Houston, Rice, SMU, BYU, etc), which AIN'T gonna happen, or we go to the PAC.

Pretty girls and purdy stadiums and fried food be damned. Those are the things that are really factoring in to all this.

Oh, and the PAC has some damned pretty girls and purdy stadiums, by the way. And some tradition. And some history. And some rabid fans. Fried food? Not so much, but hey...maybe some of you guys'll lose some weight. ;)

[SoonerAtKU]

Beach bunnies don't pound a fifth of Makers and go to football games....southern belles do!

Beach Bunnies don't down a dozen glazed and four biscuits with sausage gravy before hitting a game either.

[LosAngelesSooner]

Beach bunnies don't pound a fifth of Makers and go to football games....southern belles do!And then at about 23 years old they get married, chop their hair off, pop out a few babies and get fat.

Yeah...I'll keep my hot, single, vegetarian, pilates instructors that are freakin' EVERYWHERE out here and cry myself to sleep with the fact that I'm stuck with it. ;)

[silverwheels]

Beach Bunnies don't down a dozen glazed and four biscuits with sausage gravy before hitting a game either.

Heh.

[LosAngelesSooner]

Oh, and stop with the whole "we've got more in common with the South than we do the West." That's bullbutter. Maybe in political ideology, but that's about it.

1) We're a cowboy state. We have ranchers and rodeos. The biggest rodeos are held in Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California. NOT in Louisiana, Floria, Georgia, etc.

2) There's just as much religion out here. And conservatism. Don't let the bright liberal lights of San Fran and LA blind you. Sacramento, the WHOLE Inland Empire, San Diego, Phoenix, Nevada, Orange County, etc...are FILLED with churches, Republicans and big box stores. You'll feel right at home.

3) The Okies went WEST, not East. There's a TON of us out here. Back East? Notsomuch. On game day you'll see a TON of OU and UT cars driving around with their flags on their antennas. Shoot...the USC fans hate me when I drive Boomer, my red jeep that's covered with OU swag, around LA on gameday.

[JiminyChristmas]

Stop the "this'll hurt our recruiting nonsense." Especially the bunk about it hurting us if we don't play Texas every year.

Look, regardless of whichever conference we do or do not go into, here's the facts.

Going to the SEC will NOT help us in recruiting at all, but it won't hurt us, either. All the SEC states are LOCKED UP and have been for 100 years. All those HS coaches went to SEC schools and the infamous dirty booster money has each of those pipelines rock solid to their respective terminal schools. We ain't gettin' in to any of them and will still only get the occasional steal as we do now.

We are the premier school of northern Texas. Period. Play Texas or not, the DFW area is OU's, not UT's. We don't get a ton of kids from south Texas as it is, but we will still continue to get the occasional steal as before, with or without Texas.

A&M moving to the SEC does more harm to UT than it does to us. Many of the south Texas recruits will see this as a chance to get national exposure that they wouldn't get at Texas. And earlier playing time. But it won't cut into us because of the above stated reasons.

Finally, we already cherry pick the West and this will only amplify that. Now we'll have even MORE reasons for SoCal recruits to come play for us. Their mommas and poppas and grammies and grampies will be able to watch them play LIVE, every year. We'll get stronger in Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico and our recruiting base will stretch out and deepen. We'll still have the state of Oklahoma on lockdown, have even BETTER pull in Kansas and Missouri (unless Mizzou goes to the SEC, but if they go to the Big East, we'll OWN them).

And as for "East Coast Bias" and "better TV exposure on the East and in the SEC," all I can say is...WHUH?! Dudes, Fox Sports is about to launch it's own ESPN killer Sports Network. THAT'S WHY, if you read ANYTHING on ESPN about conference expansion and OU to the PAC, you'll notice that they have a prevailingly NEGATIVE tone. Because the PAC is going to FOX SPORTS and it's going to give them a MASSIVE amount of clout in BIG tv markets. We'll get more, bigger, better exposure in the PAC than we will in the SEC. And in the PAC we'll be heralded as "the premier school with football tradition" along with ONLY USC. (that's right, Texas...you've got a lot of money and people, but WE are the winning program with the championships and All Americans)

ESPN does NOT want OU moving out west. And they REALLY don't want to lose Texas, either, because that'll cost 'em their Longhorn Network. That's why you'll notice that ESPN is the only network pushing the "Texas going independent" storyline.

There are more benefits to going west for OU than there are going to the SEC. Period. We won't LOSE anything if we go to the SEC, but we won't gain a THING.

Best case scenarios are that the Big 12 stays intact but gains some magical premier schools (read: NOT Houston, Rice, SMU, BYU, etc), which AIN'T gonna happen, or we go to the PAC.

Pretty girls and purdy stadiums and fried food be damned. Those are the things that are really factoring in to all this.

Oh, and the PAC has some damned pretty girls and purdy stadiums, by the way. And some tradition. And some history. And some rabid fans. Fried food? Not so much, but hey...maybe some of you guys'll lose some weight. ;)

Given that you are LosAngelesSooner, I can understand your leaning toward the PAC and I don't disagree with much of what you said. I do disagree though with the thought that going to the SEC will not help us in recruiting. I think it would. We recruit nationally. To have that feather in our cap of saying "come to OU, one of the best football programs in America, and play in the best conference in America" would get us some kids that we have not gotten in the past.

[LosAngelesSooner]

And then at about 23 years old they get married, chop their hair off, pop out a few babies and get fat.

Yeah...I'll keep my hot, single, vegetarian, pilates instructors that are freakin' EVERYWHERE out here and cry myself to sleep with the fact that I'm stuck with it. ;)I had to bust my OWN chops for this post because, let's be realistic...I'm getting older and I'm getting married. So the only way I'm "stuck with" the girls described above is when I almost get into an accident as I drive by their pilates studio and see them working. :)

[LosAngelesSooner]

Given that you are LosAngelesSooner, I can understand your leaning toward the PAC and I don't disagree with much of what you said. I do disagree though with the thought that going to the SEC will not help us in recruiting. I think it would. We recruit nationally. To have that feather in our cap of saying "come to OU, one of the best football programs in America, and play in the best conference in America" would get us some kids that we have not gotten in the past.a) don't forget that only 4 years ago people were calling the Big 12 the "Best Conference in America."
b) We DO recruit nationally. We cherry pick occasional steals from other states, but the preponderance of our recruits come from home, as I said, and this won't change. But we won't GAIN any new inroads to the SEC HS's, and we WILL in SoCal.
c) If we move to the PAC, and ESPECIALLY if UT moves with us, the Pac will arguably be the best conference in America. And Fox Sports will spin up their PR machine to pump out that exact message just as ESPN has been trying to brainwash us into believing about the SEC. Are they REALLY that clearly and far the best? Uhm...did you SEE Auburn play against Utah State? Yeah...
d) Most of the "Go to the SEC" peeps on this thread are people who LIVE in the SEC or root for SEC teams. Sabanball, etc? So my geographic location is a moot point. However at least I'm a Sooner fan, whereas Sabanball is an Alabama fan. ;)

[prrriiide]

Okies went WEST, not East. There's a TON of us out here. Back East? Notsomuch.

Care to place a bet on that? There is a huge number of OU fans in Knoxville. Yes...Knoxville. Home of the original UT. One of the faces of SEC sports. On a percentage basis, there are probably as many OU fans in Knoxville as LA, if not more.

[C&CDean]

We're ****ing Oklahoma. It doesn't matter where we go, we're going to recruit well. Besides, recruiting is extremely overrated. Getting good players that want to be a Sooner and beat the ever-lovin' dog mung outta Texas is not overrated. Our presence is very much national. If we can get over the top and win another NC, we can recruit any ****ing place we want. Hell, we already do. We can win as many games with California boys as we can with Texas boys. Just as long as the diamond-in-the-rough Okie children like Jason White, Sam Bradford, Ryan Broyles, etc. still come to OU we'll be fine.

[Lott's Bandana]

CEO's (OU) want to take charge of a company with a high growth potential. (PAC)

They don't want to replace a Steve Jobs at Apple. (SEC)


(a silly analogy, but I had fun with it)

[Lott's Bandana]

We're ****ing Oklahoma. It doesn't matter where we go, we're going to recruit well. Besides, recruiting is extremely overrated....


Next Intro Video ^this^.

[badger]

http://i51.tinypic.com/2evfg2f.jpg

Oh, and our starting quarterback is from New Mexico :D

[SCSooner71]

Id rather see Oklahoma join the sec. I live in south carolina so that would be shorter trips for me for road games. Geographically I think it makes better sense for OU to join the sec rather than the pac 12.

[badger]

I live in south carolina

http://i55.tinypic.com/34qurde.jpg

Anyone else? :D

[silverwheels]

Once OU is no longer in the Big 12, geography goes out the window and it makes little difference whether it's the Pac-12 or SEC. Travel will be worse no matter what and road games for Oklahoma natives become all-weekend affairs at most locations. Then it just matters where the Sooners end up to those who live out of state. Either way, it evens out.

[soonerboomer93]

Agree with everything you said and for once I have nothing to add.

This is not something to be bragging about. Taking football advice from him is like taking sex advice from sicem

[LosAngelesSooner]

Care to place a bet on that? There is a huge number of OU fans in Knoxville. Yes...Knoxville. Home of the original UT. One of the faces of SEC sports. On a percentage basis, there are probably as many OU fans in Knoxville as LA, if not more.No way. Look up the "Sooner Fan Club of Southern California" and you'll find just how freakin' big it is.

Of course, you said on a percentage basis...and considering that the greater LA area has 12+ million people alone, we may both be right. Who knows.

Regardless, SoCal easily has more Sooner fans than Knoxville, as I originally stated.

[OklahomaTuba]

lol


Baylor was among six Big 12 schools that will not sign a waiver to allow Texas A&M to go to the Southeastern Conference following a meeting of the Big 12 presidents Wednesday afternoon, a source close to Baylor told the Tribune-Herald.The other schools were Kansas, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Missouri.

If Oklahoma reaffirms its commitment to the Big 12, the schools are expected to sign the waiver that would allow the Aggies to go to the SEC without any legal action. The Sooners, who are reportedly considering a move to the Pac-12, are expected to make their decision within the next two weeks.
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/breakingnews/Big-12-school-threatens-legal-action-as-SEC-invites-Texas-AM-to-join-league.html

[wx5cjk]

I know this is my first post and all and normally people don't start clicking links on people with one post, this article is from OU's student newspaper. http://oudaily.com/news/2011/sep/07/sooners-being-forced-make-decision-about-big-12s-f/ This just got super interesting....