Your Morning Conference Realignment Update

((ht: statesman.com))

Well, the next dominos to fall in the "Galactic Realignment" of College Football should fall if not today (Monday), then sometime in the next couple of days.

We, along with the rest of the universe, reported both Texas and Oklahoma regents would be meeting today to discuss their options. Those options, at least from their perspective got a bit clearer this weekend when Pitt and Syracuse committed to the ACC.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, substantive talks between Texas and others with the Pac-12 occurred this weekend. Made more convenient due to Texas playing UCLA in Los Angeles. This despite Pac-12 commish Larry Scott saying just last week, "We're happy where we are". And we will say, these schools are coming to the Pac-12, not the other way around.

Statesman reporter Kirk Bohls reports Texas would prefer to stay in the Big 12, but that may not be possible.

Read the entire story RIGHT HERE

What it appears will happen is this: Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Texas Tech and Texas appear all but certain to head to the Pac-12. Scott is doing his best to try and accommodate/fold in, the Longhorn Network. We are reasonably certain, that will work out.

The only question really is when?

In light of this weekends moves, we expect this all to go down this week. There has been speculation that the Big 12 will try and absorb some schools from another conference. (The Big East football schools?).

Initially, we thought it would be the Big East and ACC who would have to combine to make their own super-conference, we don't think that now. It will end up being the remnants of the Big 12 combined with the Big East. It has to be. There's no other choice for any of the remaining schools to survive in the new landscape.

There are still questions out there. There is no guarantee Missouri or Kansas will sit for a combined conference. Though they certainly could and be just fine.

The other wild card is West Virginia. There's been a lot of speculation they want in the SEC. In a bad way. They question is: "Does the SEC want them?". And really, nobody knows the answer to that.

A Sports-Talk radio host in Pittsburgh tweeted Sunday that the Mountaineers have already sent their paperwork to the SEC. And the interest is mutual.

We could go on forever discussing the repercussions of all this. There are a lot of teams and a lot of people who are anxiously awaiting the fallout. The seismic shift is coming and while Saturday's announcement was big and in some ways, very surprising, it won't be the biggest. That friends, is a rose that has yet to be delivered.

We don't watch this show, though the Lovely Bride does, and don't totally understand this, but it is the best analogy would could think of visually to go along with this story, because these schools and conferences are essentially doing the same thing.

Change in the air: Oklahoma regents talk realignment on Monday

((ht: newsok.com))

Could the conference realignment dominoes start falling on Monday? It's possible.

According to multiple published reports, the University of Oklahoma board of regents will meet on Monday and one of the topics of discussion: Conference realignment. Word is they will try and figure out which conference situation is best for them.

Read the story from NewsOK.com RIGHT HERE

As most of you know, despite Texas A&M handing withdrawl papers to the Big 12/10, the chips won't fall...or move in any form until Oklahoma does something.

A&M can't do anything due to the SEC's no legal action stipulation. One brought on by most of the remaining Big 12 teams to protect themselves. They've threatened to file a suit to stop them from moving. Oklahoma didn't make that threat. 

The general consensus is that Oklahoma will go to the Pac12, despite commissioner Larry Scott saying they aren't "Looking" to do anything. Oklahoma State will go with them. That in turn will be the death knell for the Big 12, who'd be left with Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa State. It would be the sad end, to a once proud conference.

We'll spare you are rant as to why this is happening, we agree with OutKickTheCoverage's Clay Travis that ESPN has become the root of all this.

The funny thing is, it all came about due to Texas and their "Longhorn Network" had they not done that, we may not be having this discussion. Now Texas is a "Major" program with limited options. They too can't do anything until Oklahoma decides too. And yes, we join the chorus of pundits who are highly amused at the thought of Texas being placed in the "2nd Class Citizen" category in all of this.

Pac 12 to Oklahoma: Not right now

Pac 12 Logo

((ht: orangebloods.com))

It appears, at least from the perspective of Pac-12 conference commissioner Larry Scott, that conference expansion is not currently on the table.

Scott told reporters at Friday night's Arizona State/Missouri game that he's happy where the Pac-12 is. Though he qualified it by adding if the SEC grew, he'd certainly have to look at keeping up with them.

The esteemed Chip Brown of Orangebloods.com takes it a step further, quoting sources who say that Scott has told Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to cool there heels, they aren't expanding right now.

Which of course, comes on the heels (and reported here as well as other places), of Oklahoma president David Boren saying he expects to make a decision within the next couple of weeks about changing conferences.

Read the Orangebloods.com report...RIGHT HERE

Ok.

Pure and simple, we fully believe this is Scott calling Texas A&M and the SEC's bluff. Without making Oklahoma have to play the bad guy...for now.

If you parse words, Scott only said "Right Now" he didn't say next week, next month or next year. This will happen, it is just a matter of when.

What has happened is nobody wants to be the one everyone blames for the collapse of the Big 12. Texas A&M went all in on the poker game by announcing they are leaving. Oklahoma essentially raised the pot. And yes, that also means Baylor, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State have all said "Call".

So, you can consider your expansion talk on hold--for now. Now we play chicken. We wait to see who blinks first.

With the amount of money involved here--and Oklahoma poised to lose some by the Big 12's proposed equal revenue split. Our money goes on them. And yes, they'll go to the Pac-12.

Pac-12 Has A Multi-Platform Idea, Charles Davis Has Ideas

((HT: PositivePub.com/VoiceAmericaTV))

Something called "The Pac-12 Networks" now exists. There will be a national channel along with six regional offerings: Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Southern California, Arizona and Mountain.

Commish Larry Scott announced the idea at the press junket in New York City and referred to it as "a truly unique, one-of-a-kind initiative to create exposure that's unprecedented."

The Pac-12 partnered with cable companies Comcast, Cox, Time Warner and Bright House to distribute the networks but wholly owns them.

Once the channels launch a year from now, they will broadcast about 850 sporting events a year -- 350 nationally and 500 regionally. Subscribers will also be able to watch games on mobile devices.

Every football and men's basketball game will be televised nationally. The conference already had a 12-year TV contract worth about $3 billion with Fox and ESPN, which will air many of the most high-profile games.

The networks will initially be available to almost 40 million homes... which sounds incredibly ambitious...

Here's Charles Davis with a preview of the season to come...

Pac 12 gets sick amount of money for TV rights

A Pac 12 logo

((ht: san jose mercury news/nytimes.com))

**UPDATED**12:25pm Tuesday--

According to the New York Times, we undercounted in the story below. (We always sucked at math anyway)

The Bell weather of all things newspaper reports the deal is closer to $3 billion than $2.7 for 12 years. But hey, what's a couple mill amongst the billionaire club anyway?

The New York Times story is RIGHT HERE

The league will also apparently create its own network, one they'll have complete ownership of. However the premium games (football and basketball), they'll still rotate between ESPN and FOX.

And yes, the numbers here are still obscene. They dwarf the NHL and are pretty close to...if not are better than the NBA and Major League Baseball deals...

----------------ORIGINAL STORY------------------

The TV rights thing for college sports...is officially crossed into obscene territory.

According to multiple reports, the Pac 12 (former Pac 10) has gotten their TV deal. And it's for a lot of money. Several billion worth of a lot of money. About $2.7 billion to be more specific.

That works out to $225 million a year or about $19 million for each school. (No, I'm not that good at math, I can read stories and punch numbers into a calculator though)

And...get this. Fox and ESPN are sharing the rights.

We don't know exactly how that will play out yet. Partially because commissioner Larry Scott hasn't laid out the details of the deal yet. But we do know that this is the biggest rights deal in College Football history. Bar none. And it scares us to think that the SEC is now being dwarfed by this.

The Pac 12/10 is currently meeting in Phoenix and an announcement is scheduled sometime today. We'll update the details of this story then.