Where is OU Going To Go?

[Brick Sharthouse]

Queen Boren would probably love to go to the B1G but that would be a death knell. PAC12 wouldn't take OU last time around because OU insisted on taking OSU with them. PAC12 would take OU alone in an instant and would love to have UT as well. UT wouldn't be able to bring the LHN with them so that would have to be settled. If OU doesn't cut OSU loose their options are quite limited.

 

[Iceman]

Academics, and the Big 10 has no members who are not members of the Association of American Universities, the research group. OU is not a member of the AAU. Nebraska has lost their membership in AAU, but they were a member when they went to the Big 10.

Oh, I know, understand, and get it. We've had 6,000 threads on this subject in the last 2 weeks. So, I've started saving my time by not repeating details everyone knows.

 

[Iceman]

OU in the Pac just does not seem like a culture fit at all.
Why would any Texas or South and Midwest recruits want to play out west two time zones away with no natural regional rivals to develop. Very tough sell to regional recruits to get excited about playing to half empty laid back fan bases.

Why would OU take themselves out of prime time (college football) television audiences in order to play out west?
I hope and pray that Texas never, ever considers the Pac as a landing place. That would kill us in my opinion. I would much rather stay in the Big12 than do that.

College football works best within a regional dimension that helps create rivalries between athletes and rivalries among the fan base. I heard a story about an overheard conversation at the Bastrop Buccee's after the aggie/Auburn game that Auburn won. This female ag was complaining about getting beat by a team and a fanbase that she knows nothing about. Her apparent comment was that she would rather get beat by teams that she knows and cares about than some team she has no history with. I think she's actually on to something there and that sentiment activates the greatness of college football.

Having nothing in common with the Pac and their huge geographical and cultural differences would dilute our brand and our cache and even more so for the Sooners.

I 100% agree with your 3rd paragraph. Conferences should be geographically sensible. The Pac-12 is the only current conference that, IMO, is sensible. The SEC jumped the shark when they added A&M, Missouri, and Arkansas. The same for the Big Ten adding Nebraska, Rutgers, and Maryland. The same for the ACC adding Syracuse, Boston College, Pitt, and Louisville. The same for the Big XII adding West Virginia.

That's why I liked the old Big XII. I thought it was a good blend of the SW and plains. IMO, culturally, the Big XII should be some combination of: Texas, A&M, Tech, Baylor, TCU, Rice, Houston, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, K-State, Missouri, and Nebraska..........possibly LSU. If you had......

South:
* Texas
* A&M
* Arkansas
* Texas Tech
* Baylor
* LSU

North:
* Oklahoma
* Oklahoma St
* Nebraska
* TCU
* Kansas
* Missouri

.......that's a geographically sensible conference, with natural rivalries. 0.00% chance of happening though.

College sports need to go back to the drawing board, create an institution to oversee them that actually has authority (ala the commissioner's office in the NFL), and divide up into 8 conferences of 9 geographically sensible team, which would leave enough OOC games to maintain any rivalries lost in the division. The winner of each conference makes the playoffs. Simple as that.

 

[Iceman]

Why would OU take themselves out of prime time (college football) television audiences in order to play out west?

That is actually incorrect. I did research on this very subject last off season. I looked back at the start time for every game the Pac-12 played against a CST or EST opponent in which the Pac-12 controlled the media rights. 2:30 pm was the most common kickoff time, with a strong showing of 11 am and 5 pm games. There was only one game over a 5 year period that had a kickoff past 7 pm, and very few that kicked off past 5 pm. And if I remember correctly, that late kick game was a Thursday night ESPN game.

I get where this fear comes from, but this just is not accurate.

Here are the 2014 OOC Pac-12 games vs P5 opponents played at Pac-12 stadiums (CST):

11:00 am - UCLA vs Virginia
2:30 pm - Utah vs Michigan
2:30 pm - USC vs Notre Dame
2:30 pm - Stanford vs Notre Dame
2:30 pm - ASU vs Notre Dame
2:30 pm - Cal vs Northwestern
3:00 pm - Washington vs Illinois
5:30 pm - Oregon vs Michigan State
7:00 pm - UCLA vs Texas
7:00 pm - USC vs Boston College
9:00 pm - Wash State vs Rutgers on Thursday night

Notice that all of the Saturday start times are great start times. And, the 7pm games were aired at the same time ESPN airs their SEC Game of the Week. The Thursday night game is the only exception, but they only lost about 300 Rutgers fans b/c of the late showing. Notice the UVA kick time. It was 9 AM in LA.

 

[Travis Galey]

That is actually incorrect. I did research on this very subject last off season. I looked back at the start time for every game the Pac-12 played against a CST or EST opponent in which the Pac-12 controlled the media rights. 2:30 pm was the most common kickoff time, with a strong showing of 11 am and 5 pm games. There was only one game over a 5 year period that had a kickoff past 7 pm, and very few that kicked off past 5 pm. And if I remember correctly, that late kick game was a Thursday night ESPN game.

I get where this fear comes from, but this just is not accurate.

Here are the 2014 OOC Pac-12 games vs P5 opponents played at Pac-12 stadiums (CST):

11:00 am - UCLA vs Virginia
2:30 pm - Utah vs Michigan
2:30 pm - USC vs Notre Dame
2:30 pm - Stanford vs Notre Dame
2:30 pm - ASU vs Notre Dame
2:30 pm - Cal vs Northwestern
3:00 pm - Washington vs Illinois
5:30 pm - Oregon vs Michigan State
7:00 pm - UCLA vs Texas (IN DALLAS)
7:00 pm - USC vs Boston College
9:00 pm - Wash State vs Rutgers on Thursday night

Notice that all of the Saturday start times are great start times. And, the 7pm games were aired at the same time ESPN airs their SEC Game of the Week. The Thursday night game is the only exception, but they only lost about 300 Rutgers fans b/c of the late showing. Notice the UVA kick time. It was 9 AM in LA.

Not to pick knits here (because I agree with your overall point), but the highlighted Pac-12 games were actually played on the road, including the UCLA vs. Virginia game (which did kick off early in the morning on the west coast).

 

[Iceman]

Not to pick knits here (because I agree with your overall point), but the highlighted Pac-12 games were actually played on the road, including the UCLA vs. Virginia game (which did kick off early in the morning on the west coast).

Yeah, I forgot to filter for Pac-12 home games. Either way, they're all played at normal times. It's the PST vs PST/MST games that get late slots.

 

[Dr. Leo Marvin]

I 100% agree with your 3rd paragraph. Conferences should be geographically sensible. The Pac-12 is the only current conference that, IMO, is sensible. The SEC jumped the shark when they added A&M, Missouri, and Arkansas. The same for the Big Ten adding Nebraska, Rutgers, and Maryland. The same for the ACC adding Syracuse, Boston College, Pitt, and Louisville. The same for the Big XII adding West Virginia.

That's why I liked the old Big XII. I thought it was a good blend of the SW and plains. IMO, culturally, the Big XII should be some combination of: Texas, A&M, Tech, Baylor, TCU, Rice, Houston, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, K-State, Missouri, and Nebraska..........possibly LSU. If you had......

South:
* Texas
* A&M
* Arkansas
* Texas Tech
* Baylor
* LSU

North:
* Oklahoma
* Oklahoma St
* Nebraska
* TCU
* Kansas
* Missouri

.......that's a geographically sensible conference, with natural rivalries. 0.00% chance of happening though.

College sports need to go back to the drawing board, create an institution to oversee them that actually has authority (ala the commissioner's office in the NFL), and divide up into 8 conferences of 9 geographically sensible team, which would leave enough OOC games to maintain any rivalries lost in the division. The winner of each conference makes the playoffs. Simple as that.

I nominate you for commissioner.

 

[Not Ketch]

I

South:
* Texas
* A&M
* Arkansas
* Texas Tech
* Baylor
* LSU

North:
* Oklahoma
* Oklahoma St
* Nebraska
* TCU
* Kansas
* Missouri

......

This would never happen, but what a great conference this would be.


It hasn't been that long ago that the BIg XII South was considered the very best in college football.

 

[Iceman]

This would never happen, but what a great conference this would be.


It hasn't been that long ago that the BIg XII South was considered the very best in college football.

That's what it should have been to begin with. But, allegiances to dead weight Big 8 teams, as well as arrogance towards both LSU (who was interested in the Big XII) and Arkansas (who could have been coaxed in), kept what should have been from never being. Dang shame though. Can you imagine being in a conference with Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.......along with hated rivals like A&M and Arkansas? Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

 

[Not Ketch]

Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

Could not have said it better.

 

[thehornluva]

I don't believe the state have the rights to the GOR for Baylor or TCU, since they are private schools.

interesting - state institutions could conceivably have a sovereign immunity type defense. but baylor and tcu would not.

 

[72Horn]

I know, I know...it's another realignment thread. But I've been thinking quite a bit about where OU would go if they left the Big XII (which I maintain is Boren's ultimate goal). I still believe he probably would love the Big Ten, but I don't think the B1G would be too keen on that. Boren (and Stoops) have been highly critical of the SEC which makes me think they're out. The ACC is a possibility and I don't have a great reason to write them off other than it's a conference with a shaky history that has always been more dedicated to basketball than football and is like a step-brother to the SEC where the two footprints overlap. So...I've decided the Pac-12 is the most likely landing spot. I know they turned down ou when they Sooners tried to make the move in the past but I think this time would be different.

First, some background. The Pac-12 decided to go it alone with their tv network (wholly owned by the conference) and they have struggled to get carriage. Cable and satellite providers have very little incentive to pay the Pac-12 to carry their network. There's a variety of reasons for this. First, many Pac-12 schools have tepid fan bases who aren't demanding the network because they don't care to watch Oregon State play Portland State in football or see women's basketball and volleyball. Second, the Pac-12 doesn't have leverage. ESPN owns the LHN and the SEC Network. They can demand those two get on the provider's lineups or else they will charge much more for ESPN (which is an in-demand network).

Now, with those problems in place (and they are big, big problems for the conference right now), the Pac-12 has to figure out how to solve these issues. There's nothing they can do about the first one. The second one has a few solutions. They could sell a stake of the network to a partner (Fox Sports or ESPN). With Fox Sports and ESPN applying pressure, they would surely get more carriage with cable and satellite providers. Another solution would be to skip the cable and satellite providers altogether and begin to sell their network direct to consumers via online streaming. The downside of this is that they wouldn't making any money from carriage companies (that pay cable channels a set fee per subscriber regardless of any ratings). The upside is any money they do make is all profit since they own the network.

For either of those solutions to work, the Pac-12 needs more fan interest. In steps OU which has good ratings and would gin up more interest among fan bases within the Pac-12. OU playing USC would be big ratings. Same with Stanford, Oregon and to lesser extents UCLA and Arizona State. Now these games would likely be on broadcast television...but even that benefits the conference because they would get to renew their tier 1 & 2 tv contracts. OU playing Oregon State, Washington State, Utah, Colorado, etc... could end up on the network which again would create more demand and more demand equals more carriage on cable and satellite providers or via online streaming.

Finally, if OU were to leap to the Pac-12 then that would effectively kill off the Big XII. If there's no Big XII then UT is up for grabs and the Pac-12 would have to like its chances to land Texas...which is the whale in the realignment game.

The SEC wouldn't take them. The Big 10 might take them - if you'll take Nebraska, you're not too worried about market density.

 

[72Horn]

Oklahoma City is the 43rd largest market and Tulsa is the 60th. To put that in perspective, Austin is 40th. But OU's ratings aren't just limited to the state of Oklahoma. They also pull in big ratings in Dallas (the 5th largest market), Wichita, KS (65th DMA) and decent ratings in Topeka, KS (135th DMA).

I think their Dallas ratings would fold if they left the conference. There would be less Dallas interest in the SEC or the Bid 10 than there was in the Big 8.