Where is OU Going To Go?

[Travis Galey]

Not in a big state viewership wise. Would be a bold move for them.

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).

 

[LearnedHat]

There are a large group of people who believe the grant of rights is not actually legal due to... reasons. The problem is that contesting it in court is literally gambling with hundreds of millions of dollars. No AD or president is going to run that risk in order to move conferences so that they can maybe earn an extra couple million a year.

OU, Texas, and Kansas are likely safe in the event the Big XII folds. There is zero chance that these schools will not find a landing spot elsewhere. Sure there are a lot of hypothetical horror stories but they barely exist in the realm of possibility. Right now, Texas is absolutely in the most advantageous position for Texas. LHN is an ace in the hole that any school would likely trade places with us for.

what's the nutshell on the legality of the GOR?

 

[Jeffreyb31]

Texas and OU need to pack their bags and head to the Big10

Uhhhh... NO.

 

[Ignatius J Reilly]

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).

Austin is not Texas's market. We know this.

OU is a big state school, but based on a strategic maneuver to gain viewership, they in my opinion would not be the most coveted school out there.

 

[Armadillo Slim]

they are not going anywhere and they still suck. David Boren can talk all he wants but its just not going to happen.

unless the conferences suddenly come apart at the seams nothing is going to happen for awhile. GOR and Okie Lite will see to that.

now can we change the discussion?

 

[HenauderTidzov]

OU is not going to the Big-10. Only members of the Association of American Universities (AAU) are accepted. OU is not a member.
.

 

[SouthAustinHorn]

I wouldn't write off the SEC that quickly, but I think what they really want is to leverage Texas into dropping the LHN and then going with OU (along with OSU and Tech) to the Pac.

 

[Travis Galey]

Austin is not Texas's market. We know this.

OU is a big state school, but based on a strategic maneuver to gain viewership, they in my opinion would not be the most coveted school out there.

What do you mean Austin is not Texas's market?

 

[Travis Galey]

they are not going anywhere and they still suck. David Boren can talk all he wants but its just not going to happen.

unless the conferences suddenly come apart at the seams nothing is going to happen for awhile. GOR and Okie Lite will see to that.

now can we change the discussion?

OU definitely still sucks, on that we can agree. But as long as Boren keeps talking then the threat of them leaving is still on the table and it will continue to be a topic of discussion.

 

[radmd]

Actually, if OU didn't have to drag OSU along, they could go anywhere. It would be interesting to see if they could go somewhere with Texas as a partner, but don't know how their legislators would act to that.

 

[Ignatius J Reilly]

What do you mean Austin is not Texas's market?

Because the whole state of Texas and many strong pockets across the nation are Texas's market. Austin is a tiny sliver of the audience that Texas brings in.

 

[reuterrat]

what's the nutshell on the legality of the GOR?

Idk, something to do with a public institution rights or something. I really don't think any lawyers have weighed in on the subject so I haven't really taken those comments too seriously, but many believe it or have to believe it in order for these conversations to continue. Otherwise the GOR shuts down all of this talk until 2025

 

[Travis Galey]

Because the whole state of Texas and many strong pockets across the nation are Texas's market. Austin is a tiny sliver of the audience that Texas brings in.

Oh. I see what you're saying. Austin isn't the only tv market for UT. Correct.

 

[benflr]

OU's ultimate goal is twofold:
1) get money because they are really hurting
2) divest Texas of any advantage including LHN
3) achieve goal # 1 by perpetrating goal # 2.

 

[Travis Galey]

what's the nutshell on the legality of the GOR?

Idk, something to do with a public institution. I really don't think any lawyers have weighed in on the subject so I haven't really taken those comments too seriously, but many believe it or have to believe it in order for these conversations to continue. Otherwise the GOR shuts down all of this talk until 2025

I think that's the general gist of the argument. The tv rights don't actually belong to the school to sign away, they belong to the state and therefore if someone (the Big XII) tried to sue to get those rights back they wouldn't be able to because it belongs to the state government.

Plus, it's a contract which means it's made to be broken and damages can be negotiated/litigated down. But I'm not a lawyer either so I can't say one way or the other.

 

[TexasJiggerNaut]

We should just replace them with New Mexico in the Big 12. An even easier B12 to get through, to reach the 8 team playoff system coming in near future.

 

[reuterrat]

I think that's the general gist of the argument. The tv rights don't actually belong to the school to sign away, they belong to the state and therefore if someone (the Big XII) tried to sue to get those rights back they wouldn't be able to because it belongs to the state government.

Plus, it's a contract which means it's made to be broken and damages can be negotiated/litigated down. But I'm not a lawyer either so I can't say one way or the other.

obviously in a legal battle the actual damages could be mitigated, but like I said, we are talking about risking hundreds of millions to gain a couple million per year, plus any move would likely result in the loss of LHN. The logistics make absolutely no sense no matter how you slice it, but these conversations will continue despite all that

 

[kenfranz]

Do you live in Houston? Because college football fans in Houston follow them when they are winning.

I live inHiuston and maybe one out of ten college football fans care what UH football is doing.

 

[Travis Galey]

obviously in a legal battle the actual damages could be mitigated, but like I said, we are talking about risking hundreds of millions to gain a couple million per year, plus any move would likely result in the loss of LHN. The logistics make absolutely no sense no matter how you slice it, but these conversations will continue despite all that

Well to be clear, we're talking about OU leaving so the loss of the LHN is irrelevant.

 

[Type O]

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

they are not going anywhere and they still suck. David Boren can talk all he wants but its just not going to happen.

unless the conferences suddenly come apart at the seams nothing is going to happen for awhile. GOR and Okie Lite will see to that.

now can we change the discussion?

Please stop with this angst. Blowu/OSU go no where without Texas, despite anything Boren The Blowhard might say. Take that as "level 2" and move on....nothing to see here.

 

[Arrogant Horn]

This topic is 100% conjecture at this point and then there's the little question of the grant of rights. I get that it's fun to dream, but there is nothing tangible that says this is even close to happening in the next 8-10 years. Yet it keeps coming up.

Bring on the pods!

 

[ball911]

I live inHiuston and maybe one out of ten college football fans care what UH football is doing.

Fair enough....maybe my friends are just more into college football generally than yours...I don't know.

 

[Black Scholes]

Power play. OU is not jockeying to leave.

We should be though.

 

[Iceman]

If OU left, I think the best fit is the Big Ten. But, I don't imagine the Big Ten being interested b/c of OU's academics.

 

[BOLIO]

Everyone saying ou would never leave are the same ones who said eATMe would not be allowed to leave for the sec.

 

[FriscoWolf]

My guess is that OU probably wants to head to the Pac 12 with Texas, OSU and KS. Probably need to add Tech. One it will improve recruiting out West. Two it will put Baylor and TCU who are currently beating them for recruits in Texas to a lesser conference.

 

[SouthAustinHorn]

Power play. OU is not jockeying to leave.

We should be though.

Not to leave alone anyway, but I do think they would like to leave for the Pac. They recruit a bunch out there. And everyone knows the Big12 is sinking.

 

[GetOffMyDitka]

I used to believe the exact same way that @Grey_Gordon does now. He may be right and I may be wrong? I have tweaked my theory in the last couple of weeks, since I've been watching this whole thing really closely for years:

1. I once believed that Boren was setting OU up for a move to the SEC or B1G by making these demands that I thought were unrealistic. Now I believe that Boren is actually in support of OU staying in the B12 but he is getting heat from BMD and Regents to move OU to the SEC/B1G. He then tells them to give him the opportunity to accomplish three things to stabilize the B12 by getting expansion, a CCG and a B12 Network. Boren is the last President standing from the original B12 presidents which makes the B12 sentimental to him. I believe that he has told the rest of the B12 that they need to iron these issues out because once Boren step down (which is soon) the Regents and BMDs at OU will put in place an OU President that will move OU out of the B12. This is why Boren has gotten traction on his agenda items and also has the B12 trying to make progress on these agenda items by the end of summer.

2. Do not think of conference expansion as what schools fit best with what conferences, this is how I used to think of it also. For example, OU doesn't belong in the B1G due to academics. Instead think of the college football landscape for expansion from the Conference's perspective. The B12 has very little choices for expansion because no P5 school is going to jump at joining an unstable conference like the B12. Thus the B12 has to look at Group of 5 schools like Cincy, UConn, Memphis, USF, UCF, etc which truly aren't great choices for the B12.

Now look at the B1G conference (if it's looking to expand), which won't attract any school in the P5 except the B12 schools due to the B12's instability. This means that the B1G's top choices are Texas, OU and Kansas in that order followed by other B12 schools. The B1G knows that they can't get Texas due to the LHN which makes Texas content in the B12. That leaves OU and then Kansas as the next-best candidate to expand. When you compare these schools to the rest of the B12 schools and the Group of 5 schools, OU is probably their best option. You can substitute the B1G in this scenario for the SEC, ACC, and the PAC12.

From the school's perspective it will be about getting enough money to successfully compete with other schools for the CFPs and staying in a P5 conference.

 

[skylakehorn]

Nowhere. Just ignore the whine. It's all about their recruiting class not going like they wanted it to.

 

[great horndini]

If OU can't get UT to go along with either of those, then OU will go to the SEC with OSU.
That would send UT and Kansas to the B1G as a two team package.

And if OU runs off and hides, then Arkansas or Notre Dame or Somebody would play UT the first Saturday of every October in the Cotton Bowl. The seats would be split at the 50 yard line, but UT would get all of both end zones.

 

[Hubhorn]

OU is not going to the Big-10. Only members of the Association of American Universities (AAU) are accepted. OU is not a member.
.

This. Nebraska is the only member of the Big 10 that is not a member of AAU, and they were a member when the Big 10 accepted them. I have read that the Big 10 would like to kick Nebraska out because they are not a member of AAU anymore.

 

[Hubhorn]

I think that's the general gist of the argument. The tv rights don't actually belong to the school to sign away, they belong to the state and therefore if someone (the Big XII) tried to sue to get those rights back they wouldn't be able to because it belongs to the state government.

Plus, it's a contract which means it's made to be broken and damages can be negotiated/litigated down. But I'm not a lawyer either so I can't say one way or the other.

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

 

[Hubhorn]

If OU left, I think the best fit is the Big Ten. But, I don't imagine the Big Ten being interested b/c of OU's academics.

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.

 

[goodHorn]

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.

 

[bamahorn]

It is important to consider what division we want to play in instead of what conference as this division of 8 teams will in reality become our "conference".