Official realignment thread - SEC formally invites OU and Texas to join the conference in 2025

[Not Sure]

Texas/OU could set off realignment dominoes as early as next week

Orangebloods publisher Geoff Ketchum and I have checked in with multiple sources on Wednesday and asked about Texas’

texas.rivals.com

With all due respect, wasn’t that the same outfit that got just about every realignment prediction completely wrong last time? Like, 100% opposite of what actually happened wrong? If anything, I’d be looking at what these goofs say and predicting the opposite.

 

[Bison]

With all due respect, wasn’t that the same outfit that got just about every realignment prediction completely wrong last time? Like, 100% opposite of what actually happened wrong? If anything, I’d be looking at what these goofs say and predicting the opposite.

Was pretty fluid when they were posting that stuff just like it's pretty fluid right now. Unlike last time, they were not first to report everything this time around.

12 team playoff and NIL are driving things this time around.

 

[Bison]

Just broke a hour ago from a radio guy in the Metroplex:

 

[Bison]

OU and UT would owe $70M each to the Big 12 if they left early.

 

[Kuratz]

Of course this thing would come full circle such that the Buffs end up back in a watered-down Big 12 North sans the only rival that moves the needle. Classic.

I think UT and OU to the SEC would be terrible for the Buffs in the long term. The irrelevance of the PAC has been an insidious process and this only speeds it up. It’s already bordering on being “P5 lite” and adding KSU/Texas Tech/OSU is not improving the situation.

I’m happy the athletes can get their worth now, but I do worry it’ll ruin the specialness college football. Mega-conferences with millionaire 18 year old backup QBs doesn’t interest me.

 

[Not Sure]

Could this lead to two super conferences? The B1G and PAC 12 combine and the SEC and ACC combine? Fewer conferences means fewer interpretations of the rules. Easier management, better negotiation with vendors. Almost certainly easier to administer the NIL landscape. Probably more money for everybody involved, too. Each new conference has 32 teams, total of 64. Would almost certainly have to expand the regular season to a minimum of 14 games with a 16 team playoff.

How this would impact CU is anybody’s guess, but I think that scenario might actually benefit us.

 

[InTheBuff]

Pac 12 should have been more aggressive towards OU and UT years ago when there was a chance.

 

[Creebuzz]

I’m not sure what the best play is for the PAC 12. If you add the Big 12 remnants, it’s probably ok for most of the existing members on the west coast. It’s the mountain schools that may get hosed, but if you go with the four x four pod system, it becomes more tolerable for everyone.

If you pass on expansion, I’d imagine the remaining Big 12 members would cobble together some lesser conference merging with the mountain west or AAC. Not sure that would be good for the pac 12.

 

[WarBuff]

 

[Bison]

Could this lead to two super conferences? The B1G and PAC 12 combine and the SEC and ACC combine? Fewer conferences means fewer interpretations of the rules. Easier management, better negotiation with vendors. Almost certainly easier to administer the NIL landscape. Probably more money for everybody involved, too. Each new conference has 32 teams, total of 64. Would almost certainly have to expand the regular season to a minimum of 14 games with a 16 team playoff.

How this would impact CU is anybody’s guess, but I think that scenario might actually benefit us.

Could happen but I don't think that will happen until the next decade after the upcoming round of new media rights deals expire. At the same time, if two conferences merged, the Grant of Rights from both conferences are null and void.

A mixture of Pac-12 and B1G games...I'm sold.

 

[Johnny Juzang]

A&M and Missouri will be hard no. Only takes 2 more.

 

[BuffBronco]

but if you go with the four x four pod system

the problem with the pod system is how do you work out the two conference championship participants

 

[Bison]

A&M and Missouri will be hard no. Only takes 2 more.

All the legit sources such as Pete Thamel have been saying recently that only A&M would vote no at this point. Mizzou and Arkansas could be two more schools but they are saying the votes are not there to block OU & UT from joining the SEC. Things could change by the hour though.

 

[BerkeleyBuff]

The votes would absolutely be there. I'd bet serious cash that this story leaking is Aggy's last attempt to stir up trouble and keep UT out, because unfortunately they just realized the SEC SEC SEC doesn't care about them and Aggy has now served their ultimate purpose.

 

[Creebuzz]

the problem with the pod system is how do you work out the two conference championship participants

I’m sure you could work out a bunch of tiebreakers to take the top two from the four pods. Having a two division system, with the mountain schools heading to the eastern plains would suck.

 

[Creebuzz]

I’d be negatively recruiting the hell out of the remaining big 12 schools, starting tomorrow. “Baylor may end up in a G5 conference soon, you need to consider that”.

 

[Bison]

The votes would absolutely be there. I'd bet serious cash that this story leaking is Aggy's last attempt to stir up trouble and keep UT out, because unfortunately they just realized the SEC SEC SEC doesn't care about them and Aggy has now served their ultimate purpose.

Those Texas fans at SurlyHorns are saying the same thing…LOL.

Even saw something where it appears that the SEC warned A&M to not do any funny business or they will be back in the Big 12.

 

[Bison]

 

[BuffBronco]

Honestly speaking, hard to get enthused by the Pac 12 picking by Big 12 Sisters of the Poor

My prediction - Texas & Okie go to SEC. SMU, Houston, Rice, Cincinnati go to Big 12 (and become a real Big 12 again)

And the good folk in Fort Fun are left saying "What about us?"

 

[MtnBuff]

Could this lead to two super conferences? The B1G and PAC 12 combine and the SEC and ACC combine? Fewer conferences means fewer interpretations of the rules. Easier management, better negotiation with vendors. Almost certainly easier to administer the NIL landscape. Probably more money for everybody involved, too. Each new conference has 32 teams, total of 64. Would almost certainly have to expand the regular season to a minimum of 14 games with a 16 team playoff.

How this would impact CU is anybody’s guess, but I think that scenario might actually benefit us.

Why would the SEC and the B1G want to do that. Each would end up carrying a bunch of schools that would drain money away from them without contributing similar value.

I could see the SEC offering to pick up Clemson, Notre Dame, and maybe (but no guarantee) a Florida State or Miami. The B1G similarly might consider picking up USC, Oregon, Washington, and maybe one of UCLA, Stanford, or CU.

Each of those moves may also involve dropping a couple of schools that aren't interested in playing at the budgets that will be required.

Net result is that we see 32-40 teams playing at the highest level and everyone else on the outside looking in.

 

[Shldr2Shldr]

the problem with the pod system is how do you work out the two conference championship participants

Not hard at all. There are 2 options that make sense.

1) 4 pod winners compete in Pac16 playoff. Pac16 Champion earns CFP autobid.

2) 4 pod winner eligible for Pac16 playoffs. Top 2 teams selected by series of tiebreakers.

I think you see option 1 occur. The CFP Finals drop back down to 4 teams, sorry non-super conferences. It ultimately looks like a 16 team playoff beginning with the conference semi-finals.

 

[hokiehead]

As long as they have alumni in powerful positions in state government, it will hold true.

Which reminds me, you guys think ****bailer is going to let Texas go without a fight?

Curious. Is it your opinion that OSU no longer has those alumni in powerful positions in the OK state legislature? Or that the reports of OU and UT breaking out are false?

 

[hokiehead]

I’d absolutely love to see it, but I think this is just a grandstanding move by OU and UT to squeeze more money out of the B12.

In the hypothetical world where this did happen, I wonder if the SEC would want to drop a couple schools to let them in. Missouri and South Carolina come immediately to mind. Although I don’t recall there ever being a conference that dropped member schools. It’s a brave new world, though.

Bring it!

I've openly speculated on this board multiple times that contraction could be part of the next round of realignment.

Vandy isn't adding much to the SEC.
Wake and BC are dead weight for the ACC.
B1G could do without Northwestern and still own the Chicago market.
ISU, OSU, KSU could all very well be without a P5 equipment home after the next shuffle. Someone will pick up at least a few of the XII Texas schools for perceived recruiting advantages.

 

[Alfred91]

Curious. Is it your opinion that OSU no longer has those alumni in powerful positions in the OK state legislature? Or that the reports of OU and UT breaking out are false?

Don't gloat. It's unbecoming.

I'm sure that Okie Lite and ****bailer boosters/alums are calling anybody and everybody to prevent this from happening. Sounds like it's not going to work, so.... guess I was wrong?

 

[hokiehead]

Don't gloat. It's unbecoming.

I'm sure that Okie Lite and ****bailer boosters/alums are calling anybody and everybody to prevent this from happening. Sounds like it's not going to work, so.... guess I was wrong?

Not gloating (I have nothing to gloat about in this dialogue). Rather, was giving you an opportunity to acknowledge that you mistated your opinion as fact.

Props for being able to promptly admit you were wrong -- not a quality that many possess.

 

[DeNiro]

 

[onealcd]

Basically the only thing the Pac could do would be to add SMU, TCU, houston and TTU for a 16 team pod system. Actually sounds great for recruiting. Guarantees one game in california and one in Texas every year while also being able to go to the PNW for a game.

I also think this is where you will see the 12 team playoff breakdown. You could potentially have the pac, big 10, what is left of the big 12 and the ACC say **** that, you two want to join the SEC go ahead but you’re only getting 1 team in from the conference each year so good luck!

 

[Alfred91]

You know, prior to this, the conventional wisdom was that conferences were tending away from divisions. Do we think that is changing?

 

[Not Sure]

Basically the only thing the Pac could do would be to add SMU, TCU, houston and TTU for a 16 team pod system. Actually sounds great for recruiting. Guarantees one game in california and one in Texas every year while also being able to go to the PNW for a game.

I also think this is where you will see the 12 team playoff breakdown. You could potentially have the pac, big 10, what is left of the big 12 and the ACC say **** that, you two want to join the SEC go ahead but you’re only getting 1 team in from the conference each year so good luck!

I don’t think there will be anything left of the B12 if OU and UT leave. KU and WVU might find landing spots in the BiG and ACC, and the rest will either join the PAC or will form a smaller, far less influential conference. Might see something like TCU, ISU, KSU, SMU, Houston, Baylor, Tulsa, Tulane, maybe CSU and UNM all form up a new G5 conference. They could call it the Southwest Conference. I don’t think that name is being used anymore.

 

[Not Sure]

You know, prior to this, the conventional wisdom was that conferences were tending away from divisions. Do we think that is changing?

Short term - yes. Until we get an increase to the number of regular season games, divisions will be necessary in 16 team conferences. I don’t see any way of getting around that.