Smoke your cigars and enjoy the band while you can....

[TheHamburglar]

I believe the UH, BYU, Memphis, Cincy stuff because that is what we deserve,

No other P5 school will touch this mess.  They'd be crazy to do so.

I could see Texas using "getting UH in" as a reason to be "allowed" to "do what they want" eventually, as it relates to Texas.  OU and OSU should join the SEC.  The UT-less and OU-less big 12 won't be able to negotiate crap in a new deal.

If the SEC didn't want Florida State and Clemson what in the world makes you think they'd want OSU?

The only possibility of KSU being in a major conference in the future is if the PAC makes a push for KU and doesn't want any of the religious schools (ie. Baylor, TCU, BYU). If not, then our future rival might just be WSU in some God awful mid major mashup conference.

Hey dummy, no one has or will be kicked out of a major conference. If there's spots for Wake Forest, Rutgers, Baylor, Boston College, and Syracuse K-State will be better than fine.

Your conference falling apart around you and getting kicked out are two different things.  If OU decided to leave and convinces Texas to go with them, no one is going to call the SEC or Pac-12 and say "you have to take KSU now". 

I don't think Texas will ever give up their kingdom, but if they do the Big12 could easily be left with 3 teams, having to rebuild like the Big East did, and would slowly slide out of power conference status as the tv and bowl contracts expire. 

This almost happened in 2011.  OU and Tech thought going to the PAC was a done deal.  OSU knew UT had verbally agreed to go to the PAC, but didn't trust UT enough to know they could still back out.  Bill Self came back to Tulsa for a function and told multiple reporters for a short time he thought KU was going to the Mountain West before the deal for KU, KSU, and Iowa State to the Big East started to get traction.  If Texas doesn't get cold feet about losing their kingdom and back out of the PAC deal, we were out.  No one was going to force the SEC or BigTen to take us.

The fact the ACC schools actually wanted to build an east coast conference and stay together, even if it means UNC and UVA make a less than schools in the SEC and BigTen is in no way an indication that if the Big12 falls apart someone is going to force another conference to take us.

However, I don't think we'd fall to the G5 level either.  I think the Big12 will last until the playoff expands to 8 and we'd form some in between 12 team conference that gets its champ in 80-90% of the time and a mid-level tv deal.  I also agree, if it falls apart, schools like OSU could be left with us.  As long as we have access to the playoff, I'm good.  We've always had less money.  I'd be much more concerned if the scholarship limits went back up again.

[WildcatNkilt]

If Texas left, I have a hard time placing them anywhere but the big 10.  I see two things blocking Texas to SEC: 1) A&M.  If Texas joined SEC, A&M would immediately become the Texas stepchild again.  I could see A&M trying to block it from happening just like Florida St. And Clemson have been blocked.  I also see Texas not going because it would push them further down the football irrelevance path given who they would have to play each year. 

I also see it difficult for Texas to find big 10 appealing given their distance to all other members.  Could still happen, but just seems like a very demanding travel schedule for all athletics.  Nebraska fans claim it is the worst part of the big 10.

Texas' best option for their ego would be to remain in a healthy Big 12.

[chum1]

Texas could also decide to go independent.

[sonofdaxjones]

Texas could also decide to go independent.

While this is true it makes scheduling much tougher and schools are going to want a ton of money to play at Texas.   

Why would Texas want to leave a situation where collectively they'll surpass the $50 million a year mark in total conference and media payout in the next year or two?   

[kim carnes]

Texas could also decide to go independent.

While this is true it makes scheduling much tougher and schools are going to want a ton of money to play at Texas.   

Why would Texas want to leave a situation where collectively they'll surpass the $50 million a year mark in total conference and media payout in the next year or two?

So that they're no longer in this shitty conference?

[sonofdaxjones]

Texas could also decide to go independent.

While this is true it makes scheduling much tougher and schools are going to want a ton of money to play at Texas.   

Why would Texas want to leave a situation where collectively they'll surpass the $50 million a year mark in total conference and media payout in the next year or two?

So that they're no longer in this shitty conference?

We're making more money then anyone in college athletics and we rule the conference, let's leave. 

[deputy dawg]

Isn't Texas still the biggest revenue generator in college sports?  Being 2nd or 3rd best in conference TV deals isn't going to affect them as much as it would other schools, don't think they'll want to move.  OU, maybe another story.  They're like $25 million/year behind Texas, and they have this idea that they are a peer athletic program to Texas.  A TV deal that would add $5 - $8 million to their overall revenue vs. Texas would make them move to another conference.  Plus, you have that imbecile Boren at the helm.

[MixBerryCrunch]

Texas could also decide to go independent.

While this is true it makes scheduling much tougher and schools are going to want a ton of money to play at Texas.   

Why would Texas want to leave a situation where collectively they'll surpass the $50 million a year mark in total conference and media payout in the next year or two?

Because Texas fans and donors will not be happy playing in an irrelevant conference with the second biggest name being K-State. (After any team with an option leaves) They will bolt for the PAC in a heartbeat.

[sonofdaxjones]

Texas could also decide to go independent.

While this is true it makes scheduling much tougher and schools are going to want a ton of money to play at Texas.   

Why would Texas want to leave a situation where collectively they'll surpass the $50 million a year mark in total conference and media payout in the next year or two?

Because Texas fans and donors will not be happy playing in an irrelevant conference with the second biggest name being K-State. (After any team with an option leaves) They will bolt for the PAC in a heartbeat.

I hadn't realized everyone else left. 

I'll say the same about OU.   Neither school will weld the power they have now.  Which is why B12 expansion is dumb unless it's like BYU football only and one other school. 

[MixBerryCrunch]

Texas could also decide to go independent.

While this is true it makes scheduling much tougher and schools are going to want a ton of money to play at Texas.   

Why would Texas want to leave a situation where collectively they'll surpass the $50 million a year mark in total conference and media payout in the next year or two?

Because Texas fans and donors will not be happy playing in an irrelevant conference with the second biggest name being K-State. (After any team with an option leaves) They will bolt for the PAC in a heartbeat.

I hadn't realized everyone else left. 

I'll say the same about OU.   Neither school will weld the power they have now.  Which is why B12 expansion is dumb unless it's like BYU football only and one other school.

I think it's pretty safe to say that if we're about to add three garbage schools and BYU, then it can only be a last ditch effort to save the conference. Oklahoma is already gone. It's just a matter of time before it's official.

[Panjandrum]

What I think people either forget or don't understand is that if you go to 14 teams and reduce the conference schedule to eight games, you can carve up the divisions in such a way that Texas and Oklahoma would have to play teams like Cincy and Memphis once a decade, if that.

Look at it this way...

West: Texas, Tech, OU, OSU, KU, KSU, BYU
East: Baylor, TCU, Houston, Iowa State, Memphis, Cincy, WVU

That's six teams Texas plays right now (as they've played BYU in the non-con recently).  Create a cross divisional rival for Texas (Baylor) and OU (WVU) that are acceptable based on competition/brand/tradition, and then all you have to do is squeeze in one more game a year against a team that they are good to play.

Then they get one more non-conference game that they can use to schedule Notre Dame, Tennessee, or whatever.  Texas, with a fourth OOC game, has a greater ability to get more live content for the LHN.

If you're KSU, and we have that schedule plus a cross-division rival (ISU) that is protected every year, our schedule will barely change.

Work with Fox to consolidate all of the Tier 3 rights for anyone not named Texas, and you get enough content for your network with strong carriage in big markets.  And Tier 3 networks are carried by basketball, for the most part, and this will be a tremendous basketball conference.  Also, don't forget, any Texas road game in conference, in all sports, will be owned by our T3 network.  LHN only has content to their home games.

I mean, I get how it looks on the surface, but there are ways you can make it work.  Which is why I'm sure we're entertaining the idea.

[420seriouscat69]

K-State will never lose P5 status. Listening to the doom and gloomers pound this point, is exhausting and over played. We're fine.

[Panjandrum]

I like the idea of sticking Baylor with the newbie division.

Between Baylor, TCU, Houston, and WVU, you'll have a strong team on that side that can create a competitive title game.

With cross division rivals, you can maintain/create rivalries:

Texas/Baylor
Tech/TCU
KSU/ISU
OU/WVU
BYU/Memphis (they have that bowl game a couple of years ago where a fight broke out)
KU/Cincy
OSU/Houston (OSU can get access to the Houston market which will offset the lack of brand)

It's really workable.  You stack the West like the SEC does to create better, compelling matchups against the bigger names on a week to week basis, and the Eastern division gives FS1/FSN a bunch of cannonfodder content.

[TheHamburglar]

I regularly cycle thru 4 Oklahoma sports radio shows between OKC and Tulsa.  2 of those regularly have Dusty Dvorcheck on, who has a 5th show I can't get, which is the most popular mid-day show in OKC.  Every one of them is calling for OU to leave as soon as possible, but most know OU has to wait until the end of the GOR.  Every one is telling all their listeners the Big12 is dying and OU is working on leaving.  Every call is either an OU fan trying figure out how to get out or and OSU trying to rationalize that both OU and OSU should go SEC together.

OU fans and OU media have gone full Aggie.  I don't think our fans living outside Oklahoma realize how big the push is getting in Oklahoma.  You guys can call Boren stupid all you want, and he's a major reason this conference went to crap, but he's quickly becoming the last person in the state that wants OU in the Big12.  At some point they're going to get tired listening to their fans bitching and move.

[Pete]

Yep.   This thing is done as soon as the GOR gets CLOSE to being over....IF the SEC decides they want BOTH OU and OSU.  The SEC has turned down the likes of Clemson and FSU, because those additions would have upset existing SEC schools in those states.  My opinion is that IF the SEC wants to get to 16, they'll take OSU if they have to in order to get OU.  I sure as hell would.

They don't need to wait until the GOR is over either....just until the cost of buying out of it is outweighed by the benefit of adding them to the SEC.  Maybe 2 or 3 years before the GOR is over, who knows.

[MixBerryCrunch]

I regularly cycle thru 4 Oklahoma sports radio shows between OKC and Tulsa.  2 of those regularly have Dusty Dvorcheck on, who has a 5th show I can't get, which is the most popular mid-day show in OKC.  Every one of them is calling for OU to leave as soon as possible, but most know OU has to wait until the end of the GOR.  Every one is telling all their listeners the Big12 is dying and OU is working on leaving.  Every call is either an OU fan trying figure out how to get out or and OSU trying to rationalize that both OU and OSU should go SEC together.

OU fans and OU media have gone full Aggie.  I don't think our fans living outside Oklahoma realize how big the push is getting in Oklahoma.  You guys can call Boren stupid all you want, and he's a major reason this conference went to crap, but he's quickly becoming the last person in the state that wants OU in the Big12.  At some point they're going to get tired listening to their fans bitching and move.

There's no question that the conference is done. Everyone on here trying to rationalize opposing theories are doing so simply out of an emotional reaction. The only question that anyone should really be dissecting is if we make it into the PAC or not.

[Pete]

Our best hope to being the PAC someday is that the regents tie us to KU.

[MixBerryCrunch]

Our best hope to being the PAC someday is that the regents tie us to KU.

I just don't know if I see that happening if KU gets a ticket to the Big 10. I don't think the Big 10 will take us as a package deal and there's no way the BOR would tie us together if it meant keeping KU out of the Big 10. If the PAC offers first for KU and Texas we might be able to sneak in as a four team deal.

[SdK]

I just think it's stupid to get worked up about anything that isn't certain. It's cute that so many are speaking as if they have any idea what the future holds.

[TheHamburglar]

I just think it's stupid to get worked up about anything that isn't certain. It's cute that so many are speaking as if they have any idea what the future holds.

It's fun to talk about with friends in the off-season.  I don't see anyway the playoff stays at 4.  Once it goes to 8, no matter what else happens, KSU will have access to it.  Even if the worst case scenario happens with the Big12, I still think we'll have the ability to get home-and-homes with local P5s in the non-con.  With the playoffs at 8, there will be something big to play for.  Going to games will always be fun.

[Pete]

I just think it's stupid to get worked up about anything that isn't certain. It's cute that so many are speaking as if they have any idea what the future holds.

I think you are mistaking the reason for the speculation, at least the reason some of us have.

I am nearly to the point where I don't care if KSU is left out of a P4 conference....so I am not getting "worked up" about it at all.

I am enjoying the ride, and speculating about the outcome for enjoyment.  It's all a big game.  I enjoy the game.

[SdK]

Fair enough. I don't really care what the future holds with the conferences. I just want to go watch the cats in our beautiful facilities and win games.

[illBisonYourdele]

I regularly cycle thru 4 Oklahoma sports radio shows between OKC and Tulsa.  2 of those regularly have Dusty Dvorcheck on, who has a 5th show I can't get, which is the most popular mid-day show in OKC.  Every one of them is calling for OU to leave as soon as possible, but most know OU has to wait until the end of the GOR.  Every one is telling all their listeners the Big12 is dying and OU is working on leaving.  Every call is either an OU fan trying figure out how to get out or and OSU trying to rationalize that both OU and OSU should go SEC together.

OU fans and OU media have gone full Aggie.  I don't think our fans living outside Oklahoma realize how big the push is getting in Oklahoma.  You guys can call Boren stupid all you want, and he's a major reason this conference went to crap, but he's quickly becoming the last person in the state that wants OU in the Big12.  At some point they're going to get tired listening to their fans bitching and move.

That's Oklahoma still reeling from the KD saga. OKC must extend Westbrook for the stability of this conference.

In all seriousness, talk radio is the dipshit corral. And if you listen to Oklahoma sports talk radio, you are well aware of the caliber of people responsible for content.

[michigancat]

I regularly cycle thru 4 Oklahoma sports radio shows between OKC and Tulsa.  2 of those regularly have Dusty Dvorcheck on, who has a 5th show I can't get, which is the most popular mid-day show in OKC.  Every one of them is calling for OU to leave as soon as possible, but most know OU has to wait until the end of the GOR.  Every one is telling all their listeners the Big12 is dying and OU is working on leaving.  Every call is either an OU fan trying figure out how to get out or and OSU trying to rationalize that both OU and OSU should go SEC together.

OU fans and OU media have gone full Aggie.  I don't think our fans living outside Oklahoma realize how big the push is getting in Oklahoma.  You guys can call Boren stupid all you want, and he's a major reason this conference went to crap, but he's quickly becoming the last person in the state that wants OU in the Big12.  At some point they're going to get tired listening to their fans bitching and move.

That's Oklahoma still reeling from the KD saga. OKC must extend Westbrook for the stability of this conference.

In all seriousness, talk radio is the dipshit corral. And if you listen to Oklahoma sports talk radio, you are well aware of the caliber of people responsible for content.

to be fair, our conference leadership also seems like a major dipshit corral.

[KITNfury]

I just think it's stupid to get worked up about anything that isn't certain. It's cute that so many are speaking as if they have any idea what the future holds.

It's fun to talk about with friends in the off-season.  I don't see anyway the playoff stays at 4.  Once it goes to 8, no matter what else happens, KSU will have access to it.  Even if the worst case scenario happens with the Big12, I still think we'll have the ability to get home-and-homes with local P5s in the non-con.  With the playoffs at 8, there will be something big to play for.  Going to games will always be fun.

My give a crap about college sports will almost certainly die with the conference.