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Powers gives his opinion on mega conferences...
In other news, the MWC/C-USA merge to form the first mega-conference and the Big East, ACC, and SEC are rumored to be doing the same.
Echoing the view of his men's athletics director, DeLoss Dodds, Powers downplayed predictions of megaconferences with up to 16 or 20 teams, asserting that economic and sociological forces point to an era of geographically organized leagues with about 10 teams apiece.
Wearing a navy shirt with a burnt orange Longhorn logo, Powers seemed relaxed about his school's place in the intercollegiate landscape but also a bit worn out by this year's round of conference musical chairs, which followed a similar round last year that saw Nebraska and Colorado leave the Big 12.
"We don't want to have to go through this every year," Powers said, adding that Texas administrators twice traveled to Oklahoma to visit OU officials, to try to keep the Big 12 intact.
The current round of realignment isn't over. Missouri is still flirting with departing from the Big 12, presumably for the SEC . The Big 12's interim commissioner, Chuck Neinas, said Tuesday that Missouri would remain in the Big 12 at least through the 2012-13 school year.
"I'm cautiously optimistic Missouri will stay," Powers said. "I think the conference is stable. And it would be absolutely stable if they stay."
He repeated that Texas had no interest in exploring the possibility of joining either the SEC or the Big Ten, but confirmed the school did have discussions with the Pac-12 and Atlantic Coast conferences.
"They called us," Powers said of Pac-12 overtures to gauge Texas' interest, "but not to lure us out of the Big 12." He said the logistics of traveling to West Coast games would be problematic for athletes, their relatives and fans.
He said the university hasn't done any formal polling or surveying of athletes, their relatives and fans to gauge views on conference affiliation, but that the widespread anecdotal message is clear.
"For the student-athletes and their families, geographic proximity is huge. They tell us that," he said.
[...]
On the question of someday becoming independent, like Notre Dame or Brigham Young, after the six-year agreement on even revenue sharing could expire, Powers said, "That is not in our playbook, as they say."
He does see a trend in conference alignment. The NCAA, Fox, ESPN/ABC and university presidents all favor moderately sized, geographically organized conferences, he said.
"Economic and sociological forces are all coalescing to what I think is the right model and a lot of people think is the right model," Powers said. "I don't think we're going to mega-conferences."
Wearing a navy shirt with a burnt orange Longhorn logo, Powers seemed relaxed about his school's place in the intercollegiate landscape but also a bit worn out by this year's round of conference musical chairs, which followed a similar round last year that saw Nebraska and Colorado leave the Big 12.
"We don't want to have to go through this every year," Powers said, adding that Texas administrators twice traveled to Oklahoma to visit OU officials, to try to keep the Big 12 intact.
The current round of realignment isn't over. Missouri is still flirting with departing from the Big 12, presumably for the SEC . The Big 12's interim commissioner, Chuck Neinas, said Tuesday that Missouri would remain in the Big 12 at least through the 2012-13 school year.
"I'm cautiously optimistic Missouri will stay," Powers said. "I think the conference is stable. And it would be absolutely stable if they stay."
He repeated that Texas had no interest in exploring the possibility of joining either the SEC or the Big Ten, but confirmed the school did have discussions with the Pac-12 and Atlantic Coast conferences.
"They called us," Powers said of Pac-12 overtures to gauge Texas' interest, "but not to lure us out of the Big 12." He said the logistics of traveling to West Coast games would be problematic for athletes, their relatives and fans.
He said the university hasn't done any formal polling or surveying of athletes, their relatives and fans to gauge views on conference affiliation, but that the widespread anecdotal message is clear.
"For the student-athletes and their families, geographic proximity is huge. They tell us that," he said.
[...]
On the question of someday becoming independent, like Notre Dame or Brigham Young, after the six-year agreement on even revenue sharing could expire, Powers said, "That is not in our playbook, as they say."
He does see a trend in conference alignment. The NCAA, Fox, ESPN/ABC and university presidents all favor moderately sized, geographically organized conferences, he said.
"Economic and sociological forces are all coalescing to what I think is the right model and a lot of people think is the right model," Powers said. "I don't think we're going to mega-conferences."
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