The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[Pheidippides]

Does anybody else hate that it's Doug Pantywaist Gottlieb that gets the scoop on this?

[Uncle Ted]

The SEC presidents may not be meeting on Sunday after all....

The New York Times reported that 11 of 12 SEC presidents are planning to meet Sunday. However, a Sporting News source very close to the situation said that no such discussion or meeting is planned.

Also TH talks about BYU's interest...

The scenarios are endless. The Big 12 could also look to expand. At least one potential target, BYU, has already said it would like to stay where it is.

"We are happy as an independent," BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe told CBSSports.com.

Hopefully Tom is just playing hard to get.

[il Padrino Ute]

No. Tech and OU are where you go when you can't get into UT.

It seems the transformation from Sooner to Longhorn is now complete.

[Clark Addison]

There seem to be a ton of reports out there, so who knows what is true, and I am surely no insider, but some folks are saying that after A&M goes, OU and OSU would be next on the list of targets (I'm sure that has already been reported here). If that happens, how desirable is an invite to the Big 12? My lean would still be to take it, but I don't think it is a slam dunk. At that point you are joining a conference that has just lost three major members, including one of the big 2. It's a conference on the verge of implosion.

If that does happen, they might be very desperate to get BYU, which would put BYU in a good bargaining position, especially if Holmoe has been playing coy and hard to get.

[Uncle Ted]

Chip Brown: Big 12 ADs confirm support for a 9-team league ... if necessary ..

The Big 12 athletic directors - minus Texas A&M - pledged their commitment to a nine-member conference during a call Saturday afternoon if the Aggies were to bolt for the Southeastern Conference.

The ADs decided if the league was to expand, it would be by only one school, sources said.

The early candidates would include BYU, Air Force, TCU and Houston, sources said.

But the Aggies will not go off to the SEC without some questions directed at both Texas A&M and Mike Slive, the commissioner of the SEC.

There appear to be real legal questions from the Big 12 about the SEC’s role in A&M’s apparent decision to leave the Big 12 and if tortious interference is involved in possibly breaking the Aggies’ contracts with their current television partners.

Multiple sources said the 13-year Fox television deal signed by the Big 12 in April for $1.17 billion can be voided if Texas A&M leaves. The sources said if the SEC, which has had ongoing conversations with Texas A&M since Mike Slive was on the College Station campus during last summer’s realignment, could be seen as the instigator in A&M’s actions, it could constitute a $1 billion lawsuit against the SEC as well as a lawsuit for damages against individuals involved.

A&M’s lawyers have also been looking at the legal ramifications of a move to the SEC, a source close to A&M said.

The Big 12 engaged in a high-dollar ad campaign earlier this year to promote the new, 10-member conference that will roll out during football season. And officials across the Big 12 are wondering if Texas A&M knew even then that it would try to relocate to the SEC.

Sources close to the situation say Sunday morning’s meeting of the SEC presidents - believed to be in Atlanta, according to one source - has become the most important moment of this year’s college realignment drama.

SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who has said, “I can get to 16 schools in 15 minutes,” now needs to convince his presidents that he knows what he’s doing. According to sources close to the situation, only Florida president Bernie Machen and Georgia president Michael Adams have been in contact with Slive about the SEC’s current expansion plans.

The other 10 presidents will apparently be getting a whole lot of critical information from Slive on Sunday. If those presidents, who heard a report of the SEC possibly adding schools such as Missouri, Clemson and Florida State from ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb Saturday, are not on board, this story could take a serious left turn.

The New York Times quoted an SEC official who said there’s a 30 to 40 percent chance the SEC presidents could reject Texas A&M.

An official at a school in the Big 12 said, “If you asked me last night, I would have said it was 90 to 95 percent that Texas A&M was gone to the SEC. Now, I would say either 50 percent or less. The SEC meeting on Sunday is huge. If they hit the pause button, I don’t think it happens.”

Several sources said if Texas A&M was to stay in the Big 12, it would take a lot to rebuild the relationship between Texas A&M and Texas but that it was doable.

House Higher Education Committee chairman Dan Branch, R-Dallas, told Orangebloods.com Saturday he has received assurances from A&M that the Aggies’ regents board won’t be finalizing a move to the SEC on Monday.

Branch on Thursday set a meeting of his committee for Tuesday and invited Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin and Texas A&M regents chair Richard Box along with Big 12 and SEC officials to discuss the Aggies’ plans.

Then on Friday, A&M’s regents moved an Aug. 22 meeting to Monday, one day ahead of Branch’s committee hearing in what looked like a maneuver to out-flank lawmakers. But an A&M source said the regents were likely to vote on Monday to empower Loftin, the school’s president, with the ability to make any decision in the matter on behalf of Texas A&M.

"It's my understanding the regents meeting on Monday is to begin negotiations, not complete them - assuming the SEC extends an offer," Branch told Orangebloods.com. "It would be important to the Legislature that the regents not complete anything before lawmakers get to ask some questions.

"It's my understanding from talking to A&M officials that it may take a week or two weeks to finalize any conference realignment anyway."

[TripletDaddy]

PTI, but what does everyone here expect Holmoe to be saying right now anyway?

"the Big 12 totally contacted us. We are SO there if A&M leaves! I hope they leave! We were never serious about the WCC anyway."

[Babs]

It seems the transformation from Sooner to Longhorn is now complete.

No, that has always been the case.

I am proud of my school for all that it is, and I have never been ashamed to admit what it isn't.

[Uncle Ted]

PTI, but what does everyone here expect Holmoe to be saying right now anyway?

"the Big 12 totally contacted us. We are SO there if A&M leaves! I hope they leave! We were never serious about the WCC anyway."

Yeah, something like that. It would also be nice if he said something about how he hated scheduling all those crappy teams in oct/nov.

[TripletDaddy]

No, that has always been the case.

I am proud of my school for all that it is, and I have never been ashamed to admit what it isn't.

If only our resident Utes would follow your fine example.

[Babs]

If only our resident Utes would follow your fine example.

It's hardly a manifestation of school pride to pretend that one's alma is something it's not.

[TripletDaddy]

It's hardly a manifestation of school pride to pretend that one's alma is something it's not.

I've always liked your style.

Except for prom dresses.

[Uncle Ted]

The Tom Holmoe interview...

http://pandora.bonnint.net/audio/201...tom_holmoe.mp3

[SoCalCoug]

No, that has always been the case.

I am proud of my school for all that it is, and I have never been ashamed to admit what it isn't.

I can totally identify with you on this. My wife applied to BYU but didn't get in, so she went to the University of Utah, instead. She will admit this.

[CJF]

The Tom Holmoe interview...

http://pandora.bonnint.net/audio/201...tom_holmoe.mp3

Plausible deniability.

[SoonerCoug]

Utah should now leave the PAC-12 to join BYU in the BIG-12.