Oklahoma, Texas A&M may look at moving to SEC

[OUHoops]

From Matt Hayes/Sporting News:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-fo...-at-moving-to-sec-because-of-texas-tv-network

BIRMINGHAM—The continuing evolution of Texas’ place in the Big 12 will have far-reaching ramifications—including the most powerful conference in college football.

A source told Sporting News Wednesday that both Texas A&M and Oklahoma are so concerned about rival Texas gaining a recruiting advantage with the newly-formed Longhorn Network, the two institutions could turn to the SEC if the problems can’t be figured out. The core issue: The Longhorn Network will televise live high school football games in the state of Texas, an obvious recruiting advantage for Texas.

SEC commissioner Mike Slive said Wednesday that he will “continue to do what is in the best interest of the SEC.”

“It is my job to make sure the SEC is the premiere league,” Slive said. “For me to exclude any action that would preclude that from happening would be inappropriate.”

Texas A&M and Oklahoma were both in talks with the SEC last summer when Texas was contemplating a move to the Pac-10. The Big 12 eventually made it work in the 11th hour, in part, because of heavyweight Texas’ deal to pursue its own television network outside of the league coffers.

Now that the network will include televising high school games in the state of Texas, the dynamics of the Big 12 (and the SEC) could still change. Slive said that he is “comfortable” with the current 12-team SEC, and that it would take a “paradigm shift” for the SEC to expand.

Texas A&M and Oklahoma looking for a new home would be that kind of shift. Moreover, Slive said the SEC’s television deals with CBS and ESPN have clauses that allow them to renegotiate if the conference structure changes.

In other words, adding two teams wouldn’t mean the SEC is dividing the current revenue pie. It would mean, more than anything, completely restructured deals that would likely dwarf the $2 billion-plus the SEC receives from current CBS and ESPN deals.

 

[ouboomer]

I think reality and true colors are starting to show now. Texas cannot keep making deals, or changing the rules as it goes that benefits them more and more each day. This summer its the Longhorn network, what will it be next summer? Stability is needed and not sure it ever going to found again in the current Big 12 especially when ESPN is promoting Texas. Seems change is imminent and those dreaded super conferences might become reality....

 

[garyeb2]

If OU thinks the high school broadcast will give Texas an advantage, they should do something about it. The real problem is ESPN picking winners and losers.

 

[WTSooner]

OU and aTm knew the ramifications of UT's network last year, when we agreed to stay. What changed? Also, how is it allowable by the NCAA for UT to broadcast HS games? Not sure how big of a difference it will make at the end of the day though.

I still think OU leaving for the SEC would be a bad, bad move. We dominate the Big 12. That won't happen in the SEC. We're right in the middle of all the Big 12 action. Most every major Big 12 event takes place in KC, OKC, or Dallas. We join the SEC, we better get used to playing in Florida, Atlanta, and wherever else they stick us.

I'm still hoping this is a lot of talk about nothing, and the Big 12 stays intact. At the end of the day, that benefits both OU and UT more than anything else, IMO.

 

[garyeb2]

OU and aTm knew the ramifications of UT's network last year, when we agreed to stay. What changed? Also, how is it allowable by the NCAA for UT to broadcast HS games? Not sure how big of a difference it will make at the end of the day though.

I still think OU leaving for the SEC would be a bad, bad move. We dominate the Big 12. That won't happen in the SEC. We're right in the middle of all the Big 12 action. Most every major Big 12 event takes place in KC, OKC, or Dallas. We join the SEC, we better get used to playing in Florida, Atlanta, and wherever else they stick us.

I'm still hoping this is a lot of talk about nothing, and the Big 12 stays intact. At the end of the day, that benefits both OU and UT more than anything else, IMO.

Oklahoma being in the Big 12 is a really sweet deal. Unless, they really believe that broadcasting high school games gives Texas an advantage. They either walk or They and A&M bully Texas into giving up on the idea. The high school deal is a recent new wrinkle that Texas has trotted out.

 

[ouboomer]

Oklahoma being in the Big 12 is a really sweet deal. Unless, they really believe that broadcasting high school games gives Texas an advantage. They either walk or They and A&M bully Texas into giving up on the idea. The high school deal is a recent new wrinkle that Texas has trotted out.

and getting a Big 12 game on the Longhorn network, will it stop with just one conference game in the future?

 

[Dr Sleep]

Oklahoma being in the Big 12 is a really sweet deal. Unless, they really believe that broadcasting high school games gives Texas an advantage. They either walk or They and A&M bully Texas into giving up on the idea. The high school deal is a recent new wrinkle that Texas has trotted out.

I can just the the interviews after the high school games "So DT Joe Smith, 6-4, 303 lbs made 5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, great game son, when are you going to sign a LOI with UT? blah blah blah kiss ut's pimply scrotum"

 

[Sawyer]

Or not. UT network showing high school games and a Big 12 game isn't happening.

I understand why people are upset about it, but I don't get why the solution is to leave the conference. Nothing in the Big 12 rules say UT is the only school allowed to do this.

 

[thebigabd]

OU and aTm knew the ramifications of UT's network last year, when we agreed to stay. What changed? Also, how is it allowable by the NCAA for UT to broadcast HS games? Not sure how big of a difference it will make at the end of the day though.

I still think OU leaving for the SEC would be a bad, bad move. We dominate the Big 12. That won't happen in the SEC. We're right in the middle of all the Big 12 action. Most every major Big 12 event takes place in KC, OKC, or Dallas. We join the SEC, we better get used to playing in Florida, Atlanta, and wherever else they stick us.

I'm still hoping this is a lot of talk about nothing, and the Big 12 stays intact. At the end of the day, that benefits both OU and UT more than anything else, IMO.

I agree with all of this.

Ideally, the Big 12 should be the league expanding and adding new markets, not ditching to join someone elses party. There is a lot of tradition in this league, lots of rivalries, and I would hate to see it disbanded.

Add BYU, Memphis, and New Mexico to the Big 12 North.

Add South Florida, Central Florida, and TCU to the Big 12 South.

 

[garyeb2]

Or not. UT network showing high school games and a Big 12 game isn't happening.

I understand why people are upset about it, but I don't get why the solution is to leave the conference. Nothing in the Big 12 rules say UT is the only school allowed to do this.

No it is not likely to happen. That story broke after I posted. You are right about the rules. But, ESPN picked Texas and subsidised the start up cost. If ESPN had picked OU, Texas would be screaming. Oklahoma does not have to sit around and take a beating from Texas on a deal like this. And they shouldn't.

 

[oSuJeff97]

Add me to the crowd who wants to know "what changed?"

Both A&M and OU knew last summer that Texas could create their own network.

OU is in the process of creating their own, no?

So why - all of a sudden - is this a big deal?

 

[seniorsooner]

Two things changed:

1. Plans to air high school games

2. Plans to air a conference game

I genuinely think that the rest of the Big 12-2 member schools were blindsided by this.

 

[bocabull]

Who cares? Let them carry high school games. It's a money loser.

Texas can only sign 25 players. They still have to coach them. We have dominated them under Stoops and that will matter more to enough studs.

Lol @ the SEC rubes trying to partner OU & A&M. Texas is our partner. It's a great relationship and the other 8 teams in the conference are nothing more than schedule filling afterthoughts.

 

[okcsooner83]

It's not a money loser for texas, espn already agreed to pay them $300 million.

 

[stoops4pres]

Two things changed:

1. Plans to air high school games

2. Plans to air a conference game

I genuinely think that the rest of the Big 12-2 member schools were blindsided by this.

This has been the one aspect that has me guessing the most... Did the rest of the schools/Big 12 administration know those two factors were a possibility? Or were these "recent additions" to the network in fact stipulations that were simply a product of Texas' and ESPN's duplicity?

Either way, I think OU's alleged "disapproval" of the Longhorn Network is strongly overblown. At the very least, it shouldn't be associated with Texas A&M's disenchantment.

 

[stoops4pres]

Who cares? Let them carry high school games. It's a money loser.

Texas can only sign 25 players. They still have to coach them. We have dominated them under Stoops and that will matter more to enough studs.

Lol @ the SEC rubes trying to partner OU & A&M. Texas is our partner. It's a great relationship and the other 8 teams in the conference are nothing more than schedule filling afterthoughts.

I'm with you when discussing how it affects OU. Hypothetically, if Texas were allowed to broadcast high school games (in which the games probably consist of UT commits/targets) it wouldn't hurt OU.

The disadvantage would lie with the putrid programs of the conference, like Kansas or Baylor.

 

[ouscotty]

I hate to think about having to play LSU every year. I can't stand Miles and his big mouth. And I think the SEC is full of schools that cheat but are able to cover it up. Texas is getting too big for its britches and I hope that spurs OU to a long streak of beating up on them. I almost wish we had gone to the Big 10.

 

[NickZepp]

Two things changed:

1. Plans to air high school games

2. Plans to air a conference game

I genuinely think that the rest of the Big 12-2 member schools were blindsided by this.

I still can't figure out why they were blindsided by this. It sounds like something Texas would do reguardless of rules. There is no way it's legal to have a network with your universities name to play high school football games. It's like playing high school football games of unsigned players on an official web page It's illegal.

 

[oSuJeff97]

Either way, I think OU's alleged "disapproval" of the Longhorn Network is strongly overblown. At the very least, it shouldn't be associated with Texas A&M's disenchantment.

The extent to which the A&M administration has massive butthurt about everything Texas does is really amazing to me.

It's (somewhat) understandable if FANS act that way... god knows there are lots of OSU fans who have total butthurt about anything OU does...

But for the school and administration to throw a collective temper tantrum about UT every other day just strikes me as strange.

 

[stoops4pres]

The extent to which the A&M administration has massive butthurt about everything Texas does is really amazing to me.

It's (somewhat) understandable if FANS act that way... god knows there are lots of OSU fans who have total butthurt about anything OU does...

But for the school and administration to throw a collective temper tantrum about UT every other day just strikes me as strange.

Agreed. The Aggie administration is looking pathetic at this point.