Chip Brown of Yahoo Sports site Orangebloods.com reports Thursday afternoon:
(Many happy returns?)
… it appears the Pac-10, which has its meetings in San Francisco starting this weekend, is prepared to make a bold move and invite Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado to join its league, according to multiple sources close to the situation.
Left out would be Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska and Missouri.
Brown reports the Pac-10 would then split the conference into two divisions:
The six teams from the Big 12 would be in an eight-team division with Arizona and Arizona State. The other eight-team division would consist of USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State.
With the newly-expanded conference, Brown reports the 16-team league would assemble a television network that could potentially mean $20 million per school in annual revenue. That number would more than double the annual net income accrued by current Big 12 and Pac-10 schools.
Also noted is Fox Sports TV’s prime position to partner with the possible 16-team league.
Brown:
An invitation from the Pac-10 will be hard for the six Big 12 schools being targeted not to consider. Why? Because Fox Cable Networks (a division of News Corporation), which serves as the chief operating partner of the successful Big Ten Network, appears ready to make the Big 16 Network happen.
Fox is the chief television partner of the Pac-10 currently, and its subsidiary Fox Sports Net currently holds the rights to the Big 12 cable package, which comes up for bid in the spring of 2011. The Pac-10 also has television deals with Fox up for re-bid at the same time.
This is so cool! (At least for those of us in L.A.)
Though there’s one not-so-small catch to the whole darned thing: The University of Texas.
Orangebloods.com is a site dedicated to Texas athletics and it isn’t a coincidence, in my opinion, that Brown buries the lede of his Pac-10 expansion story as it pertains to the Longhorns:
Believe it or not, it’s still Texas’ goal to hold the Big 12 together, and simply create a non-conference football scheduling alliance with the Pac-10 that would help generate a big-money, cable TV deal for both leagues.
Such a move would continue to allow Texas to pursue its own network and create a unique, potentially lucrative revenue stream UT wouldn’t have to share. If Texas ended up as one of the six schools going off to join forces with the Pac-10, it would likely have to forgo its own network.
Brown reports that Texas is allegedly no longer enamored by the prospect of joining the Big 10, so that leaves two options:
1) If the Longhorns stay in the Big 12, they want their own TV network with no league revenue sharing from the proceeds of that endeavor.
2) If the Longhorns go to the Pac-10, at the very least they would double their annual conference revenue payout thanks to the alleged TV deal with Fox Sports.
There’s also been talk of Texas going independent, but that’s probably no more than a bargaining chip created for leverage in the negotiation of future conference arrangements.
Another very intriguing political piece to the puzzle is Texas A&M. Brown notes of Texas A&M’s Athletic Director Bill Byrne seeming unwillingness to consider joining the Pac-10:
Byrne has used the example of when the Aggies had their men’s and women’s basketball teams in Spokane and Seattle for the NCAA Tournament in March and couldn’t get back to College Station until 6:30 a.m. with students having to attend 8 a.m. classes.
It’s no coincidence Byrne’s example included cities in the Pac-10’s dominant time zone.
Then there’s this about Byrne from the HOUSTON CHRONICLE today:
Take Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne’s reaction Wednesday when asked if the Southeastern Conference is an option for the Aggies, should the Big 12 break up.
“It might be,” Byrne said, pausing. “You know what? It might be.”
Byrne knows full well that Texas has no intention of joining the SEC, so is it any coincidence that he made those comments mere hours before a Texas-centric site reported that the Longhorns may be part of Pac-10 expansion?
What Byrne is really saying with that comment about the SEC is that his school isn’t just going to fall into whatever decision Texas makes about conference affiliation. If A&M is to go to the Pac-10, Texas and the conference will have to make it worth their while.
Also consider the in-state political difficulties involved in Texas trying break up the inter-conference relationship with A&M if the Aggies won’t follow the Longhorns to another conference. Don’t be surprised if the state legislature attempts some sort of legal recourse to prevent a breakup.
This Pac-10 expansion situation is all about Texas proactively poking around trying to get the best possible financial deal. While I don’t necessarily subscribe to the Pac-10 expansion part of this story, I do believe that now it’s clear who the true proactive power player is in all of this: The Texas Longhorns.
4:17 pm on June 3rd, 2010
DESPERATION SLACK 10…Brooks can u find out what effect this expansion would have on the usc hard salary cap number
4:41 pm on June 3rd, 2010
Tough economy, the SC salary cap is sure to go down a million or two for next season.
5:34 pm on June 3rd, 2010
Who needs Texas A&M this would be Awesome for Texas to join a Conference with so much Exposure and Contending for the Rose Bowl every year does not sound to bad! The TV Revenue would make up for the traveling expenses, remember how many Texas Fans went to the past few Rose Bowls, Unbelievable!!!
Go for it Texas , I’m a Austinite who would not mind investing to watch Sporting Events in California and other Pac 10 Conference Events, it would be like a vacation!!!
“HOOK EM HORNS”
6:25 pm on June 3rd, 2010
Time Zone will be a bitch for fans living on the East Coast (where most people live). It does combine the major HS recruiting states of CA and TX, and that could have interesting implications for conference domination.
7:10 pm on June 3rd, 2010
would love to see texas join our conference as much as i dislike but respect them. we could watch a rematch of the greatest NC game of all time. every year we’ll can see Texas-USC face off in the PAC10 title game. ill be every bit as good as a Florida-Bama title game.
Academically and athletically Texas is a perfect match for the PAC10.
PAC10 champ vs. SEC champ every year. it effectively works like 4 team playoff.
7:28 pm on June 3rd, 2010
how good of conference would that make to have two of the three best football talent producing states in one conference. texas and california.
plus this preserves those traditional rivalries. the fans will love the idea of creating what is essentially a 4 team playoff.
7:30 pm on June 3rd, 2010
im sure the elite big12 program would rather end their season at the rose bowl over the fiesta bowl.
7:32 pm on June 3rd, 2010
texas has some great times in pasadena, and hopefully many more to come with this deal. plus double the revenue.
8:28 pm on June 3rd, 2010
Screw this crap!! we dont need 16 team-conferences!!
Make 8 conferences of 10-12 teams, (Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC, Big East, ACC, Mountain West, and load up a C-USA. Take the other schools and make Division 1-FBS2, and then there could be an 8 team playoff for the national championship!!
8:55 pm on June 3rd, 2010
Picture this-
Big 12 North- OU, OSU, Tulsa, Arkansas, TCU, SMU
Big 12 South- TEX, A&M, Tech, Baylor, LSU, then Houston, Rice or UTEP
SEC East- AU, Bama, Ole Miss, MSU, Southern Miss and someone else maybe Troy
SEC West- UF, FSU, USF, Miami, Georgia, GT
MTN West- Utah, BYU, Arizona, ASU, Boise St. , USU, CU, CSU, Wyoming, Air Force
Pac 12- Oregon, OSU, Wash, WSU, UCLA, Cal, USC, Stan, Haw, Fresno, and 2 more
CUSA East-Tenn, Kent, Vandy, Memphis, Louisville, and someonel ocal like Kent st or a school from Mich
CUSA West- Kansas, Neb, KSU, Mizzou, Iowa, ISU
Big TEN- drop Iowa and Penn St., Add ND, Ohio, another local school like Central Mich
Big East- Syracuse, Rutgers, Pitt, Penn St, UCONN, Maryland, Buffalo, and 3 more in the area
ACC Coastal- WVU, Virginia, VT, Marshall, and 2 more closeby
ACC Atlantic- UNC, NC St, USC, East Carolina, UCF, and FAU or FIU
all the rest be split into the MAC, Sunbelt, WAC, and a New conference could have their new division
It would help settle a lot of things
8:56 pm on June 3rd, 2010
Screw Pasedena, The Fiesta Bowl is wayy nicer, I would rather be in that facilty!!
10:44 pm on June 3rd, 2010
I say do it…. There are talks that the Cotton Bowl will be elevated to a BCS Bowl game that can also be tied to the “Big 16″. Cowboys Stadium is blows all the other venues away!
11:15 pm on June 3rd, 2010
(SEC East- AU, Bama, Ole Miss, MSU, Southern Miss and someone else maybe Troy
SEC West- UF, FSU, USF, Miami, Georgia, GT)
Why would you put all the East teams in the west and vice versa?
9:06 am on June 4th, 2010
As an Austinite, we are keenly aware that our longhorns already make more money than any other athletic program across the country in terms of revenue. In fact, 20 million more than the second closest school Ohio State. Texas doesn’t need this deal for the TV money. We’ve already got all the money. DeLoss Dodds the athletic director for Texas was once quoted famously, “At Texas we don’t have to try to keep up with the Jones’, we are the Jones’.” That I would say sums up the attitude around here nicely. Everyone wants a piece of us because were the biggest cash cow in all of college sports. That doesn’t mean that we should join some no talent conference that we have no real geographical or historical affiliation with. That includes both the Pac 10 and the Big 10. The idea that Texas would go to either is frankly laughable.
2:58 pm on June 4th, 2010
Guys please ignore CSimmsSux despite his timely name, he doesn’t speak for all of us in Austin.
Texas has had it with the Big 12’s lack for forward-thinking. Their goal is literally to just stand pat. That’s why the conference will be done soon.
This just makes too much sense. As fans, we’re fed up with the Iowa State thrashings. Texas fans want to keep the old rivalries — OU, Tech, Aggies — and this is simply the only way for the family to stay together.
3:49 pm on June 4th, 2010
Texas A&M? Why? They will be a doormat, and if they go to the SEC, a laughing stock. But A&M is not really a football school. Fun to watch the aggies act like they are players.
7:57 pm on June 4th, 2010
Overall, we know that the Big Ten does not want Tech, but does the Pac-10 really want them too? You can tell that football is still bigger than basketball since Kansas is not thought of rather than Tech. While Tech has had accreditation issues lately, KU has athletic department financial issues which have been talked about here (ticket scalping and Lew Perkins’ equipment deal)
Lubbock does allow them to get the inside the cable households of New Mexico as well as west Texas.
9:46 am on June 5th, 2010
If A&M doesn’t go along with it, they should grab TCU… to go with UT and Tech in the state of Texas. TCU is better than A&M anyway…
9:55 am on June 5th, 2010
GOOD LUCK LONG-WHORNES
10:00 am on June 5th, 2010
The BigXII is near the end of its days. Texas has been running the conference since it started and finally someone else (Mizzu) has stepped up. It was Mizzu who started this by begging the Big10 to include them. When its done it is pretty simple. Texas, T-Tech, T A&M, OU, OSU, and Colo all join the Pac10 with ASU and AU in the South division. They would only have to travel to the coast for 1 road game a year. Texas and OU keep rival schools.
Big10 picks off Mizzu, KU, K-State, Neb, Iowa St. to form its 16 team conference. Minnesota, Wisc, Ill join the west 8 teams.
Mizzu and Ill are rivals, and Iowa vs Iowa St and Iowa vs. Neb will be rivals. OSU and Mich still get to play every year.
Baylor is the only one left standing and most likely join the mountain west.
12:21 pm on June 5th, 2010
The PAC 10 ADs may want Tech, Ok State and OU. But can you imagine the University Presidents, who will make this decision, wanting these schools to join up wit Cal and Stanford! No way, they value the academic standards of the PAC 10. To extend an invitation it must be unanimous. Can you rally see the Presidents of Stanford and Cal inviting Oklahoma State and Tech? ADs like it but University Presidents no! ADs float romors, the university presidents will make the decision.
11:41 pm on June 5th, 2010
Why don’t the Texas schools form a Southwest Conference? Yeah I know, they already did that, but the SWC was fun.
10:04 am on June 6th, 2010
Now There goes a pack of onions
12:44 am on June 7th, 2010
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4:00 pm on June 7th, 2010
Interesting concept. Horns are able to recruit nationally and have a national following with numerous UT-Exes chapters across the nation. The Horns travel well, but do the West Coast schools?
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