Asked and Answered - My Thoughts on Conference Realignment
By Robert AllenAugust 29, 2021
STILLWATER – A subscriber reached out and asked me to write a column on my thoughts and solutions for college conference realignment and said even though I knew some people would rip ne for my opinions, he would like my thoughts. I don’t give a damn for those that want to rip me. “Haters will be haters.” That is a true statement, so let’s don’t let that stop us.
This may or may not surprise you, but some of my thoughts get buried or placed, depending how you look at it in most of my stories. That may be especially true with college athletics conference realignment.
Let’s start with this. I don’t blame Texas and Oklahoma for going to the SEC. Texas got bored with the Big 12 and that probably think that is the reason for their constant underachieving. Oklahoma needs the money with their roughly $210-million in debt in their athletic department. If the Southeastern Conference had offered Oklahoma State, I would think that the Cowboys would have gone. Still might, if that call comes at some point.
It is the way that Texas and Oklahoma went about it, sneaking through backdoor and legal protected attorney-client privileged channels. Nobody likes a sneak, especially when you are in a conference together. Texas and Oklahoma knew they would have to stay through 2025 or pay the piper heavily. Just be up front and tell everybody that you have no intention of staying and then everybody can about working toward their future rather than being caught in the surprise of the situation looking like a victim. That can be a weak and helpless feeling. Honesty is always the better policy even when you know the news is going to make them mad.
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby looked the worst on this whole ordeal. He was working side-by-side with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on the CFL Playoff expansion project and all the while, or a big part of it, Sankey was colluding with Bowlsby’s top two schools that he has repeatedly kissed up to and done his part to make them happy.
That is all residual, now as for the future.
1. Oklahoma State needs to end up in another conference. The Oklahoma State program plays football well enough (at a top 25 level), has enough TV eyeballs on their football (19th in the country), and facilities and budget comparable to the top-flight programs.
2. Staying in the Big 12 after Texas and Oklahoma are gone would be great. I love the other schools, especially Kansas State and Iowa State. We have been together a long time and we are truly schools with much in common and admire each other. It is just that without going and taking some solid Power Five schools (Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, or Utah) then it won’t add up to the numbers financially that it needs to.
3. The Big 12 can go and invite BYU, Boise State, Central Florida, South Florida, and more but it is still watered down. It won’t work long-term and will still leave the best candidates of the remaining eight in the Big 12 looking for the big invite from another league that they will accept.
4. Financially and politically the place you end up needs to work. The Alliance with the ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 isn’t a scheduling alliance. It may be someday, but right now it is a non aggression pact to soothe everybody and give some security. It was also done to put the SEC on notice that the other three are working to protect college athletics from the SEC greed for power and money. When ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said the Big 12 matters and that they will be watching what happens with the Big 12, Phillips meant the Alliance hopes the Big 12 will force Texas and Oklahoma to stay in the league as long as possible.
That still leaves us with where Oklahoma State will go. I believe in another year or so as the multi-media rights agreements for the Big Ten and the Pac-12 come up for negotiation on a new deal then conference realignment will come back. I can even see it being more organized, even open and above board.
1. No on the ACC. The conference is not a fit geographically and their long-term television contract (through 2036) doesn’t seem to balloon or grow making for less money for a newbie and for the 14 members of the conference.
2. The Big Ten is possible. The conference seemed to be interested in Oklahoma State. I know that OSU is not an AAU member but they are a Tier 1 research university. They are also far enough south to host night games in November, something the Big Ten would like to supply to it’s television partners. There is a slight chance here.
3. Pac-12 is a big chance. Oklahoma State and three others from the remaining eight take the Pac-12 to 16 and makes for two eight-team divisions. The travel wouldn’t be that hard. Oklahoma State brings value for the negotiations but OSU and the other three bring time zone value and allow the conference to comfortably provide games for all four major time slots on a college football Saturday with 11 a.m. central/noon eastern; 2:30 p.m central; 6-7 p.m. central or eastern; and late night Pac-12 after dark.
4. Finally, the SEC. Yes, the same league that helped start all of this. They will look to expand and the thought is Sankey would like to secure Texas for SEC recruiting. Oklahoma State and the three Texas schools do that. Oklahoma State brings some value and the SEC would have Bedlam as a television chip in the inventory each season.
Those are my thoughts. Primarily for now, be patient and enjoy the football season.
