Oklahoma President Boren Interview, Talks Conference Realignment

[dayooper]

From Oklahoma Sooners board, cliff notes of his interview

That Boren interview was very interesting.

He admitted that the schools that left the Big 12 conference felt they were being bullied by Texas
He said that the former Big 12 Commissioner would have to consult with Texas and UT regents before being able to do big 12 business
He said he wanted to add Louisville and one other to build a bridge to West Virginia.
He said the Big 12 was close to breaking apart
He said OU had "2 or 3 other conferences that were interested". Then said he had flown to the west coast and the east coast as well as north, when talking to these other conferences. So...that would be West: PAC, North: B1G 10 East: ???? ACC??? merger? The SEC HQ isn't east coast, it's in Birmingham, AL.
He talked about having to stand up to Texas. About how OU was a major part of the conference, and how he & OU had to take it's role in leadership of the conference
He mentioned that some of OU's interest in realignment was "playing poker" and playing "hard ball" to get some of the things OU wanted.
He defended adding WVU as a cultural fit.

My big take away...if Boren had to make the decision, the Big 12 would add 2 schools to get back to 12, but no more. He also wants and likes the "Midwestern sensibilities" as he called them.

you can view the interview at SoonerSports.tv with a premium subscription.

He was very confident about how the Big 12 stands now, and how all 10 presidents get along and how they all had common "values" & how they all worked well together and could come to consensus agreements. He didn't think you could get that in a large conference of 20 members. He didn't talk much about future beyond that he wanted the Big 12 to eventually get back to 12

The options that OU had he was talking about in the recent past....which would technically be pre-Grant of Rights. He talked of the interest in OU in the present tense, which you could infer means an on going interest.

Midwestern sensibilities? Is this liking Louisville and/or Cincinnati or a larger move to be with sensible midwesterners?

UT was bullying other schools. That's funny.

"He had talked of the interest in OU in the present tense" - Still talking with other conferences.

Link

 

[Seaa Blue]

UT was bullying other schools. That's funny.

"Bullying", "Ultimatum"
http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=204958981

Tomāto Tomäto

 

[dayooper]

"Bullying", "Ultimatum"
http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=204958981

Tomāto Tomäto

I should have been clearer, it cracks me up that Texas thinks and is allowed to bully other members. Strong, stable conferences don't do that. Certain schools may wield more power, but bullying isn't a term you hear from The SEC, The Pac, nor The Big10. Texas pushes/pushed it's weight around and UNC seems to like to bully as well. Our UNC friend Ramses 2.o takes pride in putting and keeping NCST in it's place.

 

[pj]

From Oklahoma Sooners board, cliff notes of his interview





Midwestern sensibilities? Is this liking Louisville and/or Cincinnati or a larger move to be with sensible midwesterners?

UT was bullying other schools. That's funny.

"He had talked of the interest in OU in the present tense" - Still talking with other conferences.

Link

Maybe he just wants the B12 to remain a feasible conference size after OU departs, so that OSU will still be in a playable conference (and maybe with continuing validity of the TV contracts) instead of in limbo, adrift without a conference. If OU, KU, and Texas depart, B12 would be down to 7 teams and in a poor position to attract new members - potentially the TV contract could be voided as well if they go below a minimum size.

The "Midwestern sensibilities" makes it sound like Boren really wants to be in the B1G. I think realignment is far from over.

 

[ramses 2.0]

I should have been clearer, it cracks me up that Texas thinks and is allowed to bully other members. Strong, stable conferences don't do that. Certain schools may wield more power, but bullying isn't a term you hear from The SEC, The Pac, nor The Big10. Texas pushes/pushed it's weight around and UNC seems to like to bully as well. Our UNC friend Ramses 2.o takes pride in putting and keeping NCST in it's place.

UNC does have alot clout but if it bullied like the OU Pres. is implying then UConn would be in the ACC. NCSU was founded for the express purpose of being UNC's land grant campus. NCSU has never been independently run & was managed directly by UNC's board for over a 100 yrs. In the 70's all public universities were merged into UNC. All 17 campuses are considered by state law as branches of the original campus in Chapel Hill.

 

[OkaForPrez]

BYU?

 

[dayooper]

UNC does have alot clout but if it bullied like the OU Pres. is implying then UConn would be in the ACC. NCSU was founded for the express purpose of being UNC's land grant campus. NCSU has never been independently run & was managed directly by UNC's board for over a 100 yrs. In the 70's all public universities were merged into UNC. All 17 campuses are considered by state law as branches of the original campus in Chapel Hill.

Yet you seem to relish the fact that UNC keeps NCST in it's place and they won't get their way.

My guess is it's just a little "brotherly love" but the impression is that UNC like it's fiefdom because it can control what happens is accepted by most. You say if UNC always gets it's way that it would be UConn in The ACC and not Louisville? FSU and Clamson made a power play and knew if they left, The ACC was in serious trouble. Kind of like OU making a power play trying to force UT's hand.

 

[ramses 2.0]

Yet you seem to relish the fact that UNC keeps NCST in it's place and they won't get their way.

My guess is it's just a little "brotherly love" but the impression is that UNC like it's fiefdom because it can control what happens is accepted by most. You say if UNC always gets it's way that it would be UConn in The ACC and not Louisville? FSU and Clamson made a power play and knew if they left, The ACC was in serious trouble. Kind of like OU making a power play trying to force UT's hand.

Or UNC could have tried to force the issue in 2011. Not much difference between Pitt& Uconn other than a larger TV market ,better recruiting territory & better football tradtion. If anything UNC knows when to throw it's weight around as evidenced by the Grant of Rights which nobody including myself thought could happen

 

[EROCK CONN]

On Redhawk's comments - North def meant The BIG; no way in h - e double hockey sticks would OU have ever considered joining the old Big East.

Louisville to The BIG 12 - great, I def needed another kick to the nuts by the same foot.

ACC - they always say it's a 'North Carolina centric' league. I don't know if that means UNC centric or the Carolina schools centric. Of the NC schools, I can't imagine that anyone but Duke and UNC have any real muscle. I'd imagine that NC ST could flex some muscle by threatening to leave for the SEC. I also think if UNC ever got wind of NC ST talking to the SEC then UNC would call the SEC and NC ST would have it's ticket number to the deli counter thrown in the trash thus putting NC ST back to where it started - under the wing UNC.

I think OU and Texas are happy in the BIG 12 because all they have to do is beat each other and then 9 other schools within the league that both schools should always beat. Honestly, I was just looking at a college football preview magazine, the leftovers in the BIG 12 - woooph. Baylor, TCU, K-State, Texas Tech, Iowa State - how long do the fanbases of OU / Texas look around and say we no longer want to travel around to a bunch of Motel 6s.

Dream scenario for us - Texas, OU, Kansas, UConn to the BIG.

 

[Cleanface]

 

[SenecaTinsley]

On Redhawk's comments - North def meant The BIG; no way in h - e double hockey sticks would OU have ever considered joining the old Big East.

Louisville to The BIG 12 - great, I def needed another kick to the nuts by the same foot.

ACC - they always say it's a 'North Carolina centric' league. I don't know if that means UNC centric or the Carolina schools centric. Of the NC schools, I can't imagine that anyone but Duke and UNC have any real muscle. I'd imagine that NC ST could flex some muscle by threatening to leave for the SEC. I also think if UNC ever got wind of NC ST talking to the SEC then UNC would call the SEC and NC ST would have it's ticket number to the deli counter thrown in the trash thus putting NC ST back to where it started - under the wing UNC.

I think OU and Texas are happy in the BIG 12 because all they have to do is beat each other and then 9 other schools within the league that both schools should always beat. Honestly, I was just looking at a college football preview magazine, the leftovers in the BIG 12 - woooph. Baylor, TCU, K-State, Texas Tech, Iowa State - how long do the fanbases of OU / Texas look around and say we no longer want to travel around to a bunch of Motel 6s.

Dream scenario for us - Texas, OU, Kansas, UConn to the BIG.

When you've been playing D1-A for a dozen years or so in front of crowds in the 30s to low 40s, I'm not sure sure referring to schools like OSU, ISU, KSU etc... as Motel 6s is a good idea.

 

[pj]

We'd have them surrounded!

 

[pj]

When you've been playing D1-A for a dozen years or so in front of crowds in the 30s to low 40s, I'm not sure sure referring to schools like OSU, ISU, KSU etc... as Motel 6s is a good idea.

Don't think that's what he was doing. I think it was a reference to the quality of the hotels found in Stillwater, Ames, and Manhattan; and the general idea that there might be more alluring destinations for OU/KU/UT fans.

 

[Limbo Land]

Tuxedo Yoda says that they are going to bring in Cincy and UCF for what it is worth. Would make sense I guess....?

 

[upstater]

Or UNC could have tried to force the issue in 2011. Not much difference between Pitt& Uconn other than a larger TV market ,better recruiting territory & better football tradtion. If anything UNC knows when to throw it's weight around as evidenced by the Grant of Rights which nobody including myself thought could happen

One thing to remember about TV markets. A huge chunk of CT is not in the Hartford market. Many fans don't realize this, but I'm sure people like Delany understand that 1/3rd of Connecticut is in NYC's DMA.

 

[businesslawyer]

Or UNC could have tried to force the issue in 2011. Not much difference between Pitt& Uconn other than a larger TV market ,better recruiting territory & better football tradtion. If anything UNC knows when to throw it's weight around as evidenced by the Grant of Rights which nobody including myself thought could happen

Well, or four basketball championships in the last fifteen years. But those presumably stopped being important when UNC stopped winning them frequently.

 

[SenecaTinsley]

Don't think that's what he was doing. I think it was a reference to the quality of the hotels found in Stillwater, Ames, and Manhattan; and the general idea that there might be more alluring destinations for OU/KU/UT fans.

Don't think that's what he was doing. I think it was a reference to the quality of the hotels found in Stillwater, Ames, and Manhattan; and the general idea that there might be more alluring destinations for OU/KU/UT fans.

Given Kansas fans don't attend their home football games, I doubt they care much where the road games are being held.

 

[Calamitous]

Midwestern sensibilities? Is this liking Louisville and/or Cincinnati or a larger move to be with sensible midwesterners?

UT was bullying other schools. That's funny.

"He had talked of the interest in OU in the present tense" - Still talking with other conferences.

Link

It's strange indeed, for Boren to come out and say the things like he did. My favorite line was "some of OU's interest in realignment was "playing poker" and playing "hard ball" to get some of the things OU wanted." I guess Big Texas will now know OU's poker hand in the future.

Now that Boren says he wants to expand 2 more, it sounds like OU wants to preserve the Big XII rather than desert it. I would bet 8 other schools want to preserve the Big XII as well by expanding 2 more. I've been saying for a while that the Big XII will stick together as long as Texas and OU want to preserve that conference. It will be interesting to see Texas' stance on adding 2 more members. If Texas still wants to remain king of a conference, they might just want to go along with everyone else for a change.

So if adding 2, do they go east to give WVU some eastern partners or west to grab BYU and someone like Boise State?

 

[bobbyinaz]

It's strange indeed, for Boren to come out and say the things like he did. My favorite line was "some of OU's interest in realignment was "playing poker" and playing "hard ball" to get some of the things OU wanted." I guess Big Texas will now know OU's poker hand in the future.

Now that Boren says he wants to expand 2 more, it sounds like OU wants to preserve the Big XII rather than desert it. I would bet 8 other schools want to preserve the Big XII as well by expanding 2 more. I've been saying for a while that the Big XII will stick together as long as Texas and OU want to preserve that conference. It will be interesting to see Texas' stance on adding 2 more members. If Texas still wants to remain king of a conference, they might just want to go along with everyone else for a change.

So if adding 2, do they go east to give WVU some eastern partners or west to grab BYU and someone like Boise State?

I think it will be one of the directional Fla schools (whichever FOX says is the best fit) & BYU. The only way Cinci get in is if BYU stands firm on their no play on Sunday rule. While the Sunday rule doesn't affect football it will affect scheduling for all other sports.

 

[B1GEast]

if the b12 took lville, we'd be in the acc right now, too bad