Pac-10 possibly expanding to 16 teams

[elcheato]

There have been many rumblings of expansion when it comes to BCS conferences but the newest rumor is a huge one. There is a possibility that the PAC 10 could expand to 16 teams by adding six teams from the Big 12. These six teams “could” be Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Texas A&M. It is very important to note that these are just rumors at the present time and nothing has been set in stone but if this comes to fruition this will lead to a very interesting PAC 16 schedule.

The main reason the PAC 10 is looking to expand is to gain more revenue with a championship game and a lucrative TV schedule. Over the next few weeks the proposal of league expansion could get huge.

This could be huge... If this happens the big 12 is definitely finished. The remaining schools would just bolt to other conferences as well.

 

[The Young One]

FML...if this goes down we are ######. Because we have to bring KSUcks with us.

Nobody wants them.

 

[.GR]

Hell yes! Please make this happen somehow. The Pac-10 would be such a great conference.

 

[Dorado]

i just cant see texas an oklahmoma playing in the pac-10....

doubt this will happen

 

[playmaker7]

It would make the Pac-10 elite, but yeah, I doubt this will happen

 

[.GR]

Pac-10 > SEC if this happens

 

[Dorado]

i cant see texas moving to the pac-10 but i can defiantly see them going to the SEC

 

[elcheato]

This could easily happen... None of the schools care about location.. This move would bring in huge money.

 

[MapleLeaf]

So is the Big 12 just gonna fold? Missouri and Nebraska are going to the Big 10 probably

 

[Mooche]

I just don't get all this talk. I really don't. If Texas moves with Oklahoma to the Pac-10 it will absolutely bolster the competition, it would be fun to see. However, I really like the way it is now in the conference.

 

[.GR]

Pac-10 Ok's expansion option.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott emerged from the final day of conference meetings Sunday and announced that university presidents and chancellors have given him all the authority he needs to expand the Pac-10.

"What direction that process takes still could go in different directions, everything from remaining as we are as a Pac-10 that's got some very bright days ahead of it to a bigger conference footprint," Scott said. "I have the authority to take it in different directions, depending on various scenarios and discussions we're going to have."

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Scott wouldn't give any timeframe for expansion talks -- other than to reiterate that the deadline is the end of this year -- or discuss specific schools. However, it sounds as if he will aggressively court some of the biggest names in college sports, including Texas. The Big 12 is in danger of collapsing and could provide the Pac-10 with six new teams or more.

The Big 12 reportedly gave Missouri and Nebraska an ultimatum of Friday to decide if they will remain in the Big 12. If those schools leave, the Pac-10 could be strategically situated to gobble up Big 12 teams looking for bigger opportunities, including Texas. The most widely discussed scenario has Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado joining the Pac-10. There was some indication Sunday that Baylor could replace Colorado under pressure from the Texas Legislature.

"You've read about an awful lot of ideas. I'm not sure I've read every single one, but we probably have contemplated or are contemplating almost everything you've read about," Scott said. "The Pac-10's in a very fortunate position."

In addition to giving Scott the power to negotiate expansion, the conference also has made him the only voice on the matter. A handful of school presidents and chancellors declined comment when asked about the expansion talks as they left the final day of meetings at the Westin St. Francis hotel.

Washington president Mark Emmert, who will take over as the next chief executive of the NCAA in November, described the discussions as "Good. Good, but complicated."

Because the Pac-10 has to work out individual agreements with each of the schools involved and has to overcome major logistical issues, including complex travel scenarios, it's hard to imagine anything getting done in a matter of days. Scott said it's possible the expansion announcement could come as early as July 27, the first day of the Pac-10 football media days in New York. The new schools wouldn't join the Pac-10 until the 2012-2013 school year, Scott said.

The Pac-10 begins negotiating its new TV agreement at the end of this year and Scott said he needs to know the makeup of his conference before he sits down with TV executives. There are reports that expansion could be worth as much as $20 million per school. Scott hired the Creative Artists Agency to help negotiate the conference's next media deal.

One unnamed Big 12 school administrator told The American-Statesman of Austin, "I've talked to the Pac-10. There is an invitation. When it comes, it'll come fast."

Said Scott: "We absolutely could move more quickly if we needed to, but we're under no pressure to decide anything earlier than the end of the year."

Because the Big 12 is feeling the squeeze, Scott said he reached out to that conference's commissioner Dan Beebe and to several other conference commissioners. The collapse of the Big 12 would create an upheaval in the landscape of college sports that stretched from coast to coast.

"I know there's some anxiety being created there," Scott said.

Expansion isn't the only agenda on Scott's plate. He said he will unveil a series of marketing initiatives at the July 27 media day that will include airing Pac-10 games in Asian countries.

"The West Coast is the gateway to the Pacific Rim," Scott said. "We've got a lot of student-athletes with Asian roots. Some of our schools have a very high level of brand recognition in Asia and a lot of international interest. I think we're going to be the first collegiate conference to have an international marketing plan."

Mark Saxson covers USC football for ESPNLosAngeles.com.

 

[elcheato]

Some guy on Sportscenter just said this move will happen.

 

[The Young One]

Shoutout to nebraska for ruining the big 12. I <Censored>ing hate those douches.

 

[elcheato]

Don't blame them.. They only got like 7 million dollars last year from the big 12 for TV, the Big 10 gave out 20 million to all schools last season from the big ten network.

 

[The Young One]

Dont blame them...if it wasnt for them...the big 12 would be together.

Now my favorite college is ######.

 

[.GR]

Haha HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dorado]

colorado annouced that they will move to the pac-10

 

[Mooche]

colorado annouced that they will move to the pac-10

Yeah, was just about to post this. Here is the story:

Colorado is poised to announce as early as Thursday that the school is leaving the Big 12 to join the Pac-10.

Colorado's conference move was first reported by The Sporting News.

A source with direct knowledge of the Pac-10's discussions about adding more Big 12 teams told ESPN's Joe Schad on Thursday that from the Pac-10's perspective, it's "simply a matter of who signs next."

Colorado's impending move might spell the end for the Big 12 Conference. Nebraska is also poised to announce its move from the conference to the Big Ten.

The Boulder Daily Camera reported that Texas Gov. Rick Perry has asked Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor to meet Thursday so they can talk about ways the four state schools could remain in the same conference. A source confirmed to ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan that the four schools will meet Thursday.

A Big 12 football coach, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach on Wednesday night that if Nebraska left the Big 12 the conference would dissolve, according to his athletics director and university president. The coach said Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado would join the Pac-10, leaving Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State behind.

The coach said the Pac-10 favored Colorado over Baylor because of the Buffaloes' presence in the Denver TV market.

"Nebraska is the key," the coach said.

A source close to the Nebraska program told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that athletic director Tom Osborne informed some staff members within the past 24 hours the Cornhuskers were going to make the move to the Big Ten conference.

A source with knowledge of the Big Ten's plans confirmed to ESPN.com that Nebraska will join the Big Ten by the end of the week or early next week. The source said the formal process of accepting a candidate either has started or would be under way shortly, as Nebraska must formally apply for admission to the Big Ten.

"It's going to happen, unless something crazy happens in the final hours," the source said. "I think by this weekend, it's going to be wrapped up."

Besides Nebraska, no other candidates are imminent for the Big Ten, which could stay put with 12 members, the source said.

Another Big 12 coach said Wednesday night that an anticipated Nebraska announcement of moving toward the Big Ten Thursday would indeed trigger the death of the Big 12 and a mass migration west.

"If Nebraska leaves," the coach said, "everyone has to look."

The new conference would be split into divisions with Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado forming an Eastern Division with Arizona and Arizona State opposite the former Pac-8 (USC, UCLA, Stanford, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State) in the Western Division.

The coach said it's possible the Pac-16 would push for two automatic bids to the BCS, one for each division champion. That potential bonanza could open the possibility of the two division champs from one league playing for the national title, and it would eliminate the need for a conference championship game.

"The Pac-10 doesn't believe in a championship game," the coach said. "And coaches in the Big 12 don't like it anyway."

 

[Dorado]

wait!

so will it still be called the pac-10?

 

[MapleLeaf]

now what the hell is going to happen to Missouri and Kansas?