Report: Big 12 Schools' Legal Gambit Is About Oklahoma, Not Texas A&M [UPDATE: Maybe Not]
by Year2 on Sep 7, 2011 6:05 PM EDT
in Conference Realignment
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PrintA report from the Waco Tribune says that Baylor and the other schools currently blocking Texas A&M's Big 12 exit are not really trying to prevent A&M from leaving. It's really all about Oklahoma:
If Oklahoma reaffirms its commitment to the Big 12, the schools are expected to sign the waiver that would allow the Aggies to go to the SEC without any legal action. The Sooners, who are reportedly considering a move to the Pac-12, are expected to make their decision within the next two weeks.
A few weeks ago (maybe a month, I can't remember at this point), the general feeling became that the Big 12 would continue with nine teams and maybe add a tenth if Texas A&M left. Two things have happened since then. First, the pie-in-the-sky expansion candidates (Notre Dame and Arkansas) declined, and the rest of the Big 12 figured out that they weren't getting anyone better than maybe BYU or more likely TCU or Houston. Second, Oklahoma became extremely vocal in insisting that it would explore all of its options. The Big 12 can survive as a BCS automatic qualifier without Texas A&M, but it can't without Oklahoma.
The non-power schools are basically using the only scrap of leverage they have left to try to keep the conference together. They're trying to slow things down and extract a pledge from Oklahoma that it will give the Big 12 without A&M a try before bolting to the Pac-12. I doubt they think that legal threats will keep OU in the conference; it's all about buying time.
It's likely a fool's errand though. Texas A&M committed to the Big 12 last summer, and look where we are now. If OU wants to go, nothing it commits to in the next few days will ultimately stop it from leaving.
UPDATE
Travis Haney reports that an Oklahoma official hasn't heard anything about this. Who knows what's actually going on, but there's your denial from OU.
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The irony of all of this is
if Baylor is doing this in order to keep OU. A&M may have a suit against Baylor for tortious interference of contract. Take that Ken Starr.
I doubt Larry Scott is going to care about the threat of lawsuits
I’m betting that OU is operating under the assumption that Texas A&M is gone in the near future even if Baylor and co. can bind them to the Big 12 this year. Thus, they will either choose to leave for the Pac 12, in which case the conference is dead and Texas A&M will wind up in the SEC anyway or they’ll stick around and the deal will go through. The only potential issue would be if the Pac 12 has a similar condition to the SEC, which I don’t imagine to be very likely.
So those schools are trying to blackmail OU
by threatening TAMU? And they actually think OU would agree to this! No wonder some schools are trying to jump off this ship of fools.
I am at the same conclusion EV
If this is what the schools have had to deal with it is an absolute joke.
Probably not
They’re almost certainly using this merely to buy time.
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If you're so inclined, follow me @Year2
Sure but at what cost?
Do they really think that all of this fiasco is going to keep OU or A&M at bay? Even if it does put the brakes on temporarily what do they gain from it? It is very apparent that the conference is done for. I don’t understand what Baylor has to gain from any of this other than a few more weeks or months playing in a quasi defunct conference.
Yes but this is to keep TAMU not OU
OU would still have to want to stay in a dysfunctional and unstable conference. A conference that wants to add smaller programs at that.
by ev on Sep 7, 2011 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions
No
Like I said, if they want to leave, they’ll ultimately leave.
The other Big 12 schools have no other choice than to stall for time. The alternative is complete capitulation, and the leadership at these schools have to be able to tell their boards of directors, fans, alumni, and donors that they did everything they could.
Maybe it’s fruitless to call your last timeout after your opponent rushes for 5 yards on first-and-10 with 1:45 on the clock and you’re down by a score, but you have to do it in order to have the remote possibility of a punt return touchdown.
Team Speed Kills -- SBNation's SEC Blog
If you're so inclined, follow me @Year2
Thanks
Now it becomes much clearer when you put it in football terms. End of the day, A&M and OU are gone. I guess it is all just a big Admin whitewash.
Baptists, you know
They love to TRY to tell others how to live their lives.
by artiger on Sep 7, 2011 8:27 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Wow,
that seems a little out of bounds? Besides it’s not just Baylor anymore. I’m Baptist, deployed twice to iraq. Did it so you can live whatever the hell kind of life you want.
by Aaron.50cal on Sep 7, 2011 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
lol, last time I checked
the South was predominately Baptist. Probably not so much in NOLA but still no reason to get into a religious debate. How about we stick to football?
Thanks for your service Aaron.
LOL
He mad.
"Hey, don't y'all think that's beautiful right there? That crystal is SO beautiful. And it's coming home to Texas." - Vince Young
I live in the south, I'm surrounded by various denominations of Christians
But none of them are as active at proselytizing as the Baptists. That is a fact borne out by personal experience. I’m sorry if that offends you,but the truth hurts sometimes.
That right?
Your personal experiences does not speak for the whole. It is neither complete truth nor fact but it’s your logic to believe if you so wish. Bet you wouldn’t have guessed i’m a Libertarian who believes in personal choices. Your truth doesn’t offend me so need to for an apology, it’s a sign of weakness.
That's not a very Christian attitude to take. (NOTE THE SARCASTIC FONT IN WHICH THIS IS WRITTEN.)
Look, can whatever idiot started the religious war by bashing Baptists please lay the hell off? And can everybody else just let it drop and stop replying to the guy?
This is a sports blog, not “let’s talk about which religions and/or politicians we hate” blog.
We can all agree on one religion here, and that’s college football. Let’s stick to that.
No you're right
But it’s hard for me not NOT replying in something I believe. Just as i’m sure it would be if someone attacked something you believe. But you’re right…here it should only be football..
As difficult as it is...
… I try to adhere to my own personal internet rule #1 when someone is irrationally attacking something I value very highly and isn’t responding to reason (or at all). I’m not always successful, but I try.
Rule #1:
by vineyarddawg on Sep 7, 2011 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions
There is not much in this world
That pisses me off more than people attacking others behind a screen name. I’m not Baptist, but that comment is extremely inappropriate, and really just a jackass thing to say.
How bout you learn to take a joke?
A little self-deprecating humor never hurt anyone.
"Hey, don't y'all think that's beautiful right there? That crystal is SO beautiful. And it's coming home to Texas." - Vince Young
Consider this a warning
No politics, no religion. Let’s keep it civil.
Team Speed Kills -- SBNation's SEC Blog
If you're so inclined, follow me @Year2
My apologies, sincerely.
Sometimes a joke seems funny, but looks anything but after it’s on the screen. It won’t happen again.
It's about OU, time, control, and (what else?) money.
None of these schools know where they’re going to land. They can’t strike up agreements with conferences right now, because chances are that they’d only be added if superconferencemageddon happened. The only conferences we know for sure are interested in adding teams are the SEC and the Pac-12. The Big East is, of course, always looking for new members, but it remains to be seen if that’s a viable option for some of them.
This is the only way for these schools to recapture any measure of control of the situation and it’s every man for himself right now. Don’t blame them. This whole thing is cut-throat everywhere you look. They’re being no more vicious than anyone else. A&M is saying to them: “No hard feelings. If you’re inconvenienced, so sorry.” So they’re saying it right back. “Oh, you don’t like us doing this? Quite frankly, we don’t care, A&M.”
They want more time because of the money situation. Many of these schools have already entered into various agreements and are depending on the excessively large payout they get from the Big 12. They have expenses. They’re not super-wealthy universities like Texas and OU who can just do what they want and not really have it affect their bottom line. So they need to figure out how they’re going to find a new source of revenue to cover their costs.
It’s a ridiculous stipulation by the SEC in the first place. If just about anybody asked just about anybody else in this country to give up their power to sue, they’d tell you to f*ck off. If the SEC really wants Texas A&M, they will add them. They are free to leave. But the SEC is placing this burden on Texas A&M. It’s like they’re saying: “We like you, but not enough to take any risk. You aren’t really worth it.” And they’re making A&M handle all of this, as if it’s their burden alone.
Regardless of what you say, the SEC is raiding the Big 12 by adding one of its members. And they’re saying to the Big 12: We’ll raid your conference and deprive you of all kinds of money, but only if you agree not to sue us. Deal?"
What kind of deal is that? That’s about the rawest deal I’ve ever heard of in my life. Can you blame them for saying no thanks?
"Hey, don't y'all think that's beautiful right there? That crystal is SO beautiful. And it's coming home to Texas." - Vince Young
I agree with you on many points
1)I am of the opinion that the SEC should take A&M right not regardless of any threats of litigation. If A&M wants in the SEC, and it is apparent that they do, then bring them in as quickly as possible and fight anyone that wants to hamper that process.
2) It is a shame these teams aren’t super wealthy and are depending on “excessively large” payouts from the B12. If the B12 were to model it’s payout structure the same way the SEC does, ie and equal division of revenues shared between all teams then they would probably be a little more able to fend for themselves. That is why we have teams such as Miss St., Ole Miss, Vandy, Kentucky and even SC to some extent that have and will continue to thrive although not being a super power such as a Texas or OU.
3) Regardless of what you say the SEC is not and did not raid the B12. A&M wanted out, the SEC provided an alternative path. It is quite ironic that Nebraska & Oklahoma left the B12 last year and faulted Texas for their departure, A&M is in the process of leaving and faults Texas for their departure, OU, while not leaving yet is definitely on it’s way out and Mizzou would have left last year given the opportunity but the B10 snubbed their nose at them. These are all teams in your conference that are on a mass exodus and you have the audacity to blame the SEC over problems that Texas has created? It is apparent that they only teams that would stay in the B12 are the teams that rely on Texas’ generosity with their conference revenues. I am not saying that Texas doesn’t deserve a bigger piece of the pie in the grand scheme of things. I would argue that they do deserve it. My only argument is, when Texas takes a bigger but, pretty much does what it wants to do at the detriment of other teams in it’s conference and those teams get mad and want to leave don’t blame the conferences that decide to take them in. Texas has created the animosity among the teams, not the SEC, not the PAC and not the B10. You may think all of us are stupid but even a blind man can see what has happened in the B12 over the past few years and it isn’t the fault of every other conference in the nation.
By the way, the last time Texas checked, Arkansas wasn’t interested. We in the SEC haven’t had any teams looking to leave, I wonder why?
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