Big12 to David Boren:

[Red_Alert]

The new SWC

North

TCU
Texas Tech
Oklahoma St
Kansas St
Iowa St
SMU
North Texas

South

Texas
Baylor
UTEP
Rice
Houston
Texas St
Texas San Antonio

.

 

[Deep Creek]

The new SWC

North

TCU
Texas Tech
Oklahoma St
Kansas St
Iowa St
SMU
North Texas

South

Texas
Baylor
UTEP
Rice
Houston
Texas St
Texas San Antonio

.

Now that's funny.

However, prior to the formation of the new SWC, the Texas legislature passes legislation requiring all Texas HS football players to play college football at a university located inside the state of Texas.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Now that's funny.

However, prior to the formation of the new SWC, the Texas legislature passes legislation requiring all Texas HS football players to play college football at a university located inside the state of Texas.

Now you're talking. Funny thing about OU crying, they already make more money than the pac 12, so the only way they'd make more is to join the Big ten. Football would take a big hit, but at least they'd get paid to be a stepping stone for the big dogs like Nebraska is now.

 

[Tharvot]

So if you are a president in another P5 conference right now do you like what you see from Boren as a potential peer? Will your conversations that you want kept private remain private when it comes to him if he deems it ok to tell the world?
He may well be hurting OU's chances at a move somewhere rather than helping it iyam if that is indeed his goal.

I think his peers in other conferences like what they're seeing out of Boren. Comes across (from the outside) as someone who isn't happy with the status quo and wants to do whatever he can to make things better.

 

[Texas Jefe]

here's how I see it:

That Kevin Weigert (sp) guy pushed for a conference network.

Nebraska, OU, A&M voted No.

Texas daydreamed about joining the Pac.

Epsins caught wind of that, and decided they would spend 300 million bucks to keep Texas in the Big12, and most importantly, OUT OF FOX(Pac). Above all else, they didn't want to lose them to that dastardly FOX bunch.

Texas said, well yeah, we'll take 300 million to stay right here. A&M went 'shit!', and left for the SEC. Nebraska went, 'darnit', those bullies, and left for the B1G. OU went 'crap', and decided to stay in the Big12 with Texas and explore their own Third Tier monies.

Now, Boren is looking at the green grass elsewhere, and wants a conference network now. Laying the groundwork for the future- two years from now, 8 years from now or whenever. That conference network thing worked out pretty good for the SEC; B1G members are making a lot of money, so let's do it.

Problem is this: NO ONE IS BEATING DOWN THE DOOR TO GRAB THOSE TV SETS IN IOWA AND KANSAS.

That's how I see it.

 

[Goldbug]

How David Boren feels about Texas

Berry Tramel Published: February 17, 2016



David Boren talks in The Oklahoman studio. (Photo by Doug Hoke)

OU and Texas are the Big 12 power-brokers and often are on different sides of an issue. Like the current debates over conference expansion and implementation of a Big 12 network.

But OU president David Boren says the Red River rivals’ relationship is strong.

Boren on Tuesday told The Oklahoman that Big 12 presidents agreed to make an expansion decision by this summer. I wrote about it for the Wednesday Oklahoman, which you can read here. But I didn’t use all of the Boren material, so let’s share it.

Starting with the OU/Texas relationship. Boren said the entire demeanor of the Big 12 board room has improved.

“Every year, since what we went through not too long ago, the Pac-12 and all the things that happened, the turmoil of other schools leaving the conference, it’s taken awhile for things to kind of settle down,” Boren said. “For people to feel comfortable around the table. I think we’re really getting there. For all the rumors, are we knocking heads with Texas or somebody, I have a very cordial relationship with the president of Texas, the new president (Gregory Fenves), relatively new president, very sharp individual. They have a new athletics director (Mike Perrin). It’s kind of a new regime, although probably my past spats with them have been exaggerated.

“It’s very interesting. A lot of times, the issues are semi-academic. Oklahoma and Texas more often than not are alike in the Big 12. We’re not always at opposite ends of things. We more than likely are in agreement. But I think the cordiality of all of it is getting better. Trust, confidence in each other is getting better.”

Boren said he “felt good” about the collegiality of the Big 12 meetings a couple of weeks ago in Irving, Texas. Boren said was “probably more heartened” about the Big 12, after the conference meetings. “Everybody is very cordial about it. There’s no feeling on our part that we want to get the best of any other particular school on this, I think we all want to be fair to everybody. So it’s good. The tone of the meeting was good. And the determination. We did all say among ourselves, we’re going to try to get this all decided by this summer.”

Other Boren talking points about his three stated reforms: expansion to 12 schools, a football championship game and implementation of a conference network:

* On the necessity for action: “I think it would be counterproductive for me to push anyone to a corner. Or make it hard for them to make a decision based on the facts. But I think the way it’s unfolding, we’re just having the facts brought into us. I think the facts will dictate the reforms I’ve talked about. As long as we get people to talk not emotionally, not self-protectedly. But what are the facts? What are the dollars? What’s at stake? If we’re going to look out 10 years from now, are we going to have $10 million less than the other conferences we’re competing with? A fact-driven decision is sort of the mode we’re in.”

* On what kind of issues will be researched: “People want to say, let’s get a better handle on the dollars. For example, if we have a network. Here’s Texas. We all know about their Longhorn Network. Makes a certain amount a year. Ours makes about $5 million a year. Do we want to give up that $5 million and not be compensated? Do they want to give up their $15 million a year and not be compensated? But if expansion and a championship game and network brings $7 or $8 million each to every school, then we can afford for five or 10 years to have a revenue distribution that kind of makes these other schools whole. So what are the real figures? We have people working with us. Conference staff, consultants.”

* On Boren’s own personal stake in the Big 12: “Having been the only one left having started with the conference at the beginning, and having seen things that needed to happen, and having seen schools leave like Texas A&M and Nebraska and Missouri, which for me was heart-breaking, I just felt, will we ever take action? I think we will. I think we’re moving forward, I think we’re making progress. I probably move forward with decisions more quickly than most people would on things. But I think we’re making progress. So I’m just saying to myself, be patient, let the facts speak for itself, let the data speak for themselves. Let’s make non-emotional, data-driven decisions.”

* Boren is hammering home the data. The data, the data, the data: “Sometimes that’s the best way to persuade. You can have arguments and emotions, but when the data kind of speaks, which I think it will… In the long run, we need a conference network. We don’t want to have X number of other Power 5 conferences having a lot more revenue than we have. That affects the health of all our athletic departments. But we are really seriously looking at this. And I’m convinced my fellow presidents are looking at this with an opening mind in terms of what the data tells us.”

* On the timing of this summer: “It’s a good time to act. Let’s don’t wait until we have a crisis or we’re about to lose a member or two. We’re stable right now, we like each other. Most people in the Big 12 want to stay in the Big 12. It’s the right time to make progress. When we’re not in crisis mode. When we were about to fall apart and there were all these Pac-12 rumors and all these other rumors, you couldn’t get anything done except maybe hopefully stay together. But now we have an opportunity. It’s a position of strength. Let’s not move at a time of crisis. And let’s look out, not just this year, but 5-10 years from now, what’s going to be the long-term strength and stability of this conference? I want Oklahoma to be in a conference that is strong and stable and long-term, not just now, not just while I’m here, but after I’m gone. I tell them all, let’s get this all settled while I’m still here. I’d like to be part of the solution. But we’re making progress. And the tone of the meeting was very civil. Very thoughtful.”

On potential expansion targets: “We’re all talking with each other. We’ve agreed not to speculate about any one school or another school that might get in. But we have some good choices. We’ve all agreed to be very confidential about schools. We don’t want to let some school get a lot of publicity and they’re ‘oh, they’re about to get in the Big 12,’ and maybe they don’t get in. We don’t want to have any of that. So we’re trying to keep that all in-house.”

 

[HuskerinBig10]

Interesting, the second to last paragraph....

Most people in the Big 12 want to stay in the Big 12.

 

[Goldbug]

Interesting, the second to last paragraph....

I noticed that too. That is an interesting comment.

 

[HuskerinBig10]

here's how I see it:

That Kevin Weigert (sp) guy pushed for a conference network.

Nebraska, OU, A&M voted No.

Texas daydreamed about joining the Pac.

Epsins caught wind of that, and decided they would spend 300 million bucks to keep Texas in the Big12, and most importantly, OUT OF FOX(Pac). Above all else, they didn't want to lose them to that dastardly FOX bunch.

Texas said, well yeah, we'll take 300 million to stay right here. A&M went 'shit!', and left for the SEC. Nebraska went, 'darnit', those bullies, and left for the B1G. OU went 'crap', and decided to stay in the Big12 with Texas and explore their own Third Tier monies.

Now, Boren is looking at the green grass elsewhere, and wants a conference network now. Laying the groundwork for the future- two years from now, 8 years from now or whenever. That conference network thing worked out pretty good for the SEC; B1G members are making a lot of money, so let's do it.

Problem is this: NO ONE IS BEATING DOWN THE DOOR TO GRAB THOSE TV SETS IN IOWA AND KANSAS.

That's how I see it.

How did Texas vote? You seem to be ignoring their vote for some reason.

I will answer that question, Texas voted against the Conference Network also.

The Big 12 Conference should have listened to Kevin Weiberg

I am surprised the Big 12 still has this stuff on their webtsite

Act One

 

[KansasSooner]

I believe Texas does not really fit in the other places, geography-wise and the differing personality/people-wise. I mean, the PAC is so damn far away, two time zones, plus their nature toward football is a little different; SEC is the deep South, which Texas is not; B1G is cold and now East Coasty...Texans just are not any of those.

That's the feeling I get about Boren, as far as the culture of Oklahoma. Really, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas are tied together not only geographically but historically, cowboys, oil, farms, Indians (excuse me Native Americans)...those three states have a lot in common.

 

[outofyourmind]

"MOST"

that's something right there.

 

[Texas Jefe]

How did Texas vote? You seem to be ignoring their vote for some reason.

I will answer that question, Texas voted against the Conference Network also.

The Big 12 Conference should have listened to Kevin Weiberg

I am surprised the Big 12 still has this stuff on their webtsite

Act One

of course Texas voted against it.

I've never looked at that website.

 

[Texas Jefe]

That's the feeling I get about Boren, as far as the culture of Oklahoma. Really, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas are tied together not only geographically but historically, cowboys, oil, farms, Indians (excuse me Native Americans)...those three states have a lot in common.

yes I agree, don't really fit anywhere else

 

[Texas Jefe]

Well tell me Mr Boren, who is the conference going to get that will bring in more money?

Who is going to join that will make a conference network worthwhile?

 

[Goldbug]

Well tell me Mr Boren, who is the conference going to get that will bring in more money?

Who is going to join that will make a conference network worthwhile?

1. Cyrus T. Clement's School of Animal Husbandry and Applied Fertilizer Science

2. Anal Roberts University

 

[Texas Jefe]

1. Cyrus T. Clement's School of Animal Husbandry and Applied Fertilizer Science

2. Anal Roberts University

well then, sign 'em up.

I mean, if he's all ready to do this thing, go get someone. Bring in some money-makers. Otherwise, the conference network will look like the ACC's.

 

[GoldRusher]

well then, sign 'em up.

I mean, if he's all ready to do this thing, go get someone. Bring in some money-makers. Otherwise, the conference network will look like the ACC's.

Transform that LHN network to the Big12 network pick up

Houston
Temple (Philly)
UCF (Orlando)
USF (Tampa)

And roll with it then. Get 5 top 20 TV markets and draw up a tv deal, let's see what happens.

 

[Texas Jefe]

Transform that LHN network to the Big12 network pick up

Houston
Temple (Philly)
UCF (Orlando)
USF (Tampa)

And roll with it then. Get 5 top 20 TV markets and draw up a tv deal, let's see what happens.

I'm not opposed to that.

 

[starbigd]

Boren knows he's in trouble......the state of Oklahoma is broke. The economy is tied to energy production, 1 in every 5 jobs is in that sector. Oil and gas are low.....they don't have a diversified economy.

This is hurting all the universities in state. We're really going to have to look at how we fund education at the university level nationwide because this will be a problem everywhere soon enough.

Boren has to secure a deal that brings in more revenue. Getting into the PAC or B1G is probably the priority over anyone else simply for research dollars. Athletics will always make money for OU so I doubt that's really a consideration.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

I still don't understand why Boren wants a network. Cable TV will be a thing of the past soon, and no chance espn or fox will throw a bunch of money at another conference network. OU needs to count their blessings they're getting 5mil a year from Fox, because a big 12 network would net around 1 mil a year ala pac 12 network.