In thinking about Boren's comments, he totally took a dump on:

1. The Longhorn Network,
2. The idea that "We're Happy at 10 Teams" which is Bowlsby carrying UT's water.

Boren (who presumptively speaks for Ok State too since OU and Ok State are tied at the hip) says: "How many years can this go on? Finally, it just gets to be really debilitating."

Is he threatening UT to dump the LHN so the conference can get its own network? Is he threatening UT to get behind expansion?

And is the threat that OU (and Ok St) will leave the Big 12 when the GOR is up?

Sure sounds like a possibility.

The threat of Oklahoma leaving the big 12 when the GoR is up isn't so much a threat leveled at UT but instead a threat leveled at the big 12 schools that don't have as strong of prospects at finding another Major Conference home on their own.

Take the deal folks, take it.

Bowlsby (cont): "I have not gotten the indication that the majority of our presidents feel that way.

@ChuckCarltonDMN 1m1 minute ago

Overlooked in expansion talk: Bowlsby said NCAA football oversight panel approved football title game deregulation. Now in comment phase.

This is very similar to the narrative that was coming from Nebraska and Texas A&M a few years ago. Nice to see a school in the current Big12 alignment finally rattling sabers at an unsustainable situation, and the reality is Oklahoma is the only program left with enough cache to do so.

(06-24-2015 07:43 PM)LSUtah Wrote:  This is very similar to the narrative that was coming from Nebraska and Texas A&M a few years ago. Nice to see a school in the current Big12 alignment finally rattling sabers at an unsustainable situation, and the reality is Oklahoma is the only program left with enough cache to do so.

In my opinion, its all just for public show. For it to land on the radar, it needs to come from someone that, as you say, has enough cache to do so.

I don't think Texas wants to be the bad guy and Oklahoma is next in line.

Boren must be feeling pressure from the Alums.

Boren is a politician...first last and always. I have closely followed his entire career and have had dealings with his stafff when he was Senator. I have a good idea of how he operates and he can be difficult to figure out.

IMO he has an objective and it is likely NOT Big12 expansion. The trick is to figure out what he is really after.

It seems quite obviously that it involves Texas. Could he be trying to force Texas hand to give up the LHN and adopt an confernece network?

Or could it be the PAC expansion is back in play? Or is Oklahoma looking for greener pastures? i.e. BIG10.

It is highly unlikely it involves the SEC since he said no to that opportunity.

My guess is, that Boren still longs to be associated with the PAC and that just might be his objective.

(06-24-2015 06:10 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  In thinking about Boren's comments, he totally took a dump on:

1. The Longhorn Network,
2. The idea that "We're Happy at 10 Teams" which is Bowlsby carrying UT's water.

Boren (who presumptively speaks for Ok State too since OU and Ok State are tied at the hip) says: "How many years can this go on? Finally, it just gets to be really debilitating."

Is he threatening UT to dump the LHN so the conference can get its own network? Is he threatening UT to get behind expansion?

And is the threat that OU (and Ok St) will leave the Big 12 when the GOR is up?

Sure sounds like a possibility.

Has the PAC finally decided to invite Oklahoma State?
It's not very smart to threaten to make a move unless you really have a place to go.

(06-24-2015 08:12 PM)SMUmustangs Wrote:  Boren is a politician...first last and always. I have closely followed his entire career and have had dealings with his stafff when he was Senator. I have a good idea of how he operates and he can be difficult figure out.

IMO he has an objective and it is likely NOT Big12 expansion. The trick is to figure out what he is really after.

It seems quite obviously that it involves Texas. Could he be trying to force Texas hand to give up the LHN and adopt an confernece network?

Or could it be the PAC expansion is back in play? Or is Oklahoma looking for greener pastures? i.e. BIG10.

It is highly unlikely it involves the SEC since he said no to that opportunity.

My guess is, that Boren still longs to be associated with the PAC and that just might be his objective.

He longed for the PAC when The Big Ten did not seem possible. With it being possible now, how much would he long for those long flights to the west coast and the loss of time for the student athletes?

DeLoss Dodd's comments about that are just as pertinent for Oklahoma athletes. The PAC looks great until you have a better option.

(06-24-2015 08:14 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(06-24-2015 06:10 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  In thinking about Boren's comments, he totally took a dump on:

1. The Longhorn Network,
2. The idea that "We're Happy at 10 Teams" which is Bowlsby carrying UT's water.

Boren (who presumptively speaks for Ok State too since OU and Ok State are tied at the hip) says: "How many years can this go on? Finally, it just gets to be really debilitating."

Is he threatening UT to dump the LHN so the conference can get its own network? Is he threatening UT to get behind expansion?

And is the threat that OU (and Ok St) will leave the Big 12 when the GOR is up?

Sure sounds like a possibility.

Has the PAC finally decided to invite Oklahoma State?
It's not very smart to threaten to make a move unless you really have a place to go.

The PAC is nice but if there are other options then there are better options. The two time zones to the West thing is just as bad for Oklahoma as it is for Texas.

(06-24-2015 09:06 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(06-24-2015 08:14 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(06-24-2015 06:10 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  In thinking about Boren's comments, he totally took a dump on:

1. The Longhorn Network,
2. The idea that "We're Happy at 10 Teams" which is Bowlsby carrying UT's water.

Boren (who presumptively speaks for Ok State too since OU and Ok State are tied at the hip) says: "How many years can this go on? Finally, it just gets to be really debilitating."

Is he threatening UT to dump the LHN so the conference can get its own network? Is he threatening UT to get behind expansion?

And is the threat that OU (and Ok St) will leave the Big 12 when the GOR is up?

Sure sounds like a possibility.

Has the PAC finally decided to invite Oklahoma State?
It's not very smart to threaten to make a move unless you really have a place to go.

The PAC is nice but if there are other options then there are better options. The two time zones to the West thing is just as bad for Oklahoma as it is for Texas.

But if your Oklahoma State, the PAC might be the "only" option.

(06-24-2015 09:13 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(06-24-2015 09:06 PM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(06-24-2015 08:14 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(06-24-2015 06:10 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  In thinking about Boren's comments, he totally took a dump on:

1. The Longhorn Network,
2. The idea that "We're Happy at 10 Teams" which is Bowlsby carrying UT's water.

Boren (who presumptively speaks for Ok State too since OU and Ok State are tied at the hip) says: "How many years can this go on? Finally, it just gets to be really debilitating."

Is he threatening UT to dump the LHN so the conference can get its own network? Is he threatening UT to get behind expansion?

And is the threat that OU (and Ok St) will leave the Big 12 when the GOR is up?

Sure sounds like a possibility.

Has the PAC finally decided to invite Oklahoma State?
It's not very smart to threaten to make a move unless you really have a place to go.

The PAC is nice but if there are other options then there are better options. The two time zones to the West thing is just as bad for Oklahoma as it is for Texas.

But if your Oklahoma State, the PAC might be the "only" option.

The SEC just got a black eye, twice. The PAC isn't OSU's only option.

OSU has damn near cracked into the top ten listing of athletic departments and their monetary earnings. This isn't your father's Oklahoma State. The SEC doesn't have the same strings attached when it comes to academics.

(06-24-2015 08:12 PM)SMUmustangs Wrote:  Boren is a politician...first last and always. I have closely followed his entire career and have had dealings with his stafff when he was Senator. I have a good idea of how he operates and he can be difficult figure out.

IMO he has an objective and it is likely NOT Big12 expansion. The trick is to figure out what he is really after.

It seems quite obviously that it involves Texas. Could he be trying to force Texas hand to give up the LHN and adopt an confernece network?

Or could it be the PAC expansion is back in play? Or is Oklahoma looking for greener pastures? i.e. BIG10.

It is highly unlikely it involves the SEC since he said no to that opportunity.

My guess is, that Boren still longs to be associated with the PAC and that just might be his objective.

I'd like to see the link or anything else that states that Boren turned down the SEC. The SEC doesn't offer conference admission. They didn't for Mizzou or A&M. Both programs severed ties with the Big 12 before being admitted to the SEC.

Boren is pushing for something. He is giving an ultimatum to UT about their network. Either capitulate to a conference network or lose OU. Although, it could just be for some concessions that none of us know about. But it definitely is a bargaining tool that he just brought out.

(06-24-2015 10:12 PM)Groo Wrote:  Boren is pushing for something. He is giving an ultimatum to UT about their network. Either capitulate to a conference network or lose OU. Although, it could just be for some concessions that none of us know about. But it definitely is a bargaining tool that he just brought out.

The problem with your assertion though is that you are basing it seemingly that the biggest issue facing the conference is the LHN. If that solution is fixed, then there is still other issues. That wasn't even his main point, that was just an add on.

He isn't pressuring UT, he is pressuring everyone else in the conference.

(06-24-2015 10:03 PM)hawghiggs Wrote:  

(06-24-2015 08:12 PM)SMUmustangs Wrote:  Boren is a politician...first last and always. I have closely followed his entire career and have had dealings with his stafff when he was Senator. I have a good idea of how he operates and he can be difficult figure out.

IMO he has an objective and it is likely NOT Big12 expansion. The trick is to figure out what he is really after.

It seems quite obviously that it involves Texas. Could he be trying to force Texas hand to give up the LHN and adopt an confernece network?

Or could it be the PAC expansion is back in play? Or is Oklahoma looking for greener pastures? i.e. BIG10.

It is highly unlikely it involves the SEC since he said no to that opportunity.

My guess is, that Boren still longs to be associated with the PAC and that just might be his objective.

I'd like to see the link or anything else that states that Boren turned down the SEC. The SEC doesn't offer conference admission. They didn't for Mizzou or A&M. Both programs severed ties with the Big 12 before being admitted to the SEC.

It is hard to link a TV interview that happened several years back. However, if you want proof you might search the Oklahoman back when all of this happened. They had a story about the OU powers that be not wanting any part of the SEC culture.

Naturally you can play with words about the SEC not making offers etc.. What he said was, OU had an opportunity to join the SEC and passed on it. Believe it or not, I do not care.

Besides you would be awfully naive if you did not believe that Missouri and A&M were assured of an invite by the SEC before they withdrew from the Big12.

(06-24-2015 10:28 PM)SMUmustangs Wrote:  Besides you would be awfully naive if you did not believe that Missouri and A&M were assured of an invite by the SEC before they withdrew from the Big12.

Agreed, there is a lot of naïve people when it comes to discussions like these. They think everything plays out in the public eye and that kind of belief is naivete in the highest degree.

(06-24-2015 10:28 PM)SMUmustangs Wrote:  It is hard to link a TV interview that happened several years back. However, if you want proof you might search the Oklahoman back when all of this happened. They had a story about the OU powers that be not wanting any part of the SEC culture.

Any stance OU took on the SEC before the creation and overnight success of the SEC network has to be taken with a grain of salt.

My guess is something changed with OU for Boren to be talking like this…what is that something? i would guess

1) invite to pac 12 with Ok state…boren/pac 12 putting pressure for texas and texas tech to join
2) invite to Big 10 with KU
3) invite to sec with Ok state.

bottom line, OU seems to have leverage.