(08-04-2022 08:05 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote: I think the SEC money probably means OK still jumps to the SEC later. Timeline may change but likely only difference is PAC stuck st 11 instead of 10. USC and UCLA still move.
If the Pac were to somehow take OU and OSU together, then they would have found a way to bring Texas and the LHN (if necessary) over, along with probably Tech. Texas was always the golden prize for the Pac. Stanford and Cal would have been very happy, and USC would have been satisfied. A Pac with OU and Texas would have been able to generate enough revenue to keep USC happy.
And, the upcoming SEC deal was negotiated with OU and Texas in mind, though they were not part of the conference yet. It's not known if the SEC would have been able to generate enough $$$ to pull OU and/or Texas from a Pac 16.
However, this is all so moot. The 2011 attempt to take OU and OSU alone as a package was a ridiculous attempt by former OU president David Boren to save face. The Pac never wanted CTZ expansion without Texas. Boren had been a fool throughout the entire realignment period. Once the Pac nixed the OU/OSU/UT/KU(?) expansion, Boren shopped OU and OSU together as a package to both the Pac and the SEC. The SEC wanted OU to come with A&M, but not OSU. OU turned them down, then the SEC took Missouri. Boren then presented the OU/OSU package to the Pac. The Pac laughed in his face.
Boren was a longtime Oklahoma politician, having served as both governor and as a US senator before becoming the president of OU. He had family ties to both OU and OSU. His name is actually on a building at OSU. He felt an obligation to take care of both schools. OU is in the Big 12 today because Boren tried to take care of OSU along with OU. The realignment saga was one of many things (but not the worst thing) that led to his unceremonious departure as president. Once he was gone, OU had leadership that looked out for OU and OU alone. This led to OU's newest opportunity with the SEC.
I wasn't happy with the last 11 years in the Big 12, but it was much better than being in a Pac 16. I look forward to being in the SEC.