Pac-12/Big 10/Big 12 Realignment

[squintsdd]

Kind of wonder how USC and UCLA feel about these reports. The break from the Pac was accomplished largely by pressure from rich donors, and one of the rumored reasons was that they were tired of getting hammered on the recruiting trail by Oregon for kids in their backyard. Imagine going from playing Oregon only once every few years back to every year.

On the other hand, Kim at Dawgman thinks that USC and UCLA are lobbying on behalf of UW and Oregon to get in. So who knows (I don't think Kim has any inside info, so no need to wax on about that).

I doubt that rumor is true. It would make zero sense to leave because Oregon was raiding California, just to go to another conference and give Ohio State, Penn state, and Michigan increased access to their recruiting grounds. Besides, Oregon is already well established in Southern California. Leaving for a different conference really won't change much, if anything at all.

[bellsduck]

Laid this out once before, but going to do it again.

Key Players that want to see Oregon in the B1G:
Oregon President, Oregon AD

Maybe pro, maybe neutral:
TV partners (extra inventory from a big brand, but do they need inventory?), most of B1G East, UCLA President, UCLA AD

Against:
B1G West except maybe UCLA because it makes competition tougher and travel expenses increase, USC President and USC AD seem to be a united front against, doormats like Maryland and Rutgers

In order to make it happen, the TV partner(s) will have to come out very in favor of Oregon joining the B1G, and have a conference commissioner favorable of the move.

And where do the most important players, the fans, fit in?

[bellsduck]

Oregon/Washington/Stanford/Cal joining USC and UCLA to create a Western Big Ten is about as perfect as I could've hoped for during realignment. Maintain games against all of those schools, add in fun matchups with Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, etc., and we still have the option to do Oregon State as an OOC game each year too.

Regardless of football, we could at least maintain those Oregon State games with all the other sports (do home and home OOC games each season for things like basketball, run a full weekend series in baseball and softball).

I hate losing the general regionality of college sports, but if that option is on the table I'm pretty much ecstatic at how things panned out for us. Reduced revenue share doesn't matter for us with Phil Knight here to pay the bills too, so I really don't even care about that. Get in with the big league however necessary.

It would be interesting to see how the schedule worked out. We'd have 5 west coast conference games>

Cal, Stanford, USC, UCLA, UW
3 Non-Conference games
4 additional conference games, 2 at home, 2 on the road.

That seems manageable (Fingers crossed)

I like that scenario!

As long as the non-conference games are OSU and WSU then I like it.

[Alan]

Oregon/Washington/Stanford/Cal joining USC and UCLA to create a Western Big Ten is about as perfect as I could've hoped for during realignment. Maintain games against all of those schools, add in fun matchups with Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, etc., and we still have the option to do Oregon State as an OOC game each year too.

Regardless of football, we could at least maintain those Oregon State games with all the other sports (do home and home OOC games each season for things like basketball, run a full weekend series in baseball and softball).

I hate losing the general regionality of college sports, but if that option is on the table I'm pretty much ecstatic at how things panned out for us. Reduced revenue share doesn't matter for us with Phil Knight here to pay the bills too, so I really don't even care about that. Get in with the big league however necessary.

It would be interesting to see how the schedule worked out. We'd have 5 west coast conference games>

Cal, Stanford, USC, UCLA, UW
3 Non-Conference games
4 additional conference games, 2 at home, 2 on the road.

That seems manageable (Fingers crossed)

I like that scenario!

As long as the non-conference games are OSU and WSU then I like it.

Unfortunately it does leave the Beavs and Cougs outside looking in, BUT it seems like they would be in a good position for the expanded playoff system, regardless of if a new PAC? Whatever, is formed or they go to a Mountain West type conference. To clarify, Utah joins the Big 12 because of the rivalry with BYU who is already there and the Arizona schools jump also to Big 12.

[Alan]

Has anyone check in on John Canzano?

jC just finished an interview with a media member in Michigan and he reports Big 12 presidents are in a meeting talking about further expansion…. I am sure there will be a podcast. But it sounds like B1G is open to it and the interview specifically focused on the B1G going to to 18 teams ( adding Washington and Oregon) or going to 20 teams, also including the two Bay Area teams, forming a west Big 12 conference.

[frogsnouts]

I feel like the OSU/Oregon games wouldn't even lose much of their shine if the teams are in different conferences. Games might be earlier in the season I guess (but maybe not? the SEC does it at the end just fine). Other than that the Beavers will probably hate UO more than ever, and the years that they do win are going to feel even sweeter if they are doing it from the MWC or wherever they landed. I think things would still be plenty fun, it's just a matter of making it work so that we do maintain that game every year.

Beavers and WSU might actually enjoy the jump too. They'll be bigger fish in a Mountain West type conference than they ever were in the Pac. With an expanded playoff they could set up a Boise State type dynasty from one of those lower conferences if they can string together consistent 10/11 win seasons. They'll both have a better shot at the playoffs than they do now.

[pudgejeff]

I feel like the OSU/Oregon games wouldn't even lose much of their shine if the teams are in different conferences. Games might be earlier in the season I guess (but maybe not? the SEC does it at the end just fine). Other than that the Beavers will probably hate UO more than ever, and the years that they do win are going to feel even sweeter if they are doing it from the MWC or wherever they landed. I think things would still be plenty fun, it's just a matter of making it work so that we do maintain that game every year.

Beavers and WSU might actually enjoy the jump too. They'll be bigger fish in a Mountain West type conference than they ever were in the Pac. With an expanded playoff they could set up a Boise State type dynasty from one of those lower conferences if they can string together consistent 10/11 win seasons. They'll both have a better shot at the playoffs than they do now.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that if OSU ends up in a lesser conference there won't be a yearly game anymore. Mostly for what you just said, it will mean everything to OSU and next to nothing to Oregon, not worth it and I assume the powers that be will also recognize this.

[frogsnouts]

I feel like the OSU/Oregon games wouldn't even lose much of their shine if the teams are in different conferences. Games might be earlier in the season I guess (but maybe not? the SEC does it at the end just fine). Other than that the Beavers will probably hate UO more than ever, and the years that they do win are going to feel even sweeter if they are doing it from the MWC or wherever they landed. I think things would still be plenty fun, it's just a matter of making it work so that we do maintain that game every year.

Beavers and WSU might actually enjoy the jump too. They'll be bigger fish in a Mountain West type conference than they ever were in the Pac. With an expanded playoff they could set up a Boise State type dynasty from one of those lower conferences if they can string together consistent 10/11 win seasons. They'll both have a better shot at the playoffs than they do now.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that if OSU ends up in a lesser conference there won't be a yearly game anymore. Mostly for what you just said, it will mean everything to OSU and next to nothing to Oregon, not worth it and I assume the powers that be will also recognize this.

You probably aren't wrong, but I hope that isn't the case. Several of the SEC schools figure it out each year, and it's not like Georgia Tech is a world-beater. Most of the time beating Georgia is their season. We also have to play someone, and the pool of teams to fill the OOC games shrinks by quite a bit in a 20-team Big Ten. SEC and ACC have shown no interest in traveling out here either, so not a ton of options for decent OOC games outside the expanded Big 12 moving forward.

Idk, it's probably all a dream scenario that won't work but I sure hope we keep the OSU game if at all possible.

[squintsdd]

I feel like the OSU/Oregon games wouldn't even lose much of their shine if the teams are in different conferences. Games might be earlier in the season I guess (but maybe not? the SEC does it at the end just fine). Other than that the Beavers will probably hate UO more than ever, and the years that they do win are going to feel even sweeter if they are doing it from the MWC or wherever they landed. I think things would still be plenty fun, it's just a matter of making it work so that we do maintain that game every year.

Beavers and WSU might actually enjoy the jump too. They'll be bigger fish in a Mountain West type conference than they ever were in the Pac. With an expanded playoff they could set up a Boise State type dynasty from one of those lower conferences if they can string together consistent 10/11 win seasons. They'll both have a better shot at the playoffs than they do now.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that if OSU ends up in a lesser conference there won't be a yearly game anymore. Mostly for what you just said, it will mean everything to OSU and next to nothing to Oregon, not worth it and I assume the powers that be will also recognize this.

Oregon and OSU is one the longest running rivalries in the country, and the media loves it. The idea the OSU would be Big fish in a small pond means they would be consistently ranked in the top 25 and in line for a playoff spot, which would only improve Oregon's SoS. With those in mind, there is no reason for Oregon to not want this. It would bring even more exposure to a game that already gets decent amount of exposure.

[ducks5ever]

I feel like the OSU/Oregon games wouldn't even lose much of their shine if the teams are in different conferences.

Rivalries are only fun if the games are competitive

[Alan]

I feel like the OSU/Oregon games wouldn't even lose much of their shine if the teams are in different conferences.

Rivalries are only fun if the games are competitive

Boise St and the Ducks were always very competitive, I can see the Civil War continuing

[buckmarkduck]

Laid this out once before, but going to do it again.

Key Players that want to see Oregon in the B1G:
Oregon President, Oregon AD

Maybe pro, maybe neutral:
TV partners (extra inventory from a big brand, but do they need inventory?), most of B1G East, UCLA President, UCLA AD

Against:
B1G West except maybe UCLA because it makes competition tougher and travel expenses increase, USC President and USC AD seem to be a united front against, doormats like Maryland and Rutgers

In order to make it happen, the TV partner(s) will have to come out very in favor of Oregon joining the B1G, and have a conference commissioner favorable of the move.

And where do the most important players, the fans, fit in?

Well 1-UCLA and USC have zero say in the matter.
2- reports are coming out only Wisconsin still isn’t on board with adding UW/UO. So no, Rutgers and Maryland aren’t against the additional teams.

And additionally the Oracle, for those that don’t know he is well connected at tOSU, said only UO and UW have been talked about. Interesting also, Ohio State seems to really be in our corner. Maybe the W at the horse show convinced them we are worthy of an invite.

[Phalanx]

Sucks that Colorado is leaving. My preference is to hold on to the Pac 10 of my youth, but my favorite theory right now is that the dominoes are starting to fall because Oregon has been talking to the Big 10, and Colorado and others heard about it and are now scrambling.

I'm kind of getting the feeling that this theory is being confirmed. How long does it take to work out financial details with all the tv partners? More than a day or two? I think it's possible this deal has been in Oregon's back pocket for awhile, and they were maybe just waiting for George K's pathetic attempt to be announced. Oregon and Washington have just seemed really relaxed about everything all along.

[Duck07]

Obviously the tell all along was when Cooper Mullens committed to Michigan for baseball.

[Phalanx]

Don't forget the recent Puddles picture with his new pal. They tried to tell us about the B1G things.