re: Latest Chip Brown news: Texas willing to commit to 10 team big 12

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Nebraska, Colorado, and Missouri are 100% to blame for this.

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TA&M could call Texas bluff and demand that ALL television revenue be distributed equally in the new Big 12-2.

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Baloo

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Once the SEC move gained traction, Texas has now reversed course and is now positioning themselves to "save" the Big 12, in a weakened state and horrible TV deal for all but Texas (and with all power further consolidated in Texas-- you think Kansas will ever cross Texas after finding out how little they are valued?). This means there are two outcomes. the preferred outcome is A&M bolts and UT blames the Aggies for killing the conference and UT still gets to go to their desired locale. But, as a consolation prize, they could keep A&M in line and essentially set up a weakened Big 12 that is their own fiefdom where they hold all political power in the conference. Not as big of a win, but still a win.

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I've been told in no uncertain terms that A&M is staying the course and will continue to explore ALL options--SEC, Pac AND a 10-team Big 12

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CavalryAg07

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Texas has done nothing. They've just answered the phone to listen to offers. Nebraska, Missouri, Texas A&M, and Colorado have all done more than Texas. Why is Texas the bad guy?

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Baloo

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Absolutely false. The Big Ten announced it was looking into expansion in late December. By early February, there were already independent media reports of the Big Ten meeting with Texas. Texas had more advanced negotiations with the big Ten than Mizzou ever did (or at least became public, Mizzou's closest tie was being mentioned as a possible target and their president saying maybe they'd be interested if the Big Ten offered -- but no reports of actual negotiations like Texas had).

It was Texas that screwed over Nebraska in the formation of the Big 12 by gutting the OU-NU rivalry and preventing partial qualifiers (which is how the Huskers built their title teams). Texas insisted on the inequitable revenue sharing AND they publicly were researching a Longhorn TV network to further expand revenue disparity. Texas then started making goo goo eyes at the Pac-10 as well.

The Big 12 North schools, rightfully nervous by Texas' actions and already in a disadvantageous situtation in the conference, stepped up their own expansion efforts. Texas then demanded a loyalty oath. NU and Mizzou responded by demanding changing the revenue situation, which Texas flatly rejected. Texas demanded a loyalty to a system which grossly benefited them above all else. Nebraska, not being run by idiots and knowing a terrible deal when they see it, bolted to the Big Ten (actually, colorado went first).

Texas ALREADY HAD A PLAN IN PLACE to bolt to the Pac-10 with five other teams. Think about that, Texas' negotiations were so advanced, they already had a complex Pac-16 plan in place and agreed to in principle. They did some PR to look like they were fighting for Baylor when they did no such thing, even leaking that Cal opposes Baylor on religious grounds through Orangebloods. Cal never made such a public declaration, that was a smear leaked from Texas' mouthpiece (I don't doubt Cal thinks that, but they didn't make such a rejection public, Texas did). When A&M refused to go along and weigh their options, like an SEC bid, Texas has repeatedly leaked stories to embarass or cojole A&M, especially by threatening to withhold funding or playing the Aggies in any sport. The threats have entirely been from UT, despite their claim the move is in the Aggies best interest. If it is, why do they need to be threatened?

Once the SEC move gained traction, Texas has now reversed course and is now positioning themselves to "save" the Big 12, in a weakened state and horrible TV deal for all but Texas (and with all power further consolidated in Texas-- you think Kansas will ever cross Texas after finding out how little they are valued?). This means there are two outcomes. the preferred outcome is A&M bolts and UT blames the Aggies for killing the conference and UT still gets to go to their desired locale. But, as a consolation prize, they could keep A&M in line and essentially set up a weakened Big 12 that is their own fiefdom where they hold all political power in the conference. Not as big of a win, but still a win.

Texas has continually and repeatedly leaked stories and manipulated other players in order to get to the Pac-10, where they wanted to go in 1995 (and would have, alone BTW, had not Stanford blocked the move) but place the blame elsewhere. Texas is trying to get to the Pac-10 while blaming others, or at worst, stay in a conference in which they are the only legitimate political power. It would be their own conference with a bunc of subservient programs that exist to be the Generals to their Globetrotters.

That anyone is falling for it speaks to the brilliance of their PR campaign and frankly, people's extreme gullibility.

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They are trying to come out of this looking like the good guys. They have zero intention of saving the Big-12. The only thing this move suggests, is that they are looking for a scapegoat.

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OSU to Pac-10 is imminent

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