The Big Ten is reportedly in negotiations to poach USC and UCLA from the Pac-12, which would set off a major domino effect in college athletics and conference realignment with implications spreading far beyond just the Pac-12 and the Big Ten. What happens now with those leagues? What does it mean for the Big 12? For OSU? What does college athletics look like in five years?

Many, many questions with very, very few answers.

Our team has many, many thoughts on the topic at hand, of course — so let’s get to it roundtable style with an instant reaction to it all. I’m running point asking the questions but will chime in as well.

KB: First off, let’s get a vibe check. Scale of 1-10 — 10 being Mike Gundy after Central Michigan converts a hail mary to beat you at home level of stunned, 1 being it’s just a transaction that doesn’t much move the needle, how we feeling about this? I think I’m a full 10. Totally stunned. Did not see this coming at all.

Marshall: I think I’m about an eight. More movement seemed imminent, but I didn’t expect geography to get thrown of of the window like a Rudolph-to-Washington post route this soon. Mike Gundy has forewarned that the realignment wasn’t over, but it’s hard to not be surprised by something of this magnitude.

Cox: I’d say a 7-8 and not a 10 because how could you be that surprised by anything that happens in college football? Definitely didn’t see that coming. Summer bombshells are becoming the norm. Looks like CFB is taking a page from the NFL’s playbook of staying in the headlines year-round.

KB: So what does this mean for the Big 12’s long-term viability? Can it survive as is (i.e. without Texas and OU but with Houston, Cincinnati, UCF and BYU)?

My instant reaction is that to survive in this landscape the Big 12 must adapt by either adding schools — preferably from the now-ravaged Pac-12 — or branch out and pull a Texas/OU by doing what is individually best for each school. (I.e. OSU leaves for the Big Ten, but Kansas settles for a spot in the MAC.)

Marshall: For the league itself (and for the Pac-12 for that matter) it seems like doomsday is coming. Could this thing survive another five years? Maybe, but it feels like days are numbered for a lot of conferences.

Cox: I think there is a path for the Big 12 to be just fine, but I think adding some combination of Arizona/Arizona State/Colorado/Utah would go a long way in shoring up the league’s future. If a couple of those programs can’t be poached, it’s not the end of the world, as things sit now. The Big 12 is stronger due to the Pac-12’s attrition, but if the SEC and Big Ten keep upping the ante and adding more schools, you probably have to look at making some moves.

KB: Is the future of college conferences just two super-leagues (Big Ten and SEC) and then everyone else? Because it sure is starting to look that way.

Marshall: I think so. Because now, what does Oregon do when it can’t get a piece of the big money pie? What does Florida State, Clemson and Miami do when the Big Ten and SEC are raking in cash? Whether it’s two-by-two or a more sudden, widescale collapse, it feels like the Power Five will turn into a Power Two and everyone else will have to pick up the pieces.

Cox: With the vast number of Division I schools out there, I think there has to be at least four major leagues, maybe three. But I do see a scenario where the Big 12/ACC/Pac-12 get taken down another notch in national estimation and, even more importantly, revenue potential.

KB: To me I think that seems most likely, but that is excluding a lot of relevant schools. The entire ACC is just … out there! Arizona, Oregon State, Oregon, Washington in the Pac-12 are just … out there! They all have a ton of value and no perfect fit into either the Big Ten or SEC right now. Maybe that changes, but it does feel like maybe the Power Five shrinking to, say, a Power Three is a viable endpoint for all this.

KB: OK, so what happens with OSU now? What do you do if you’re Chad Weiberg? He took over basically as soon as last year’s realignment took off and now he’s sitting here as another one spins off, probably — just like you and I — wondering what in the world this means for OSU?

Big picture I think the obvious answer is that you do your darndest to try and fit into the super leagues of either the Big Ten or SEC. But that seems like a wish more than a solution, and I don’t get the feeling OSU is itching to — nor has the cache — to get into one of the Big Ten or SEC. It would solve a lot of problems but doesn’t seem likely.

Hanging tight in the Big 12 seems like the most realistic option but also the most dangerous, though. There’s strength in numbers now — as we see with the Big Ten and Pac-12 — and the new Big 12 doesn’t have that. It also doesn’t have major brand power. Adding the three AAC schools + BYU will help in coming years, but can it survive with the new TV deal upcoming? Will a merger with, say, the Pac-12 be necessary? I have no idea the answers. But it feels like today that the solution of simply adding Houston, Cincy, UCF and BYU to help offset the losses of OU and Texas are no longer viable long-term answers to keep OSU and the Big 12 afloat.

Scott: If you’re OSU, or any school not in the SEC or Big Ten, you have to do what is best for you at a time like this. The Big Ten and SEC are at 16 teams apiece now. Early reports say the megaconference model could include 20 teams. You gotta do your best to be one of those 40 institutions.

Cox: I get that you make another elevator pitch to get in with one of those two leagues, but you’re not banking on that. Outside of joining either the SEC of Big Ten, the only option is to double down on the Big 12 and do whatever it takes to strengthen your own conference. Again, best likely scenario in my mind is if the Big 12 can add a couple of the Pac-12’s leftovers. Say goodbye to your Saturday nights.

The post PFB Roundtable: On Conference Realignment, and What it Means for OSU (and the Big 12) appeared first on Pistols Firing.

Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the SEC seems to have just been the start of a monumental shift in conference realignment.

USC and UCLA are reportedly finalizing a move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten, as the SEC and Big Ten arms race continues. And this might not be it. The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach reports that this could eventually lead to the SEC and Big Ten working as megaconferences with 20 teams each. If that is the case, can Oklahoma State get a spot at the table?

With the pending moves of Oklahoma, Texas, USC and UCLA into those conferences, the SEC and Big Ten would be at 16 teams apiece. Removing teams from conferences seems to be a difficult task. There are schools in worse on-field spots than Oklahoma State already in the Big Ten and SEC but because they’re already there, they’re actually in the best spot. Taking that 20 number literally, that’d leave eight total spots for the remaining teams of the Big 12, ACC and Pac-12 to fight over.

There are a few no-brainers as far as the pickings from the “Best of the Rest” go. Clemson, Oregon, Notre Dame, Miami and Florida State are all big brands. Putting those in leaves three spots for the likes of Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas Tech, Stanford, Arizona State and Arizona to fight over. And does basketball end up playing a role in all this, too? If so, go ahead and add Duke, North Carolina and Kansas to the pool of potential suitors.

A potential bright spot for OSU’s chances likely resides about an hour down I-35 — the Sooners. OU didn’t appear to be much help when leaving OSU in the dark about the Sooners’ move to the SEC last summer, but maybe there is some lobbying to be done to get in the second time.

Other pluses in OSU’s favor include a consistently successful football program, one that’s won 10 or more games seven times since 2010. Mike Holder’s work on building facilities could also be a plus. From continued upgrades to Boone Pickens Stadium to a top-of-the-line baseball facility, OSU passes the eye test.

But only time will tell. If the SEC and Big Ten do continue this arms race and OSU doesn’t get in, there will be enough solid-level universities left out that a third league would emerge. It’d moreso be a matter of how far behind that league would be. But if this is going down this road, it’d be a lot less stressful to be one of those institutions with a ticket to the show.

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The Pac-12 is dealing with a similar shock the Big 12 dealt with last summer.

USC and UCLA are planning a move to the Big Ten, according to Jon Wilner, gutting the Pac-12 in the process. When Oklahoma and Texas planned their move out of the Big 12, the Big 12 found a way to stabilize by bringing four Group of Five powers up to the Power Five level. There aren’t a ton of highly marketable Group of Five schools left to choose from, putting the already geographically isolated Pac-12 in a dicey spot.

After being a punching bag for the past 12 months, could the Big 12 go on the offensive? Here is a poachers guide to how the remaining Pac-12 schools could fit in the conference.

The Crown Jewel: Oregon

I imagine the Oregon Duck is stomping around the Nike headquarters rather unhappy right now.

Since 2010, the Ducks have played for two national championships, won three Rose Bowls and played in two Fiesta Bowls. Yet, somehow USC and UCLA, which have been in one Rose Bowl in that time, got the invites to the ball.

In all honesty, Oregon is probably too good for the Big 12. Oregon’s best hope at a time like this is probably that the Big 12 and Pac-12 collapse all together and the Big Ten and SEC form a pair of 20-team super leagues. In the meantime, would moving to the Big 12 be better than running the Pac-12 against Arizona State, Stanford and Utah? Or would it be more beneficial to travel thousands of miles every weekend to play Oklahoma State and Baylor? (Only a 46-hour drive from Oregon to UCF).

USC and UCLA trying to go to the Big Ten is a sign that geography doesn’t matter, but it has to be worth it monetarily. I’m not sure Oregon playing in the Big 12 is worth it, but who knows?

Good, Geographic Nightmares: Stanford, Washington, Washington State

Stanford, Washington and Washington State all fall in similar categories, but aren’t as highly thought of as Oregon.

Those three times have combined to have six double-digit win seasons since 2015 (USC and UCLA have combined for two). Stanford brings a brand name, and the Washington schools have played exciting brands of football in recent years. It again, though, doesn’t make a ton of sense geographically considering those three schools would be leaving a conference that lost its two brand names for another conference that lost its two brand names. There’s also the (very separate but also very relevant) matter of academics and research expectations. Hard to imagine a place like Stanford fitting in well with the Big 12.

Good, Realistic? Options: Arizona State, Arizona, Utah, Colorado

OK, now we’re talking. This would essentially be a Big 12/Pac-12 merger that would likely kill off the rest of the Pac-12. But, it’s not like Tempe or Boulder are all that far from Lubbock or Manhattan. And with the Big 12 set to add BYU, you get a built in rivalry game (The Holy War) with Utah.

That then puts the Big 12 at 16 teams — which is a lot. But there aren’t a lot of cases where one university feels bigger than the whole, which could be a good thing. To me, this makes the most sense before all of FBS football collapses and has to be rebuilt.

Schools That Are Probably Panicking: Oregon State, Cal

Stay strong, Beavers and Golden Bears.

The post A Poacher’s Guide to a Newly Gutted Pac-12: How the Big 12 Could Capitalize on USC, UCLA Bolting for Big Ten appeared first on Pistols Firing.

For the Big 12, merging with the Pac-12 sure looked a whole lot sexier a day ago when USC and UCLA — now reportedly headed at some point in the near future to the Big Ten — were part of the potential total package.

But it might not be an option.

Expansion may be a necessary evolution to survival.

The SEC’s standing as the best league in college athletics became even stronger when it added Texas and OU last year (both of which will formally transition to the league by at least 2025). The Big Ten’s standing as No. 2 in the athletics hierarchy will be reinforced with the addition of brand names like UCLA and USC. Where does that leave the Big 12? The Pac-12? Heck, even the ACC?

The Big 12 has already made moves to try and solidify its standing in the market ahead of its next TV deal in a few years by adding BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston. That’s … a start. But losing OU and Texas — two of college’s biggest brands — and replacing them with four just-OK schools won’t do the job. It must do more.

If the Big 12 can simply merge with the Pac-12, then you’re talking. That’d give you among current member schools these eight:

• Oklahoma State
• Texas Tech
• Baylor
• Kansas
• Kansas State
• TCU
• Iowa State
• West Virginia

And that’d give you these 10 incoming schools from the Pac-12:

• Arizona
• Arizona State
• Oregon
• Oregon State
• Utah
• Cal
• Stanford
• Washington
• Washington State
• Colorado

To go with these three incoming schools from the AAC — and a fourth — BYU — from the independent ranks.

• Houston
• Cincinnati
• UCF
• BYU

That gives you a grand total of 22 schools. That can offer you a lot of sway in this new and quickly shifting landscape. Most importantly, it can probably give you the best chance at combating the new and emerging two-conference super leagues forming both in the SEC and the Big Ten. It gives you a fighting chance to survive and realistically presents quite a lot of value in the television market for next negotations.

The Pac-12 probably would’ve slammed the door on a merger a month ago, a week ago, a day ago. Heck, just last summer they essentially evaluated and said thanks but no thanks — commissioner George Kliavkoff at the time said they are “happy with the current makeup [of the Pac-12] and think we can thrive with 12” — but they don’t have the luxury to pass now. Who knows where all this is headed or what this means for the college landscape? All we know now is that there appears to be safety — if not strength — in numbers. The Big Ten expanding its reach to the west and adding two huge names will help it survive as it negotiates currently its next TV deal. The SEC is doing just fine, and adding Texas and OU will only help. But both the Big 12 and Pac-12 face real viability questions over the next few years. Getting poached by super-leagues not only hurts their image, but hurts their value.

It’s clear they both need each other. USC and UCLA proved what Texas and OU brought to the forefront last year with conference realignment: it’s every program for yourself. But both the Pac-12 and Big 12 could push back against that with a group effort to form an alliance just good enough to survive if they stick together.

The post Merger Between Big 12, Pac-12 Could Help Both Leagues Survive in Shifting College Athletics Landscape appeared first on Pistols Firing.

If you thought the Great Realignment of College Athletics this last year was wild — with Texas and OU leaving the Big 12 for the SEC — then boy oh boy do we have another twist that tangles up league affiliation and the hierarchy of college athletics all the more.

According to a report from Pac-12 insider Jon Wilner on Thursday — someone who, by the way, would absolutely know such things — UCLA and USC are reportedly planning to leave the league for the Big Ten as early as 2024. Wilner notes that the move has not been finalized, but one this big likely wouldn’t have leaked unless it was all but in need of a rubber stamp.

There is a lot at play here, but a few factors to keep in mind considering this reported move, which I have no reason to dispute as false. First off: the Big Ten is in the midst of negotiating its new TV contract, according to Dan Wetzel. This is one helluva ace in the hole to present to broadcasters. UCLA and USC are major draws regardless of conference affiliation. In the Big Ten, they’ll be even more valuable.

Another thing to keep in mind here is that the fallout will be dramatic. Just last year, the Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 announced an alliance — yes, an ALLIANCE — that would, as they put it, be an agreement to provide “a collaborative approach surrounding the future evolution of college athletics and scheduling.” This was in direct response to the SEC forming its own super-conference when it cut the Big 12 at its knees by nabbing OU and Texas. That alliance, for now, has at the very least been strained — if not dead outright. Good luck playing nice after this, Big Ten and Pac-12!

One last consideration is that this is probably mostly good news for the Big 12. The Pac-12 losing two of its biggest programs can do nothing but help the Big 12. And the Big 12 already has a head start in remaking its perception after losing OU and Texas, with BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF all set to join the league in a few years.

This feels very much like a bombshell report out of nowhere, but at the same time, realignment is evolving and ever-changing. There was some of it last year, there’s more of it this year and there’s probably going to be more in the future. That’s what happens when millions and millions of dollars are at stake with TV deals and the streaming landscape changing. More of this is coming. And don’t say Mike Gundy didn’t warn you!

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The Atlantic Coastal Conference recently announced it’s scrapping traditional divisions and moving to a format where it will play conference games in a different way. The 14 teams will play three protected rivals each season and rotate through the 10 other teams over the next few years.

The timing of this change comes just weeks after the NCAA removed the requirement that 12 plus-team leagues will have to play in a divisional format. So what does this have to do with the Cowboys? The Big 12 is figuring out what to do when the league crosses back to that 12-team number in 2023.

Currently, the league plays a nine-game schedule, facing all teams and then one “prove it” game in Arlington to define the “one true champion.”

It appears the league will balloon to 14 in 2023, as the three American Athletic teams join BYU as new entrants to the league for a couple of seasons before Texas and Oklahoma leave for the SEC in 2025. After that, the league will settle into a 12-team setup.

Let’s do an exercise on who would be “best” from OSU’s vantage point to play each year.

Option 1: The Old Big 12

If/when the league arrives at 12, you could go back to the old ways of playing eight league games: five protected games and rotate playing half of the other teams each year, rotating through all opponents over four years.

The deviation from history is that the two teams atop the standings at the end of the season would play for the title – not the faux-division winners.

Pick five protected rivals best for the Cowboys’ liking.

You can promise Dallas recruits you’ll play a guaranteed four games within five hours of home each year between games in Stillwater or in Lubbock, Waco, Fort Worth or Houston.

The main part of this is that you’re not making semi-annual trips to the Ohio River Valley to play West Virginia and Cincinnati, across the Rockies to play BYU, to a place where you land no recruits in Ames, Iowa, a snoozefest in Lawrence, or deep into the EST to play UCF.

Option 2: Pods

Nine games — three protected rivals, rotate through the other six over eight years, alternating leaving two of the eight out.

Here’s an idea for the pods:

Pods seems like the better fit given that you get to see these new foes six times in eight years, allowing for the cultivation of rivalries and memories.

An underrated scheduling buddy for the Cowboys in all of this is BYU. The visibility of BYU games is greater than most other Big 12 teams post-OU/TEXit, a big win for OSU’s branding. OSU regularly signs a guy from Utah, would it be surprising to hear Gundy say “Utah is the new Georgia?” There’s just something innately true about Polynesian culture that resonates with the way Mike Gundy runs a program — capitalizing on games there could be a good thing.

You could make similar arguments for pairing up with Cincy/West Virginia about midwestern recruits, but OSU hasn’t had a staffer with deep ties in the area since Mike Yurcich left. Ditto about UCF and Florida recruiting.

Disclaimer: this all fits easier if you add Boise State and SMU/San Diego State/etc. With 14 teams, you can just copy that same model the ACC is implementing. Three rivals, rotate through the other 10 over four years with home and away.

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OSU quarterback commit Zane Flores opened the three-day Elite 11 Finals with a strong start on Tuesday, performing like one of the 10 best signal-callers at the camp. He continued that hot start on Wednesday, as he remained a Top 10 talent at the event, according to 247Sports, and performed like a Top 8 talent, according to On3Sports.

Here’s what Greg Biggins of 247 wrote after watching the competition — which was a pro-day workout that involved a point system — live and in person. Grades were comprised partly off of accuracy but also off of physical tools and their projection to the college level.

Another participant who started off hot, Flores looked to have terrific rhythm in the early going of his script and displayed great feel near the goal line. He was solid on his deep heaves, was nearly perfect on the rail shot and was accurate on back-shoulder attempts. Flores has some really intriguing physical upside and should continue to get stronger, which could make him one of the bigger steals in this class

Here’s a few highlights from day two of the competition, where he turned heads with his pocket presence and arm strength.

Uncommitted QB Dante Moore is No. 1 in the rankings entering Thursday while OU commit Jackson Arnold and USC commit Malachi Nelson are Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.

The rankings completed by the Elite 11 staff don’t have Flores quite as high — he was outside the Top 10 after day one, and there is no ranking after day two — which means the final day Thursday will be an important one for Flores. It will consist of the 7-on-7 portion of the event, where Flores’ mobility and accuracy should help him finish on a high note as he tries to earn the distinction of being considered one of the Top 11 QB prospects in the country.

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A bit of an interesting development, incoming Oklahoma State freshman Cutter Sheets has quietly put together a really good summer of wrestling so far.

Sheets, the son of NCAA Champion Mike Sheets and younger brother of All-American Wyatt Sheets, committed to wrestle at Oklahoma State last September. He finished third place at the state tournament the year prior and finished second at the OSSAA state tournament at 145 this February behind Tuttle’s Reese Davis.

To start the summer, he finished third at the Union Fargo Qualifier, dropping only one match to Stillwater’s Landyn Sommer. He bounced back by winning an Oklahoma freestyle state title a few weeks later, where he beat American commit Garrett Washington and OCU commit Boston Powell.

Then possibly his performance of the summer came at Junior National Duals in Tulsa. He went 4-0, beating Campbell commit and Ohio state runner-up Wynton Denkins, North Dakota State commit, Minnesota state runner-up Brendan Howes, and arguably most significantly beating Braden Stauffenberg, an Illinois state champion, preseason national champion and Greco World Team member in 2021.

I spoke with Cutter about a month ago at the freestyle state tournament. He talked about moving in with his brother, working cows and some of the work he planned to put in over the summer once he got to Stillwater. It’s apparently paying off, as he seems to really be jumping levels at this point.

Cutter Sheets After Winning 152 LB Oklahoma Freestyle State Title | Rokfin

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Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news.

OSU Bullets

• Cowboy commit Zane Flores is raising his stock with stellar QB play at the Elite 11 competition

• Cowboy Football added an FCS opponent to the 2026 schedule – the article speculates on when the Pokes and Sooners could schedule another non-conference game as well

• The Cowgirls added a SEC infielder earlier this week plus a new hitting coach after the last one went to Mizzou

• The Athletic did a “state of the program” piece on Cowboy Football yesterday, they highlighted how incredible the 2021 season was with some unique stats:

Gundy says the Cowboys easily could’ve started out 2-3 with all the injuries they dealt with at the beginning of the season. But they found ways to survive early and got better every week. They had the Big 12’s best defense in a decade, allowing just 15.9 points per game and 4.58 yards per play in conference games.

[The Athletic $$$]

• Brett Yormark is officially the fifth commissioner of the Big 12

• Bouncing back from the Billy Walton decommitment – here are some edge players that could fill the Pokes’ need

• Josh Holliday is following colleague Mike Boynton into coaching some Team USA:

Non-OSU Bullets

• 15 years ago the iPhone was introduced
• With the NBA’s free agency opening at 5pm, here’s The Ringer‘s preview
• Finished this read from the folks over at Magnolia in Waco – I love Chip’s stuff

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