Big 12 sends ESPN a cease and desist letter

[BamaNation]

Big 12 alleges ESPN trying to 'destabilize' league

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said ESPN is "manipulating other conferences to go after our members," and he has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the network, which has denied the claims.

www.espn.com

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1420519938964525057

That's the sum total of ESPN response (really):
"The claims in the letter have no merit," ESPN said in a statement.

So I'm guessing ESPN won't do much investigative reporting into this like they do against everyone else on non-issues.

 

[CajunCrimson]

Funny seeing some of the twitters today about TxTech going to the PAC. If you've never been to Lubbock, it looks more like a place you get paroled from rather than graduate from.

Happiness is Lubbock Texas in my rear view mirror

 

[Padreruf]

This is really quite humorous...in case anyone cared to look the Big 12 has been the epitome of unstable for the last 10 years. They are set up lopsided in favor of UT and OU -- and yet UT cannot win the championship!! This is like saying the pathologist killed the corpse.

 

[Redwood Forrest]

Is it legal? At hand is the fact that espn is trying to build a televised monopoly on college football. Can they? Fox is the only other big non espn/ABC/disney college football distributor. I know CBS has a few games, but not nearly as many as those two stations networks (and I doubt ABC/espn as one since owned by Disney.

It is free market. CBS could have kept the SEC if they had wanted to. They chose not to.

 

[TideEngineer08]

This is all so pathetic. In so many ways. I've in the past had sympathy for the SWC/Big 8/Big 12. But today, looking at the carnage laying about the midwest of the country, and viewing the autopsy reports, they have no one to blame for this mess but themselves. And isn't it ironic that Bowlsby is upset that the AAC and ESPN would try to absorb the remaining 8 teams, yet what would Bowlsby and the remaining teams do going forward if they are to survive? Poach the AAC!

No team is going to leave the Pac 12, Big Ten, ACC, or SEC to join up with the remaining Big 12 teams. NO TEAM. Their only hope is to raid the AAC. Also, what did they do just a few years ago but call for applications from these same AAC teams only to leave them hanging in the end!

No Bowlsby. You are a cheap hypocrite and you've brought all of this upon yourself and your league. Let me be clear here... I'm not a fan of college sports consolidation. I'm a nostalgic guy when it comes to this stuff. But I do despise the ncaa. And I do hope part of this is bringing that down and replacing it with something better and more efficient. And finally, these teams ought to be able to associate with whatever conferences they wish and the ones that are being left behind, well, consider you were never "there" to begin with.

 

[DanoCanuck]

I wouldn't be surprised if the presidents and governing boards of the remaining B12 schools aren't lighting up the phone lines talking to every player in the college football eco system. Possibly without Bowlsby even knowing it or at least not letting him manage it. He's acting like the jilted lover or a baby throwing a hissy fit. I can't see how Bowlsby's superiors (presidents) have any confidence in that man. Even if the B12 survives Bowlsby won't. He's history.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

This is all so pathetic. In so many ways. I've in the past had sympathy for the SWC/Big 8/Big 12. But today, looking at the carnage laying about the midwest of the country, and viewing the autopsy reports, they have no one to blame for this mess but themselves. And isn't it ironic that Bowlsby is upset that the AAC and ESPN would try to absorb the remaining 8 teams, yet what would Bowlsby and the remaining teams do going forward if they are to survive? Poach the AAC!

No team is going to leave the Pac 12, Big Ten, ACC, or SEC to join up with the remaining Big 12 teams. NO TEAM. Their only hope is to raid the AAC. Also, what did they do just a few years ago but call for applications from these same AAC teams only to leave them hanging in the end!

No Bowlsby. You are a cheap hypocrite and you've brought all of this upon yourself and your league. Let me be clear here... I'm not a fan of college sports consolidation. I'm a nostalgic guy when it comes to this stuff. But I do despise the ncaa. And I do hope part of this is bringing that down and replacing it with something better and more efficient. And finally, these teams ought to be able to associate with whatever conferences they wish and the ones that are being left behind, well, consider you were never "there" to begin with.

auburn could be king of the Big 12, just saying.

 

[CB4]

"articulation of deception"
" tortious interference"

Looks like Bowlsby found his thesaurus. It was underneath his autographed copy of Mack Brown's autobiography "If Only Colt Wouldn't Have Gotten Hurt".

 

[TexasBama]

From a Power 5 conference to fretting over the AAC poaching your teams in just one week.

Big 12 believes American is attempting to grab eight remaining members with Texas, Oklahoma leaving for SEC

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is not holding back as he tries to save his league with its powers leaving

www.cbssports.com

 

[BamaNation]

From a Power 5 conference to fretting over the AAC poaching your teams in just one week.

Big 12 believes American is attempting to grab eight remaining members with Texas, Oklahoma leaving for SEC

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is not holding back as he tries to save his league with its powers leaving

www.cbssports.com

Goliath, meet David.

 

[TideEngineer08]

Another thing this tells me, and I alluded to it earlier, but it means these 8 teams reached out to the B1G, or the ACC, or the Pac 12, and those conferences said they were not interested. And, once that happened, one of the schools revealed that to Bowlsby because now their only play is to hold out and get their money from Texas and Oklahoma. After that's over, they're done as a power conference.

 

[Crimson1967]

This is the sad truth, for them.

Big 12 raids AAC, AAC raids Big 12, I don’t care.

I get that, just saying what the Big XII needs to be doing. I do think the Big XII plus the top of the AAC makes a better league than the other way around. But it is still going to be a G and not a P league.

 

[CrimsonPaul]

I bet the Big 12 will offer an AMAZING deal offer to Texas and Oklahoma, if they haven't already. Will T & O then try to pressure the SEC for a better deal. Sounds like a script of pass Texas actions.

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

I bet the Big 12 will offer an AMAZING deal offer to Texas and Oklahoma, if they haven't already. Will T & O then try to pressure the SEC for a better deal. Sounds like a script of pass Texas actions.

I’d tell them to take the Big 12 deal and tell them the SEC isn’t going to play that game

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Another thing this tells me, and I alluded to it earlier, but it means these 8 teams reached out to the B1G, or the ACC, or the Pac 12, and those conferences said they were not interested. And, once that happened, one of the schools revealed that to Bowlsby because now their only play is to hold out and get their money from Texas and Oklahoma. After that's over, they're done as a power conference.

I only disagree on one pedantic point.

The Big 12 was NEVER a power conference.
Ever.

More so with UT and OU, yes.

But a conference that won a national title due to holdover from the Big 8 era (1997), two legit titles (2000 and 2005) and a bunch of nothing in between. They're the Kevin Mitchell of college football, a baseball player who always managed to have a whopping good season in his contract year and then was an overweight miserable ballplayer otherwise.

 

[TexasBama]

Goliath, meet David.

What’s hilarious about this is that five years ago several AAC teams wanted to join the Big12 and were denied.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

"articulation of deception"
" tortious interference"

Looks like Bowlsby found his thesaurus. It was underneath his autographed copy of Mack Brown's autobiography "If Only Colt Wouldn't Have Gotten Hurt".

This actually sounds like Vince McMahon's frivolous lawsuit against the WCW in 1996, including the same words (tortious interference is a constant point of mockery by Jim Cornette on his podcast).

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

This actually sounds like Vince McMahon's frivolous lawsuit against the WCW in 1996, including the same words (tortious interference is a constant point of mockery by Jim Cornette on his podcast).

I would make a jim cornette reference but I am not sure there is one that doesn’t involve a four letter word.

 

[TideEngineer08]

I only disagree on one pedantic point.

The Big 12 was NEVER a power conference.
Ever.

More so with UT and OU, yes.

But a conference that won a national title due to holdover from the Big 8 era (1997), two legit titles (2000 and 2005) and a bunch of nothing in between. They're the Kevin Mitchell of college football, a baseball player who always managed to have a whopping good season in his contract year and then was an overweight miserable ballplayer otherwise.

You got it right. And again I ask how that's supposed to improve by taking on a full time SEC schedule? If you can't beat these teams in a one off situation anymore, how are you supposed to run through the gauntlet? And in fairness, I realize a full SEC schedule does not mean 8 or 9 straight Alabama's or LSU's. Vanderbilt isn't going to beat Oklahoma. But the succession of Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU, and then a team or two from the new East is going to push them farther than any schedule in the Big 12 ever did.

In their present state's, I think Oklahoma can manage it at least to be competitive at the upper levels of the SEC. I do think they are another Florida, Georgia, LSU, Alabama. But Texas isn't even close right now and this is going to make Sark's job that much more difficult.

 

[Redwood Forrest]

From a Power 5 conference to fretting over the AAC poaching your teams in just one week.

Big 12 believes American is attempting to grab eight remaining members with Texas, Oklahoma leaving for SEC

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is not holding back as he tries to save his league with its powers leaving

www.cbssports.com

Hadn't thought about that! Imagine the B1G or SEC worried about the American Conference poaching their teams. As Vern would say, "Oh ...... My........ Goodness."