1) that link said “ some reports ticketed Oklahoma to the SEC, but many called it nonsense†meaning it could’ve happened or it might’ve not. The only real evidence that it could’ve is the OU president. Keep in mind he wanted to go PAC 12 from the start, and it could’ve just trying to make OU look better. I think my biggest question of the legitimacy of the OU to the SEC claim 2010-11 is “ why if offered would they refuse more money, more power, and better TV deals than they will ever get with FOX and the LHN in the Big XII?†I come to two conclusions: 1) OU is the dumbest partners you could ever have and we are way better without their stupidity at conference calls or 2) the talks were never serious if they did happen. Which I believe they never happened prior to Mizzou’s invite DURING second wave of things. Might have happened in the first wave, but it didn’t happen in the second wave. But there is no way to prove anyone other than VT and aTm getting a REAL offer during the 2010 wave from the SEC unless you are hook line and sinker stuck on OU’s president’s account of the events.
2) the 2010 expansion talk is not the same as 2011 talk.
I lived in Nebraska from 2008-14. I knew many people in the know from Nebraska and a few from Missouri, and they were pretty dead on with the movement games. First and foremost, Nebraska, Colorado, and Missouri never liked the move from the Big 8 to the Big 12 and felt UT and OU conned them into it. They believed Texas was hogging all the money .So when the time came up for renegotiation they were going to threaten to move. Colorado was always a known departure from the start so no one really raised an eyebrow. But the Big 10 started secret talks in early 2009 with Missouri, and somehow Nebraska got wind of it and started their own discussions. The inclusion of the Big 10 really made Nebraska and Missouri more open to actually moving to another conference than just threatening to do so. The problem with Nebraska having secret discussions is that 80% of Nebraskans get wind of it right away because no one can keep their mouth shut. The Big 10 was weighing both options but went with Nebraska because they weren’t under contract after summer of 2010, Mizzou would take another year. Nebraska by sources was just threatening the Omaha market for a way better deal from Texas, but the “jobbing†in the Big 12 Championship game in 2009 just sent the fans in a revolt that pretty much sealed their course of action.
Then you have your first mega play to the PAC 12 UT, TTU, OU, and Okie Lite. aTm played a wishy washy game with the PAC 12 and SEC. The SEC made an attempt on VT, but was turned down. Ultimately UT made a deal that kept things in place.
2011- aTm had enough of the temporary deal, and the LHN so they made a public declaration to jump to the SEC. Baylor tried to block it, but UT let them go with a buyout. So the SEC started a search for a second team and was turned down by WVU and by reports VT again, but Missouri was wanting to leave after all the crap they put up with in 2010 and the worsening of the LHN deal. They had the best markets on the board so the SEC took them.
These moves caused OU to play big boy politicians again, and tried to secure a deal with the PAC 12 again, who basically said “ Texas and you with no Okie Lite or you forget itâ€Â. Oklahoma got stuck overplaying their hand and had to bow at the burnt cow’s hooves again.
Point is the 2010 conversation was old wounds from the Big 8 elites against Texas that ultimately led to an exodus of some lucrative markets and a late push by a divided aTm BOT that ultimately led to the SEC scrambling to find another team to be a companion. Ultimately Texas saved the conference for one more year with a flimsy deal. The 2011 was a more direct approach where aTm put on their big boy pants and openly declared their intentions due to the LHN. Missouri was more of an added market deal that the SEC was wanting. The SEC in 2011 was more focused on building markets and not reacting to chaos like they were in 2010. I believe there were talks in their summer meetings about how they would handle chaos in the future.
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), I still think the SEC was a better conference when we were TEN teams.
