Things are heating up.
I am not surprised by this. Scott wasn't in L.A. for the Texas vs. UCLA game just for kicks...
I've confirmed the meeting between Larry Scott and Texas' Dodds and Powers in LA. The four B12 schools trending West, but not done yet.
As soon a more complete story comes out I will link to it.
Getting interesting...
Updates after the jump.
UPDATE I:
This is from Andy Staples...
Realignment update after getting some feedback from those who know: Pump the brakes on Tex/Pac-12. Might happen. Not imminent.
We're not there yet...
UPDATE II:
Here is the latest from Pete Thamel
According to an official from each conference, Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott met with the Texas president, William Powers, and Texas Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds in Los Angeles within the past few days and discussed details of Texas’ heading west. Texas had been talking with the Atlantic Coast Conference, but those conversations appear to be over.
The process of the four universities heading west is expected to play out over the next 7 to 10 days, but three significant steps must be taken before any type of deal can be consummated.
First, the Texas regents must approve of the deal when they meet Monday. (Oklahoma’s regents have made their interest known. Oklahoma State and Texas Tech are a package deal with Oklahoma and Texas.)
The second factor is completing the details of the new 16-team league, including the alignment of the divisions and how Texas’ Longhorn Network would fold into the Pac-12’s television contract structure. This will require intensive work for Scott, ESPN and Texas to see how things can be settled financially and in terms of branding, and still meet the approval of the Pac-12 presidents.
There is a lot of work yet to be done, but I am pretty sure that Larry Scott will find a way to work it out...especially if talks with the ACC have stalled.
It is pretty clear that Big 12 is dead...there is no discussion of the Big 12 staying together, just discussion of Texas leaving the Big 12.
Hard to know where it all ends up...
UPDATE III:
Here are the particulars from the Austin-American Statesman...
A high-ranking school administrator at one of the four Big 12 schools said “It’s heating up. We’re trying to move in that direction (of joining the Pac-12).”
When asked about the terms of the agreement, the administrator said, “We can live with it.”
The Longhorns would be able to keep all of their revenue from the network if that amount is greater than one-sixteenth of what the entire Pac-12 receives for its third-tier rights. However, if one-sixteenth of the money the Pac-12 receives from third-tier rights ends up being a larger amount, the schools would divide the revenue evenly and everybody would receive the same amount, the source said.
“Nothing has been definitively confirmed. But that’s in the zip code,” a source very familiar with the realignment discussions said Sunday. “This is not yet a done deal. It appears that (Pac-12 commissioner) Larry Scott is going to be able to work some magic and help Texas keep the Longhorn Network and their revenue stream.”
For football, the conference would be aligned into four four-team pods with Texas being joined by Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
Texas would play those schools every year.
I like the Pod idea. I would love going to Austin or Norman for the occasional game. That would be a great experience!
The revenue sharing proposal doesn't surprise me WRT the LHN. Texas is running out of options, Scott wants them so it makes sense to work something out that benefits both parties...and ESPN.