Conference Realignment Chronicles :: We All Got Played

Dignan’s Notebook ( http://www.littlebanana.com/dignansnotebook.htm ) rather than Damone’s Five Point Plan, but went with Damone’s plan because it was a Five Point Plan, although I think that Dodds has a notebook similar to Dignan’s.

I think UT was a rational actor in all of this, and played its cards extremely well.

UT ended up with everything it wanted (for now), at the cost of revealing its true intentions to the rest of the college football world (which may or may not harm them in the longer term).

Nevertheless, as I mentioned in another post, without a firm TV deal on the table, we are merely entering into Act II of this drama.

Everyone now knows where UT’s interests and intentions lie. Now that UT’s position has been established, the remaining schools, particularly the Hangers-on and specifically ATM, will no doubt begin to once again explore their own options.

The smart move at this time is to pledge allegiance to the Big 12, take the money, and get busy working on Plan B.

My guess is that these ‘terms’ will be reworked when a hard TV contract comes along or when a firm offer is once again extended by another conference (probably to ATM).

In all of this, Texas Tech has done the best job possible given its limited options.

Just an observation, but it is interesting to me that we’ve heard from presidents and AD’s from the other schools, but at Texas Tech we have heard mainly from Hance with very little coming from Meyers or Bailey.

Hance has done a good job in all of this, and is deserving of our support in this instance.

I also couldn’t help but notice that in the end he couldn’t help but resort to giving the equivalent of ‘good cussin,’ because dammit sometimes in life that’s all you can do.

Of all the meddling that the NCAA does, I can’t believe it hasn’t stepped in on this mess. I know it is a big machine and things only went hay-wire yesterday, but I figured they would say they were at least going to look into it. I know that this contract is entered into by ‘consenting adults’ but it is clear that the ‘leftovers’ are completely and totally getting screwed here.

Where we were a conference of haves and have nots before, now I feel like we are a conference of masters and slaves. It makes me sick. I’m sure many of you feel the same as me, but I will not longer support UT in any way form or fashion. I will watch none of their games except against TTU and cheer for them to lose every game they play. They just got on the same level as Notre Dame in my book (which is black listed).

Though I am disappointed that TTU had to be tied to the UT coattails, it’s glaringly apparent we – the left over’s and worthy – though naïve – opponents – are all tied to the flaming orb known as the Orange sun. They get the hype. We get in the arena. Not to say it doesn’t sting to be thought of as "hangers on" but I think Nebraska and Mizzou initiated this drama. The Big12 officials have a job because of the UT success. The conference doesn’t have teeth or leverage to control its members. When they are pushed, they make decisions that helps their individual university. So it goes. In order to get unity of purpose the Presidents of the respective colleges would need to cede more authority to the conference leadership. They don’t want that, they want what we want, they want the benefits you get from being around the perception of being a winner. So the brand leader won this round. Time to get ready for expansion. Are you listening Big 12 "management " team?

Great write up Seth. I agree that UT used its position with in the conference to better its self. However, there is one thing we can do about it. WlN! If we start beating them it strengthens our position with in the conference as well as gives us better national exposure. By doing this we will ultimately be a sweeter piece to any conference pie down the road.

I think texas was prepared to go to the Pac-10, but when the ‘outside coalition’ offered them a deal with everything they cold want and more, that gave them the leverage they needed against the Pac-10 to ask for their own television network. When the Pac-10 predictably said no, they could come back and claim they ‘saved’ the conference.

The reason I don’t think all of this was as neatly orchestrated as you have spelled it out is b/c the SEC’s pursuit of A&M was throwing a monkey wrench into everything, hence their threat to pull out of their annual game with us. If texas had carefully orchestrated all of this, I’d think they’d have a bigger hammer than that try to threaten us, and they didn’t.

If we had said ‘yes’ to the SEC on Monday, this whole conference would have blown up.

There is also a question of outside political influence in all of this; I can’t fathom how administrations at A&M, OU, and texas would commit to the conference just based on pie-in-the-sky projections from Beebe’s consultants. I think higher ups outside our universities may have been pushing this agenda.

One positive point is that UT exposed itself for the arrogant, selfish, scheming, manipulating “big brother” that it is. Also, this ordeal exposed Beebe as an incompetent puppet. We also learned that unnamed outside sources are in control of decision making. They could care less about Tech, Kansas, Oklahoma State, etc. We also learned that ATM is a house divided. We learned that OSU might be willing to partner with Tech. I am sure others might be willing to partner with Tech to secure some advantages. We also learned that trust “in the family” was broken. Trust is one of the hardest things to rebuild. I suggest the “have not” and “hang on” schools take what they learned and partner together to try to balance the power of UT. Who knows the HN and HO schools might persuade an ATM or OU to their point of view.

“I told you so!”

Sincerely,
Nebraska

I was aiming at a bit of the same point today myself. I always felt that Missouri officials were not necessarily aiming to leave the Big 12, but were aiming to use what little leverage they had to improve their situation. Technically, it worked — they’re in the same conference, like they always said they wanted, and now they’ll be making up to twice as much in TV revenue (assuming Beebe’s numbers are right … and it scares the hell out of me that they’re not). It seemed to be going relatively well for Mizzou, but once Larry Scott (and therefore Chip Brown) got involved, Mizzou had no leverage whatsoever — Texas had it all. And you have to figure it wasn’t an accident that Scott or Brown got involved.

is that Texas Tech was raked over the coals more than any of the other “Hangers-On and Leftovers”. The supposed “Tech Problem” was reported repeatedly in the press, and was used to best effect as the University of Texas went conference shopping. The Big 10eleven heard the sad story of how a charitable and loving UT was prevented from playing with its AAU buddies because it had to stay home to care for its feeble little brother. Yet, the Pac 10, with great understanding, told UT they understood their predicament, and would be more than happy to assign a handicapped spot within the conference for their stricken sibling. The fact that Tech received no Pac 10 invitation independent from our burnt orange caretakers only does more support this theme.

Then there’s the bone-headed comment from the Gov. of Missouri. How many times did we have to read that little jewel?

On another note, it seems to me that the relative success of the Leach years has gone unnoticed by most outside of Raider Nation. I can’t help but wonder if Tech’s recent successes have been tainted by the manner in which Coach Leach was dismissed. Personally, I’m sure of it.

I feel like I’m back in high school.

I’m with you Seth, I feel completely played. I gotta admit, they are some smart MoFo’s to pull this off.

So in no particular order, here are some things I learned:
1. UT has no respect for anyone but UT, period!
2. Beebe is a figure head (could’ve said worse) and is simply doing what he has to do to keep his job. But that means basically doing whatever UT tells him to do.
3. It’s NO coincidence that UT had their press conference PRIOR to the B12 presser. NONE
4. Chip Brown & UT’s interests were a match made in…Shocking how traditional media outlets and the general CFB public treated his reports as anything other than a UT mouthpiece. And that includes me.
5. Gonna see a lot from some in Aggie nation that think they somehow pulled a power play to elevate themselves to the status of UT and OU. Don’t let the money share fool you as the “Leftovers” did. They got played as much as the other schools NOT named UT.
5a. And UT knows this as much as anyone!!!
6. I’m semi-proud of our Admin for at least giving the impression of raising hell about this new deal.
7. The B12 intentionally created an un-even playing field for the conference in a matter of a few days. Congratulations jackasses.
8. Tech had better get their options in line b/c this story isn’t over. The “Leftovers” are happy now with the revenue increase, but this new structure isn’t sustainable.
9. Unless the Ag’s improve, the “Leftovers” are going to get increasingly tired of subsidizing their poor play.

Most importantly, Tech better not sign ANYTHING until the new TV contracts are in place with regard to buy-out penalties. Once they do, we are stuck.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to politics.

When the B12 was being formed, why were TT and Baylor included instead of any of the other SWC members?

Liet Gov – Bob Bullock – TT undergrad
Senate Finance Committee Chairman – John Montford – TT grad
Speaker of the House – Pete Laney – TT grad
Chairman House Ways and Means Committee – Jeanelle (sp?) – TT grad

Governor – Ann Richards – Baylor grad
Liet Gov – Baylor Law School grad

Why is ATM getting pressure to stay in he B12-2 and potentially getting paid for being a traitor?

Governor – Rick Perry – Monarchy Party – ATM grad

Perhaps Beergut is right when talking about the “outside forces.” Politics at work, boys – it’s how sh*t gets done in the State of Texas.

Third tier rights: TTU should not be happy about this as this would invalidate our $4.5 million/year contract with Learfield. If we lose that contract, the TV “deal” will be, in effect, 4.5 million dollars less. so that takes a ~$17 million payout down to $12.5 million TV payout, not much of a raise over the previous level.

Awful, simply awful.

We’d be seeing a cartoon with a bent-over, guns-at-his-feet Raider Red with a smiling, lathered-up, tongue-hanging-out Bevo puttin’ it to Red…………………….

All I have to say is…

Eventually, that pretty girl that sleeps around to get what she wants catches an STD…

May UT be plagued with Herpes forever!

I feel like we’re in the football equivalent of Braveheart… Sad part is william wallace gets his guts pulled out and is killed…

FREEEEEEEEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!

We all got taken no doubt. Chip Brown’s display of yellow journalism will ruin his reputation outside of the Austin market. I used to have more dislike for A&M but I think the tide has shifted toward UT. I’m fairly sure the UT network will fail. I am also a firm believer that karma is a bitch and this will come back and bite UT. Their reputation around the country is soured and you can bet that next time the hat trick won’t be this easy. Going forward, I think it’s a reality check for Tech and others. It’s every man for themselves and these so called alliances are BS. It’s time for Tech to strive an identity. If Tech can achieve Tier One and continue to recruit in all sports, our day will come. Nobody has our back and this has never been so clear to us now.

should take a stand and demand the buyout $ be split among the remaing 10 schools. That of course would take a huge amount of integrity.

That was a great run down, Seth C. I am not sure I agree with your overarching conclusion, though. Maybe it is because I’d like to believe that the Pac10 was not played like a Fiddle. But the thing that makes me not believe in your conclusion here is the influence of these “un-named” people from Andy Katz report. He makes it sound as if people woke up to the fact that Texas was leaving and decided to stop it. Also, with the legislature getting involved.

It seems like if there was a conspiracy here, Texas wouldn’t need unnamed people of influence and the legislature to put the brakes on the matter. They could just do it themselves.

Also, if your theory is true, then not only was the Pac10 played, but also most every other BigXII school. Would Texas really do that to them? Would they really lie repeatedly and openly and directly to all these other schools? You certainly have more experience with them than I, but that seems really doubtful to me.

They list Texas Tech as one of the winners in this deal if you can believe that. They say because we were the last ones to agree to the deal that somehow means we have power. They also list Leach as a loser since he still isn’t coaching. Umm, relevance please…were there any coaching changes??

Also some great quotes from folks around the state and the Big 12 lite about what Texas did.

Considering the only downfall to UT footballl is their arrogance this will end up being the overdose that finishes their run of “success”

Why with the resources they still cant get their NC dreams filled, because its about on the field play. Young men with egos and privlidge dont work as hard as young men with something to prove. Spike Dykes taught us that. UT can buy the refs enough to get the conference championship, but now more than every that will be as far as they get.

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b4z5h

I feel like the pretty girl who got all dressed up for the prom, drank too much (spiked) punch and is now having to do the “walk of shame” with her high heels in hand!!

You wrote in your conclusion:
“…although he initially looked like the guy that had all of the inside sources, which he did, he was being used.”
Actully it should say:
“…..although he initially looked like the guy that had all of the inside sources, which he did, he knew was being used.”
Big difference. For me, it just solidifies the underhanded methods UT will use to destroy any semblance of competitive edge any other school shows. They and their “puppets” are never to be trusted in anything, especially when it concerns athletics.

News broke yesterday that the Nebraska and Colorado buyouts would be only going to UT, OU and TAMU,

What happened to our “political clout?” Do these “state institutions” have no say as to how money can and will be split? I understand that if you are making a ton of TV appearances, then by all means, keep the cash. But to take money that is paid to the conference as a whole and hoard it? Wow….I really don’t understand politics….wait…yes I do….more power, more money….wow that was simple.

According to the Big 12 bylaws, it takes a 75% quorum to make changes. Whad’ya know? 75% of the remaining conference just got screwed. That same 75% is pissed because they know it’s just a matter of time before they get royally screwed by the same forces that led to yesterday’s fiasco. Ah, but what can you do?

I’ll tell you what you can do. Use your hand! I’d rather use my hand than get screwed by someone that makes my blood curl!!

The way I see it, the 75% that got screwed have the power to tell UT, A&M and OK that the Big 12 is going to have equal revenue sharing across the board or those three will be kicked out. Only a couple of things can result from this. They all say buh bye, they all agree or they split up while some stay and others leave. I say odds are – they all say “fine” and leave. Hell, better to choose how to go than to be told where to go, right?

Here is why this may ultimately be better for the remaining schools in the long run;

1st – we keep our dignity and probably gain some respect in the long run because everyone knows we are pawns right now.

2nd – we would get to keep the automatic BSC bid. This is huge for that group because it means that by staying together there is no way that we get pushed into no man’s land by self interested big shots. The power in numbers theory does have merit, after all.

3rd – because we have the automatic bid, we can attract several, at least respectable, programs into the league: Utah, BYU, TCU, Houston, Boise State, New Mexico (solid TV market), etc. While this is not a power house, odds are we can still get a legit contract similar to to ACC/Big East because we are a BCS league. By Legit, I mean $ somewhere close to what we think we may get through the Big 12 format presented yesterday. And this would present a much better opportunity for Tech to get into the BCS games. Additionally – because of the overall concentration of solid teams we put together – a decent shot at getting into the NC game. Think about it. If Boise State, TCU and Utah can be so highly regarded in their current conferences – as they undoubtedly have been over the past 6 years – surely this would be considered a significant upgrade. And if our new conference is obviously better than their old conferences, I think the precedent has already been set.

4th – We get to give the finger to the Greedy 3 and show what happens when you don’t play nice.

5th – and most importantly – nobody will have us by the balls. I am very uncomfortable when someone I don’t trust is holding on to my sack.

We’re assuming that Nebraska and Colorado will each happily fork over a circa $20 million break up fee to leave the Big 12.

I think this is a big assumption.

How do you think the tax payers and alumni of these schools are going to feel about that?

It seems likely that these schools have an argument to claim some sort of mitigating circumstances due to intentions shown by UT and others, precipitating cause and all the rest? Who knows what they were told?

Given the sums involved, what’s the downside of trying to withholding or dramatically reduce these fees in court?

I sense a law suit coming down the tracks on this one, and yet another piece of the pie getting washed away.

I think UT had some hand in it but i feel like things just fell into their lap imo. The guy we hate the most just won the lotto. We need to band together with the other schools and demand that change happens. Texas Tech, along with the other 6 schools cant just take this laying down. We need to speak up and make things happen. I think its a safe bet that the powers to be for Tech are already at work, making plans for us for when the inevitable happens.

I haven’t the time today to read all the prior posts, so forgive me if someone else already floated this…

But what are the chances UT significantly harmed it’s future options for conference realignment outside of the Big XII? If I’m the Big 10 or SEC or whomever, I’m extremely cautious about proceeding in the future with an invite to UT seeing how they really aren’t looking to be part of a cohesive conference.

That’s not the UT end game. Even with the huge money UT could bring in to a new conference, the animosity that follows with the way they look at their fellow members (and themselves) would be enough, I think, to keep the horns at arms length.

Or is that just me trying to find the schadenfreude in all this…

I would bet Tech would depart before anything is signed. I thought that the PAC10 would extend a lone invite yesterday but no avail. In either case, it’s in Tech’s best interest to find another BCS qualifying conference that isn’t managed by UT.

I suggest all Tech scoreboards continue to have the name of our opponents except when it comes to playing that disgusting orange colored opponent. Then it should read “vile scurvy rats!”

So I started thinking about the 75% rule in the Big12. Well, I think we have a good oppty to get UT to put their money where they mouth is. Remember this quote yesterday?

“We do not have any guarantees from the league or our northern partners. There have been reports that there’s going to be a special deal for some of us using penalty money or other money,” [Texas president Bill] Powers said. “We were not part of that. We have heard about that. … It was not part of our consideration and we oppose that kind of deal.”

Well, how about Hance goes public and takes UT up on their offer to not have the penalty money divided up unfairly? Now UT would be in a position where they would have to vote with Tech which leaves the Leftover 5, Tech, OSU and UT with the ability to dictate to TAMU and OU how the money is split up.

Anyone like this idea???

1. I am glad that Chip Brown (The Puppett) no longer has a column in the Dallas Morning News. His greasy-haired column was simply a Horn propaganda sheet. Made me barf!

2. Hard to consider Hance anything but a sleazy politician. Much to his chagrin, he had no sayso in this matter.

3. UT equals Obama. Everything each one says is a lie.

4. How can we find out who the "interested and influential " people were who brokered the deal to keep the Big 12 together? How about TMZ?

5. IF, Mike Leach were still coach at Tech, and IF, the Raiders had moved to the west, Mike would have realized his goal of coaching in the Pacific whatever!

Everybody hold on. It’s going to be a wild ride.

As you travel your road of life you will find that things like this happen. Their are people out there who are out to take advantage of you, the thing is you have to take a chance some times. We all took that chance thinking that this time UT was playing straight. In the end we, along with the rest of the minor players, got taken in by a sleazy con.
I have been taken in by the, my husband is in the Hospital / my wife is having a baby / my dad is dieing and I just need some gas money to get there story more times than I care to admit. (Never Again!). The point is each time I got taken, I was acting in good faith, so I have no regrets. I followed my heart which is not always the wisest thing to do, but it is never the wrong thing to do.

Tech, the Pac-10 and all of us here at TT nation were acting in good faith and we got screwed.
That’s life, you don’t have to like it, but you do need to learn from it.

If I knew how to cut and paste the video of the ending scene from “Sent of a Woman” here I would.
I will paraphrase Col. Frank Slade instead.

Bebee, UT, and aTm. F@#K YOU Too!!!!!

Does anyone know if the state hearing happened today by the chairman of the education committee? Or did it get called off since UT single-handedly and heroically saved the conference (yeah, right…)?

I think we need that hearing more than ever now to expose what UT did with our tax dollars (as pointed out by several others above) to screw over another public university in Texas.