Hard to Understand Oklahoma to Pac-12

The University of Oklahoma Regents will meet Monday in a closed meeting to discuss the school's conference options. On the same day the University of Texas Regents will meet and discuss the future of the Big 12 conference. Texas representatives have been in Norman this past week trying to convince the Sooners to remain in the Big 12.

Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State will not waive the right to litigation if Texas A&M leaves the Big 12. R. Bowen Loftin, president of Texas A&M, says his school is being held hostage right now.

If Oklahoma leaves everything will fall apart.

What doesn't make a lot of sense is the travel. The US map below is color coded to illustrate the three largest conferences to Oklahoma. In blue - the SEC, green - Big 10, yellow - Pac 12, and Oklahoma is orange.

From Normal Oklahoma in miles...

SEC
235 - Fayetteville, Arkansas
358 - College Station, Texas (when, not if A&M joins the SEC)
552 - Oxford, Mississippi
629 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
647 - Starkville, Mississippi
691 - Nashville, Tennessee
706 - Tuscaloosa, Alabama
822 - Auburn, Alabama
851 - Lexington, Kentucky
868 - Knoxville, Tennessee
931 - Athens, Georgia
1071 - Columbia, South Carolina
1192 - Gainesville, Florida

734 - Average travel to SEC Schools

Pac 12

715 - Boulder, Colorado
1012 - Tucson, Arizona
1036 - Tempe, Arizona
1251 - Salt Lake City, Utah
1350 - Los Angeles, California (USC, Cal)
1630 - Stanford, California
1646 - Berkeley, California
1839 - Pullman, Washington
1961 - Eugene, Oregon
2019 - Seattle, Washington
2028 - Corvallis, Oregon

1486 - Average travel to Pac 12 Schools

Nothing is really close, it's interesting that over half the schools in the SEC, counting A&M, are closer to Oklahoma than the second nearest Pac 12 school at Tucson, the University of Arizona. The average is almost exactly double the distance to Pac 12 schools, 1486 miles, at the SEC schools 734.

Of course Oklahoma will fly whether they end up in the SEC or Pac 12. That's every sport and it will be double the air time. Not a piece of cake.

Even though there is plenty of travel ahead for the Oklahoma speculation by just about everyone has Sooners looking West where there are no shortage of good reasons to do so. Bob Stoops brand of football is a better fit in the Pac 12 than the SEC. The Pac 12 is well known as a passing conference with most of the best throwing quarterbacks in the country.

The SEC is more like a Texas, Nebraska or an Ohio State, it's a power league where you better be able to run the football and play strong defense. Not saying Oklahoma can't do that and couldn't adapt to the SEC.

Oklahoma State would be a great fit with the Pac 12 offensive style of play if the much rumored package deal of OU and OSU comes into play.

It's great for the Pac 12, they will help the West Coast teams get more appeal when they travel to Central USA. Kickoffs at 3:30pm EST are practical giving the East Coast fans more opportunities to watch. Of course some of the Sooner games on the West Coast would be too late for prime time on the Eastern side of the US.

Not only will joining the Pac 12 help the Oklahoma schools recruit California and the West Coast, playing in Oklahoma will hep the Pac 12 schools get a stronger presence in the state of Texas. Especially with the super conferences looming there will be some schools in the Lone Star state left out. Many recruits may look to out of state options where there will be a greater chance of national TV coverage.

Of course the SEC will be an option for those recruits when Oklahoma opts for anywhere, law suits won't work if the conference falls apart. Texas A&M would give the SEC a better shot at Texas recruits.

The flip side is if Oklahoma were to opt for the SEC they would have more appeal to rich areas like the state of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

It has been written that Oklahoma doesn't like the perception that they're some sort of puppet with Texas pulling their strings. Taking any step out of the Big 12 will change this national image.

Oklahoma State is looked upon more as a partner to Oklahoma than a tag-a-long. Besides neither of the Oklahoma schools have a huge private TV contract to worry about losing.

Looking for stability the Pac 10 has been together a long time, since 1915, they league started small with four teams (Cal, Washington, Oregon and Oregon State)and continued to add teams.

Stability is the SEC established in 1932 with 13 teams, 10 of the charter members are still in the conference (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt). The SEC expanded to 12 teams back in 1991 with Arkansas and South Carolina, it's mind boggling to think those two schools are entering their 21st year in the conference. One could actually argue there is more stability in the SEC looking at those ten charter members.

In the end if Oklahoma joins the Pac 12 as many think they will, Coach Stoops won't be that happy because it will involve another conference championship game. But that should be OK for a while with USC's probation setbacks Oklahoma should battle Oregon for dominance of the league.

If Oklahoma were to surprise everyone and join the SEC, they will battle for the league title against the likes of LSU, Alabama, Florida and say a South Carolina or perhaps Tennessee and Auburn when they rebuild.

The SEC would love to have them.