For a few days, OSU seemed destined for a Pac-10 transfer
Published: 12/28/2011 8:31 PM
Last Modified: 12/28/2011 8:31 PM
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – For a few days in June 2010, it seemed that Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech were destined for Pac-10 membership.
“I thought it was going to happen,” Stanford All-American guard David DeCastro said on Wednesday. “It would have been different, that’s for sure.
“We have some Texas guys on our team and they were really looking forward to playing games in Texas.”
Instead, the Big 12 was salvaged – although it lost two members then (Nebraska and Colorado) and two more this year (Texas A&M and Missouri).
If OSU had transferred to the Pac-10 (now known as the Pac-12), Stanford would have become a conference opponent. Instead, Oklahoma State and Stanford are Fiesta Bowl opponents. The Cowboys and Cardinal clash on Monday at University of Phoenix Stadium.
“This is just the way things are going to be – massive mega conferences,” Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck said.
OSU coach Mike Gundy’s memory of June 2010: "I thought there was a 95 percent chance that we were going to the Pac-10. I thought it was definitely going to happen."
"My thoughts about it were mixed,” Gundy continued. “I wanted us to maintain a strong recruiting base in this part of the country. Could we do that if half our games were played in California and Arizona? I was concerned about it."
With Gundy as the coach, OSU is 6-1 against current members of the Pac-12 (including Colorado).
-- Bill Haisten
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
