Florida State Board of Trustees Meeting Thursday, Friday: Big 12 Expansion Talk Looming?

Florida State’s Board of Trustees are meeting today and Friday, and ChuckOliver.net’s Ingram Smith reported some big news via Twitter:

The FSU-to-Big 12 rumors have circulated for about a month now, with speculation and innuendo as the fuel. These meetings should provide the first concrete movement one way or another, whether it’s FSU setting the wheels in motion to leave the ACC, or remain there.

Negotiation with the Big 12, should FSU choose that route, would not necessarily translate to a partnership. Two years ago nearly to the week, DeLoss Dodds and Texas went to the table with the Pacific 10 and failed to agree to terms. Now, the most contentious point of a proposed Texas-to-Pac move was the then-still conceptual Longhorn Network. FSU does not bring any such baggage in its hypothetical negotiations, though third party rights will be the biggest talking point.

Current Big 12 member Oklahoma had been rumored to seek its own TV channel after news of the Longhorn Network surfaced, but went the more realistic route of content provider as opposed to content distributor. Chip Brown had floated the suggestion of an FSU channel when these rumors first surfaced last month, a bewildering suggestion given the struggles ESPN has had finding carriers for LHN.

Sooner TV will instantly reach 10 times the amount of homes as LHN, giving its coverage to FOX Sports. The advent of this distribution network is the most significant sales pitch new Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby can give FSU — assuming the Big 12 is on board with expansion. Just last week, reports of the conference’s new deal remaining the same for its existing 10 members even after expansion would diminish the need for growth.