Five years ago, Oklahoma president David Boren stood at the construction site of a new campus dormitory and declared that the Sooners would be no wallflower during this second round of conference realignment. Borens comments sent a clear message that Oklahoma was no longer necessarily committed to making the Big 12 work in the age of the Longhorn Network. That sudden shift destabilized the Big 12, ignited a panic throughout the league and prompted Missouri to jump ship for the SEC.Five years later, the Big 12 faces another fork in the road. Once again, the Sooners are on the spot. Only this time, Oklahoma is loaded with leverage -- to dictate what happens to the conferences grant of rights, its composition and its overall future.Two weeks ago, the conference authorized commissioner Bob Bowlsby to begin exploring the leagues expansion options and start negotiating with prospective candidates.Texas immediately placed its expansion cards on the table, with president Greg Fenves seemingly endorsing the Big 12 candidacy of the University of Houston over Twitter not two days later -- launching the ball across the Red River.Making the critical question now: What does Boren want? The answer to that could go a long way in determining the direction of the Big 12 in the coming weeks.While Bowlsby has been examining expansion possibilities, the Big 12s television partners, ESPN and Fox, have anxiously been waiting to see what happens. Due to a pro-rata clause in the current contracts, the networks are on the hook for roughly $25 million for every school the Big 12 adds, regardless of the school, through the end of the deal in 2024-25. That could total up to $800 million if the Big 12 expands by four schools, an option Bowlsby and Boren have both stated is on the table.That has obviously placed the networks in a precarious position.If the Big 12 pulls the trigger on expansion, one recourse the networks would have would be to request an extension to the grant of rights, to at least gain long-term security for the leagues live content. Recently, ESPN agreed with the ACC on a network, which will launch in 2019. In exchange, ESPN got the ACC to sign an extension of its grant of rights through 2035-36.The difference with the Big 12 is that ESPN and Fox, contractually, have nothing to leverage the conference for the grant of rights extension -- the $25 million-per-school increases are already in the contract.On this one, ESPN and Fox can only ask and hope.The good news for them is that several of the Big 12s members might be incentivized to sign such an extension. In the event the Big 12 ever dissolved, its not entirely clear that everyone in the league would have a Power 5 landing spot. The Big Ten has a track record of only inviting members of the prestigious Association of American Universities; two-thirds of the Pac-12, meanwhile, are AAU-affiliated. Other than Texas, Kansas and Iowa State are the leagues only AAU members. And Oklahoma and Texas are the leagues only national football brands.Maybe Texas Tech and Oklahoma State and Kansas State would have a Power 5 home elsewhere. Maybe not. Big 12 survival is a safer route.Because of its lucrative deal with ESPN on the Longhorn Network, which doesnt expire for another 15 years, Texas has 225 million reasons to stand pat in the Big 12.Oklahomas only motivation, however, would only be, well, an altruistic stance on greater Big 12 stability.However, one industry insider, who worked directly with programming before recently leaving for another job in the industry, indicated getting the Big 12 schools to sign a grant of rights without offering anything in return will be a tough sell for the networks, even as they have to shell out up to $800 million to the league. More likely, to get a grant of rights extension, ESPN and Fox would have to put forward an immediate renegotiation of the Big 12s tier 1 and 2 deals, and pay the Big 12 up to the levels of the SEC and Big Ten. The Big Ten is now getting an estimated $250 million per year from Fox for only half of its rights.If the networks put that on the table, the Big 12s viability for the next two decades would be virtually assured. But only if the Red River flagships signed off. If either balked against a proposal the rest of the conference supported, it could, once again, send a message to the other Big 12 members -- that the Sooners arent completely committed to the conference.It might say, OU could begin flirting again, the insider said. That theyre not sure about the Big 12.Of course, Boren could attempt to utilize this leverage for whats clearly become his white whale: a Big 12 network. The ACC previously implemented a clause in its agreement with ESPN that triggered the upcoming network launch. If the ESPN or Fox were unwilling to do yet another network deal now -- but still wanted a grant of rights extension to avoid competing with a Netflix or a Google for rights down the line in an ever-changing media landscape -- perhaps Boren could procure such clause on a future Big 12 network.Still, given the current television climate, that could prove to be too ambitious.Even then, Boren would still have the option to push back on Texas.To get a new school into the conference, eight of 10 schools must sign off. Its hard to envision the Longhorns being able to get Houston into the Big 12 without Oklahomas support. Boren could demand Texas sanction his expansion school of choice, in exchange for rallying northern support for Houston.The Sooners have long believed to have had their eye on BYU, which has the strongest football brand of any non-Power 5 school. The Cougars also have a national following through the Mormon Church, and operate near Salt Lake City, a top-35 TV market. Boren also has shown interest in Cincinnati; he traded emails with then-Cincinnati president Santa Ono last year. Besides that, Boren could also press Texas to support a four-school expansion, which would net the conference an additional $50 million a year.Just what lever will Boren pull? That remains unclear. What is clear is this -- he has a move to make.Five years ago, those moves had a major impact on the direction of the league.They figure to this time around once again. Air Max Discount . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Discont Nike Air Max Shoes Cheap . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69. http://www.cheapairmaxdiscount.com/ . By having more great seasons. 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HOUSTON -- Grambling State running back Martez Carter had to remind himself of advice he frequently hears from Tigers coach Broderick Fobbs.Coach always preaches that anytime you make a mistake, it happens for a reason, and you have to have a short-term memory, Carter said.Carter rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown and used a dominant second half to help Grambling State overcome a 17-point halftime deficit and Alcorn State 27-20 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday at NRG Stadium.Late in the fourth quarter, Carter was nearly in the end zone when an Alcorn State defender knocked the ball loose on the 2-yard line. Luckily for Carter and the Tigers, receiver Dominique Leake was in the perfect place to catch the fumble in midair and step into the end zone to tie the game at 20.Like coach says, every mistake happens for a reason.After a blocked extra-point attempt by Alcorn State, Carter used his short-term memory to put the fumble behind him and scamper into the end zone on a 31-yard touchdown run with less than four minutes remaining to give Grambling State (10-1) its first lead of the game.Grambling State cornerback Jameel Jackson intercepted a pass at midfield with three minutes left to secure the win.The game was a rematch of the 2015 SWAC title game, which Alcorn State won 49-21. The Tigers won their first SWAC championship since 2011 and 24th conference title in school history, the most in the conference.They put us in a bind and dominated us in the first half, but our kids continued to fight, Fobbs said. We scrambled and made some plays and got some key stops, defensively, and were able to come away with the victory.After dominating the SWAC in an undefeated run in the regular season, the Tigers found themselves in unfamiliar territory at halftime as they trailed 17-0.Once we came in the halftime locker room and saw how everybody had the same mindset, I wasnt worried at all, Grambling State quarterback Devante Kincade said. I was ready to get back on the field.Kincade threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns on 15 of 22 passing despite eight sacks.Alcorn State (5-6) got 126 yards rushing and a touchdown from DeLance Turner, who had 16 carries.We gave up big plays and those kinds of things hurt, Alcorn State head coach Fred McNair said. Its just the way it happened and thats the way that second half played out, unfortunately.McNair, who was promoted from quarterbacks coach in February after previous head coach Jay Hopson left for Soouthern Mississippi, guided his team past a rocky 1/3 start to return to the conference championship game.dddddddddddd McNair is the brother of the late NFL quarterback and Alcorn State legend Steve McNair.Grambling State will face North Carolina A&T in the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl on Dec. 17 in Atlanta, the same opponent that beat Alcorn State in the same game 41-34 a year ago.THE TAKEAWAYGRAMBLING STATE: The Tigers dominated the SWAC in the regular season, winning by an average margin of 31.7 points but had to overcome a sluggish first-half start to finish the regular season undefeated in conference play.ALCORN STATE: The Braves dominated the first half and led by three scores at the break before losing momentum early in the third quarter and the lead in the fourth quarter.EMERGENCY KICKERAfter Grambling State kicker/punter Jonathan Wallace was injured on a punting play, he was unable to resume his duties as kicker. Fobbs turned to CB Abubakkar Conteh, who had never previously kicked for the Tigers and the team only recently found out played soccer in high school in Canada. With the exception of the blocked extra-point attempt on a bad snap, Conteh delivered, converting two extra points and handling kickoff duties.RUSHING TO CONCLUSIONSAlcorn State won in its two previous trips to the SWAC title game by dominating the ground game. The Braves more than doubled their opponents rushing yard totals in the previous two victories and were on their way to a similar feat on Saturday, leading the rushing total by a wide margin of 173-96 at the half. In the second half, however, Grambling State outgained Alcorn State 79-16, a key turnaround that ultimately flipped the game.PENALTIES GALOREMcNair acknowledged that committing 15 penalties for 134 yards was a major factor in Alcorn States loss of the early lead. Nine of those penalties for 82 yards were committed in the first half. Comparatively, Grambling State committed 10 penalties for 95 yards.UP NEXTGRAMBLING STATE: The Tigers will represent the SWAC in the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl on Dec. 17 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, taking on North Carolina A&T out of the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference.ALCORN STATE: The Braves are expected to return most of their starters on offense in 2017, including QB Lenorris Footman and Turner, and graduate just three starters on defense. ' ' '