Oklahoma's David Boren spent about 10 minutes Wednesday saying goodbye to the school he served as president for the last 23 years.
In his public remarks, he didn't drop any hints about conference realignment or the Big 12 being "psychologically disadvantaged" by its 10 members or expansion -- the greatest hits from the last few years. Those off-the-cuff riffs made the former governor and U.S senator a reporter's dream and a commissioner's nightmare.
Neither did Boren mention the hire of football coach Bob Stoops and athletic director Joe Castiglione. Nor he did mention the decision to elevate Lincoln Riley as Stoop's successor, all of which shaped OU's athletic department into one of the nation's most successful.
Mainly he talked about presidential stuff -- philosophy and academics and building a school.
Boren, 76 and coming off heart bypass surgery this year, announced he will step down as president on June 30, 2018 -- assuming Oklahoma has a replacement ready.
By sheer length of term, by profile and by personality, Boren's s departure will leave a major void at Oklahoma and in the Big 12 -- for better or worse. Boren stepped into the hole left by the forced retirement of Texas athletic direction DeLoss Dodds and did his best to shape the Big 12 agenda.
He pushed for the return of a conference title game -- and on the day he retired, the reinstated title game got a start time of 11:30 a.m. Dec. 2 at AT&T Stadium.
Boren took shots at Texas' Longhorn Network and pushed the Big 12 to look at a conference-wide network.
He suggested a hard look at expansion last year, then backed off, with the Big 12 staying at 10 members.
One theory Wednesday suggested that Boren's departure might strengthen the Big 12 by removing speculation and rumors coming from one of the league's most powerful presidents.
Boren had been through multiple rounds of realignment and knew the lay of the land.
The new president -- whether chosen from internal or external candidates -- will need time to learn about conference issues and TV contracts. The Big 12's deals with ESPN and Fox expire in the 2023-24 school year, with negotiations arriving sooner than you think.
Members of Oklahoma's board of regents and its fan base have openly expressed dissatisfaction with the Big 12, although the Sooners' 3-0 start and No. 3 ranking has removed some of the College Football Playoff angst.
It's not so much about how Oklahoma and Texas feel about the Big 12 now but how those two bell-cow programs feel early in the next decade, especially about their chances of reaching the playoff. Oklahoma has twice held discussions earlier this decade with the Pac-12 conference. The SEC or the Big Ten could someday be in the mix for OU.
Asked about Oklahoma and the Big 12's future, Boren pointed to this season.
"The right things are going to happen," Boren told the Oklahoman when asked about the Big 12. "We don't really have a crystal ball. The current contracts for media, which is the main source of athletic revenue now, will be coming due in about half a dozen years. What will that situation look like?
"One year, the Big 12's not even in the picture anymore. The next year -- thanks to two Oklahoma teams this year, we're carrying the Big 12 in so many ways -- it's a lot stronger. ... I think there's still a possible bright future for the Big 12 Conference."
Twitter: @ChuckCarltonDMN
