A lot of sources are now reporting that Texas A&M to the SEC is basically a done deal. The official announcement would be on or before the 22nd. I'm a little bit cautious about this because it's similar to what happened last year. Assuming it's true, where does this leave the Big 12 (9)?
When would it be effective? Next year? I hope it happens and the rest of us split for the PAC 10, 12, 16? Fuck Texas, let them be an indie with their bullshit longhorn network.
Saw an online article (maybe on CNNSI.com) stating that if A&M goes, then Mizzou is the next natural choice for the SEC to get up to 14 teams. Not entirely sure if I buy that, as both Mizzou and A&M would have to be SEC West teams. In that scenario, which current SEC West team would switch to the SEC East? It would make for a rivalry with Arkansas, but Mizzou would have to cut ties w/ Kansas, our most bitter rival. Meh...I'd rather see Mizzou in an expanded Big Ten.
If it brings on the superconference playoff system, I'm all for it. I do worry about my alma mater a little bit, just in that the way was paved last year for the rest of us to fall into the PAC 16. Now that the PAC has added two more regional teams, it will be interesting to see if they're still interested in expansion. Boone's millions have bought the Pokes top ten status and a seat at the table, hopefully we fall in a good spot. I think the most probable scenario given an Aggie departure would be the remaining Big "12" trying to woo TCU from the Big East, you can't tell me that the Horny Toads have the budget to be traveling all over Big East country. I'd say that Mizzery to the SEC is ridiculous, (and it is) but these things hinge so much on television, and that would expand the SEC's footprint into St Louis and Kansas City. It's the whole reason the SEC is willing to take A&M, they get all the Texas television markets.
A lot of Aggies around here are saying, "Hell, yeah! Now we don't have to play cream puffs like Iowa State!" In the short term, I think A&M is going to be the "Iowa State" of the SEC.
SEC presidents meeting on Sunday. A&M Board of Regents meeting on Monday. They moved the meeting from the 22nd in order to beat out the Texas Legislature meeting on Tuesday. This looks like it's happening. The sips are in full meltdown and hurling hate in every direction. I love it.
Hey who knows, an Iowa State coach just 'won' the SEC and a national championship, so maybe we're over rating the SEC.
As you are already aware, the SEC Presidents met today, and did not extend an invitation to Texas A&M. While I can understand A&M's interest in joining the SEC, I don't see an advantage for the SEC. The SEC games on televised on CBS get much higher ratings than the NCAA games on ABC; not because SEC schools are in high population areas, but because they have the best football teams. The Big 12 currently has very lucrative television contracts. With FOX for games on cable TV, and ABC for broadcast TV. The Big 12's revenues from these contracts amount to about $15.5 million per school, per year. The Big 10's current contracts total about $17 million per school, per year. The SEC, about $19 million. All the Big 12 schools committed to these contracts last year. If A&M were to leave the conference, they could face substantial financial penalties. The Big 12 schools also agreed to allow Texas to set up its own television network. This was a price that had to be paid to keep Texas in the conference, and keep the conference alive. If Texas were not in the conference, the TV revenue for the other schools would be considerably less. The Big 12 isn't perfect, but it's still a decent football conference. It still has an automatic BCS bid, which is guaranteed money for each school. Texas may have an advantage, but they're not invincible. A&M should what every other school in the conference does. Suck it up, compete, and Beat Texas!
The SEC can't extend an invitation until A&M formally petitions for membership. It's shocking how badly the media has misinterpreted the SEC statement today. A&M BOR meets tomorrow and then has to meet with members of the legislature on tuesday. This is happening. As far as who benefits the most from this, the answer is the SEC. Understand, there are more people in the Greater Houston area than there are in the entire state of Alabama. A&M delivers TV sets, and that means money. Every single member of the SEC will see a substantial increase in revenue. It's a no-brainer. As far as beating Texas goes, well . . . we have. 3 out of the last 5 and this year looks to make it 4 of the last 6. Since scholarship limits became mandatory, A&M actually leads the series. This is about 2 things for A&M: 1) The best interest of the school. The SEC will offer more revenue than the Big 12 ever could. Additionally, A&M gets the benefit of being in a stable conference for once that doesn't act in the interests of one school above all others. And of course, the SEC is the best football conference by far and offers the kind of match ups that fans love to see. 2) A complete lack of faith in the Big 12. This is a dying conference and anyone who paid attention last year knows it. It was Texas that tried to blow it all up by organizing a mass exodus to the PAC 10. When A&M balked and threatened to head East, the horns made a last ditch effort to bring everyone back to the table. Assurances were made, and the Big 12 commish sweetened the pot by working with Texas to facilitate their network dreams. Unfortunately, the horns were not forthcoming about their ambitions. Trying to broadcast high school games featuring their recruits on the Horn Network was a shock to the rest of the conference. The sheer balls of it is astounding as it is clearly an NCAA violation. As if that wasn't enough, they made known their desire to get more conference games on the Network. This is HUGE problem. Recently, they tried to get Tech to have their game in Austin shown on the LHN and were told to fuck off. It is obvious that the intention is to get ALL home games shown on the LHN at some point in the future. Here's a nice article to counter the feces being spewed by ESipN: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/08/14/texas.am.sec/ To sum up, there are huge trust issues and there is no assurance that Texas or Big 12 can make that would convince A&M that staying in the conference would be in their best interest. This kind of game has been going on for decades and it's time move along. A&M will be happy to continue the rivalry via non-conference scheduling, but if you know the folks down in Austin at all, you have to assume they are going to take their ball and go home instead.
I agree with everything you said right up until the part where you said A&M would be happy to continue the rivalry in a non conference game. There is no advantage in it for A&M to do that. No school is going to battle through an SEC schedule and then in one of their non conference games schedule a team like Texas that will be good most of the time. Texas will probably discontinue the rivalry anyway, allowing A&M to save face, but when A&M leaves, that series will end for a while. My guess is barring any bowl games the 2 teams won't meet for a decade. I wonder what your new school song will be.
I agree that continuing the rivalry will make A&M schedule harder, but from what I've heard, the Administration wants to continue it anyway. Texas will probably try and "punish" us by refusing. If that happens, don't be surprised if A&M schedules non-conference match ups with the other Texas schools instead.
The reporting has been ridiculous, it's obvious that there are formalities taking place, hell they've been reported on by other sources. The fallout is going to be fascinating, I was talking to a Sooner booster, not some dipshit, but someone actually in the know, and he claimed that Oklahoma was quietly campaigning to go to the Big Ten. That would be interesting in that it would split the two state schools. It would either leave OSU high and dry or push us west towards the PAC. I would prefer that they stay together and take a four school package to the PAC, but I'm fine with anything as long as we don't end up in the Mountain West.
As a Tech fan I know the fallout can easily go either way on this but to me it's worth the risk. This very well could be the straw that breaks the camel's back so to speak. If it leads to Super Conferences and eventually a playoff then it will be worth any short term price we pay. I hope Tech and OSU end up in the PAC 16. But Tech may get stuck in a shit conference because the PAC took in 2 teams it wasn't planning on originally last year.
If A&M does jump to the SEC, I'd like to see TCU or Notre Dame as a replacement. But TCU recently joined the Big East, and I don't see Notre Dame going into any conference other than possibly the Big (12) Ten.
According to my father, A&M looks likely to happen, it's just a problem of locking down a 14th. Currently the SEC is looking at WVU or Virginia Tech to get a foothold in the DC market. My question is what happens when you have 7 teams in a division? Do you lose a non-conference game or not play everyone in your division? I hope to hell this doesn't fuck up the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. Part of us and Georgia agreeing to expansion to 12 was that we'd still be able to play each other every year.
Aaaaand, I will soon be looking fondly back on the days when the Pac-10 was actually a West Coast conference..... Still, C'mon in! Surf's up!!
If the Big 12 does implode and we start moving to superconferences, on top of A&M I'd like to see the SEC grab Missouri, WVU and Virginia Tech (at least one of the two). Talk about market expansion! Texas, Missouri, Virginia AND the DC Metroplex?!?! Yes please!
Latest I've heard is that Mizzou, Kansas, and K State have a standing offer to join the Big East if the Big 12 bites it. From a football standpoint, Mizzou would be top of the heap in there. And that'd be one hellacious basketball conference! I'd still prefer Mizzou to the Big Ten, but they seem to be dragging their feet w/ regard to expansion.
Problem is that college football isn't nearly as popular in the DC area as it is in the south and midwest. The DC area is still Redskins Country.
If OU and OSU go I can't imagine Texas will want to try and save the Big 12. There are no schools out there to replace them that are worth while. Texas, TCU, U of H and Texas Tech are not enough to build a decent conference around. Texas wants to hold onto the dying Big Twhatever because it's the easiest path to BCS bowls and potential National Championships for them. But if OU bails out the conference that does remain should lose that automatic BCS bowl bid. Unfortunately for me my school needs Texas to drag us along into a better conference. If they don't then we're fucked. We'll end up in some shit conference with Baylor and SMU.
Huh... so is the Big East going to be Poland and the Big 12 the Ottomans, or is it the other way around? Source: Pitt, Syracuse apply to ACC I'd like to see the SEC pick up WVU if the Big East collapses. Be nice to also grab VT, but I don't see that happening since the ACC raised their buy out to 20m. Still like to see us pick up Missouri. With Missouri and A&M in the West, and WVU and VT in the West, we'd not only add four schools with good football traditions but three major markets, and it wouldn't cause any kind of divisional realignment (honestly all I really care about is keeping the Alabama and Georgia games). So if not VT, who in East would be a good match?
