Texas A&M considering the SEC

[Leakfan12]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6851396/texas-governor-says-texas-considering-move-sec

Interesting to see if it happens. After Nebraska and Colorado left, looks like the end to the Big 12 (well Big 12 South not Big 12 North {still known as the Big 10}).

 

[CaliZona_Gator]

Interesting. I heard that all the Texas schools want to stick together. So imagine UT, A&M, Tech, & Baylor joining the SEC to make the 1st 16 team power conference. The TX schools join the SEC West, while Alabama and Auburn join the SEC East.

Probably not gonna happen like that, but it's just a thought.

 

[DRU2012]

No WAY it happens like that, I'm tellin' ya--one of the main reasons this is happening NOW has to do with that "Longhorn Network". As the latest, biggest, clearest and (most importantly) most immediate "Big Stick" Texas is wielding over the heads of its "neighbors" and fellow Big 12 members, Aggies are finding this particularly galling--though the truth is that they have long since tired of feeling their fate tied inevitably and uncontrollably to the will and whims of their nemesis "over in Austin". There are many more nuances, political subtleties and real issues at stake here, but there IS an emotional component to the whole deal that can't be ignored or discounted.
However, along with, in addition to, and perhaps even in spite OF all of that, right along with considerations regarding an expanded money and recruiting base, one explicit point has come to the fore: "What is best for A & M's FUTURE?" With all that happened in the spring with the Big 12, the turmoil now and Texas' fairly arrogant game of "Broadcast-Chicken", what IS the likely long term prognosis for the Big 12? Is it even likely to exist? You don't even have to ASK that question with the SEC: we're the Gold Standard.
OK, there ARE issues, especially for the folks down here in "Tejas"--lot of talk 'bout "what'r they gonna do about their SONG?!!" "Ts'about US!" cry the Longhorn fans. Well, guess they'll have to make a couple of changes--and we got a UT too, by the way--"the REAL one", I can hear Vols hollering. Otherwise, though, their culture and rabid followers will fit in real well in the SEC; they'll build up rivalries and some honestly deep mutual hostilities in NO TIME. Their fans are nuts, can really get under your skin, they show up and they travel well. For the SEC, it's a sure thing.

 

[Escambia94]

Like DRU, I am here in Tejas. Since I am further south, I have a lot of Texas A & M co-workers. The Aggies are rather pissed off that the ShortHorns started that network, so I can see them leaving the Little 12 for the SEC. UTsw just alienated the other Texas schools. A & M would love to play in the West with its former SWC brethren, Arkansas. It would bring both the SEC and A & M new markets and increased revenue. Let UTsw play with itself on its own network, as an independent.

 

[CaliZona_Gator]

I guess the Longhorn Network was gonna televise 18 high school games this year, but the NCAA just ruled that collegiate networks can't televise events with high school student-athletes. I'm glad the NCAA made this ruling, and so is the rest of the Big 12. That would have been a huge recruiting advantage for UT.

 

[Escambia94]

I am going to laugh my butt off when all those Longhorn Network subscribers turn on the TV only to find nothing worth watching. The high school games would have been great. Without high school games, what are they going to show? UTsw chess matches?

 

[DRU2012]

If that WAS A&M's intent, to merely acquire and apply some leverage with what "tools" (in this case, the SEC's interest) they had at hand, they played it well. To some extent that's how the radio goofs are treating it here in Austin, that "they got what they wanted" and now will "settle down". However, I suspect there is a LOT more to this than just the latest 'Horn power play. I don't know if the Aggies will make "The Jump" this time or not, but I think they are seriously considering it for the long term; some sort of "agreement in principle" may be in the offing, sooner rather than later, for all the reasons I mention above, and a bunch more. Maybe the folks here should take a closer listen to that Aggie fight song, especially the first line:
"Oh, Goodbye to Texas University..."

 

[Leakfan12]

I welcome them to the conference if they came. Man Texas, Alabama, and Florida high schools are loaded with talent and SEC could be loaded with even more talent with Texas A&M came (if that's possible to have more talent than the other conferences combine).

 

[DRU2012]

The latest word out here (as of this afternoon) is that there's actually been called a special meeting of the "Texas Affairs" state legislative council "to discuss" the implications of A&M's possible leaving, and "what options" the state may have in stopping or otherwise discouraging it...Now, I understand they take this sort of thing , like the whole Texas/Texas A&M rivalry, real seriously here, that there's a "bragging rights" issue among the elected politicians and all that, but this sounds both intrusive and positively NUTS to me. I know, I know, we've had our own Fla. politicians get involved in these sorts of things before, that they made DAMN sure there'd be a UF/FSU game home-and-home game in perpetuity, and if the Texas legislature went THAT far, somehow requiring future annual match-ups, I would understand. But to start meddling in what amounts to the business affairs and "own best interests" of a particular institution to the point of forbidding them to switch affiliations, well, that would be pretty damn hypocritical for a bunch of politicians mainly elected on the the idea of "Less intrusive regulation, less big government!" Tune in later...

 

[DRU2012]

PS Don't know how interested anyone is outside of TX, or how much this is "news" to ANYONE at this point, but in the name of accuracy, here's the latest, as of Friday (Aug. 12) evening:
It has been decided in further discussion and consideration that it will be the "Texas Council for Higher Education" who will meet in emergency session next week and exercise it's right at that time to question A&M on its plans and reasons for leaving the Big 12, considering their "concern that this be a well-considered, business and financially-driven decision, rather than an emotional one".
In other words, along with the SEC suddenly scheduling a "meeting of all member representatives" (for Saturday?!), and A&M's having scheduled their OWN press conference for later in the week, this looks like it's on the fast track to really happening. Certainly the media folks down here now believe it--they're in a state of shock about it, too. (Later, it could get ugly...right E-?)
As for the state legislature, despite their coughing and sputtering, they're not in session, mostly everyone's away for the dog days of summer, and anyway this isn't a funding-year--the money's all been allocated for this and next year. In other words, this was the perfect time for A&M to pull this off relatively smoothly and without interference or grandstanding from various politicians.
Again, I could see politicians at least considering a mandatory-match-up later on, after the fact (a la Fla.)--but at least based on first reactions, they might be alone in craving it. The early poll feed-back going on here in the Capitol (hardly scientific, I grant you) show 70% of Longhorn fans don't want it, and self-identified Aggies even less so. (Emotion? Noooo. No way.)

 

[Escambia94]

As far as I know, UTsw fans could care less if aTm bolted for the SEC. The assumption is that UTsw is okay with going independent like Notre Dame. As far as I know, aTm fans are fed up with being second class citizens in the Little 12. No matter how many 5-7 seasons the Short Horns post they get higher profit share than OK or aTm. If aTm came to SEC, all schools share revenue equally. Yes, even Vanderbilt gets the same millions if Alabama or Florida win the SEC. If you are aTm or OK you should be begging to join SEC or demanding that the Little 12 restructure revenue sharing to be like SEC.

 

[DRU2012]

Yupp--"No big deal, we can always get someone else to fill their spot", that's definitely the UTsw public stance. In fact, UTsw President "The Lost Dude", uh, sorry (local bad anti-Horn joke), Deloss Dodds announced within a day of this thing hitting the news that he and the AD had already been in talks with their counterparts at University of Houston (UH) about them filling that vacancy, should it materialize. Of course, as far as aTm is concerned this was just another example of what they are sick of about UTsw-- this "tail" wags the whole dog. They have a clear point here, too: Wasn't that something for the Big 12 commissioner to do, contact another school about possibly joining? Shouldn't it have been after discussions among all the member schools? There's more, but the point is that UTsw not only did it on their own, they ANNOUNCED what they were doing, just thought it up, went out and did it right away and then flippantly told the world, "It's OK if they go, we've already got someone to take their place..." .
All just "more of the same" as far as aTm is concerned--at this point, they really DO "just want out": out from under UTsw's shadow and control in the Big 12 (and to some extent in the whole State of Texas), out on their own and appreciated in a stable conference. Despite sentiment here in central Tejas and (apparently) in the Big 12, folks should be able to understand the emotional issues behind this move, and the practical/financial ones are valid enough to preclude any interference from politicians (who, ironically and hypocritically enough, talk about wanting to make sure "this isn't an emotional decision"--but would only be acting on their OWN emotional needs in moving to stop it). SEC member institutions and their fans should welcome the Aggies into our conference with open arms.

(Now, who do we get to "round it out" to 14 teams, 7 in each division? And let's just DROP any talk of including FSU here, too: it adds nothing from a financial standpoint OR a recruiting one, and from a GATOR P.O.V., SEC-membership is one of our in-state recruiting advantages--why should we hand them that "leg-up"? Same is true for Miami, only MORE so. No, I like the idea of offering Georgia Tech a "return to the fold" as original members--they "fit in" with the "SEC culture" and they have ready-made rivalries inside the conference--assuming both they and, just as importantly, UGA actually WANT them here. There are other possibilities, of course, ones that make sense from various standpoints, but I'll leave that to y'all to mull over...got a feeling we'll be talking about this real soon.)

 

[DRU2012]

Things keep changing and the whole thing zipping along...as of Sat. night the SEC meeting is now on for tomorrow (Sun., Aug.14), 13 of 14 presidents and chancellors to "discuss" it, a 14th team also generally assumed by the members to be necessary but yet hardly considered, and supposedly "30 to 40 percent chance of vote against A&M", according to New York Times' "inside source", THAT contingent upon whether or not certain members' concerns about that 14th team NOT being in their market, or (in a number of cases) even the same state. In other words, though it's not quite out on the same kind of limb that Missouri put itself last spring with their announcement, A&M may have (intentionally) jumped the gun a little bit in this process, thereby forcing the SEC's hand. For their part, it's clear that the SEC does WANT them, and that this is a move that in all likelihood would have happened, WILL happen, sooner or later. More and more it's looking like sooner, but it is NOT a slamdunk "gimme" that it happens NOW after all.

Last I'll say on this, at least until something actually HAPPENS:
For a good overview of the various options regarding which school(s) should be considered and why, from a GATOR perspective (one I find both thoughtful and entertaining), go to the "GatorsFirst"-site and see the entry, "SEC Expansion and Screw FSU". Well done.