A$M wants to join SEC before TX Legislature stops them

NT80 · August 12, 2011

Interesting moves being made by the Texas A$M BOR. The Ags are trying to meet about joining the SEC before the Texas Legislature stops them:

"The A&M announcement came a few hours after the Texas House Committee on Higher Education, which controls state university funding, announced hearings regarding “college athletics,” specifically A&M’s possible move to the SEC."

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/texas-aggies/20110812-texas-am-officials-eager-to-talk-about-sec-move-to-meet-monday.ece

MCMLXXX · August 12, 2011

The legislature is not in session and they can call all the committee meetings they want. All it amounts to is a lot of hot air. Tech supporters know that the Aggies will drop them off future schedules and there ain't nothing they can do about it.

NM Green · August 13, 2011

I think this move is brilliant for A&M. It is about time they started taking care of themselves and made a first punch move. You cannot trust the Orange to look out for you and lining up again LSU, Florida, Piggly Wiggly and Rockytop is going to be juicy! The Orange seem lost. I am not sure what their goals are, but I applaud A&M for not standing by waiting for them to figure them out. They should have went last time!

Now I heard an interesting tidbit on ESPN earlier wondering if Boise could be a Big 12 target. It would be wise for the Big 12 to go for some mountain combo. Go get Boise and BYU and now you have some interesting footprint again. Boise and BYU fit nicely with Texas Tech Baylor and the Kansas schools. It would strengthen the north for sure.

GMG

DeepGreen · August 13, 2011

Univ of Texas think they are larger than all of college football. A & M needs to take care of themselves and the SEC would be great for them. Texas, on the other hand, will do anything, sever 100+ years of tradition for themselves to succeed above all others. Sumbitches need to take a fall!

Baby Arm! · August 13, 2011

Univ of Texas think they are larger than all of college football. A & M needs to take care of themselves and the SEC would be great for them. Texas, on the other hand, will do anything, sever 100+ years of tradition for themselves to succeed above all others. Sumbitches need to take a fall!

Why is Texas severing 100+ years of tradition? Seems like the Ags are the ones leaving.

Why is it admirable for the Ags to do whats best for them, but when the Horns do whats best for them it's selfish?

I know there is a lot of Horn hate on this board but that seems to be a double standard.

What this is One of the "Haves" of college football trying to get more for itself. F'em all!

Mark my words. A&M to the SEC is going to start the superconference race. Four conferences of 16. Anybody outside that 64....well too bad for you. This is bad for college football and worse for the mid majors. It's only going to widen the gap between the Haves and Have Nots

El Paso Eagle · August 13, 2011

I guess I missed the "special" hearings on the Longhorn Network

Mean Green 93-98 · August 13, 2011

Now I heard an interesting tidbit on ESPN earlier wondering if Boise could be a Big 12 target. It would be wise for the Big 12 to go for some mountain combo. Go get Boise and BYU and now you have some interesting footprint again. Boise and BYU fit nicely with Texas Tech Baylor and the Kansas schools. It would strengthen the north for sure.

There is no way UT stays in the Big XII with Boise as a member.

foutsrouts · August 13, 2011

Now if everyone would just gang up and wrestle away UT's control of the Permanent Fund maybe they would lose a little of their cockiness. Unfortunately, we would need the Aggies votes and they aren't likely to support a constitutional amendment that would dilute their 1/3 share. That amendment giving those two total control should be ruled unconstitutional.

NT80 · August 13, 2011

Mark my words. A&M to the SEC is going to start the superconference race. Four conferences of 16. Anybody outside that 64....well too bad for you. This is bad for college football and worse for the mid majors. It's only going to widen the gap between the Haves and Have Nots

Let it happen! We are a Have Not now anyway, better to let the MWC and CUSA schools join us then we'll be elevated by elimination.

It will simply be 1-A and 1-AA all over again just renamed BCS and non-BCS. The Top 64 can't survive and get their 7-8 home games by playing themselves...they need us for games too.

Objective Aggie · August 13, 2011

I guess I missed the "special" hearings on the Longhorn Network

Love it.

foutsrouts · August 13, 2011

Let it happen! We are a Have Not now anyway, better to let the MWC and CUSA schools join us then we'll be elevated by elimination.

It will simply be 1-A and 1-AA all over again just renamed BCS and non-BCS. The Top 64 can't survive and get their 7-8 home games by playing themselves...they need us for games too.

I agree. After the separation, we could bitch, scream, and sue until we get a national championship game featuring the winner of the haves vs. the winner of the have nots. Kind of like the old arrogant NFL against the old lowly AFL where Namath and the AFL proved they were worthy on the field. Screw the BCS.

ColoradoEagle · August 13, 2011

I just really hope all of this plays out in a way that helps us. It would be nice to move up to CUSA or the MWC as a result of the shuffling.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to me why Houston is being touted so much by the press. They're not even the best option in Texas. However, the B12 should look at developing for the future by going back to 12 and picking up schools with 'potential'. Their immediate RPI would take a hit, but they would be more stable in the long term even if more schools choose to defect, and they're not going to get their AQ status taken away (see the Big East). KU, KSU, ISU, Baylor, Missouri, and TTU would vote for expanding if they knew what was good for them. UT-Austin, OU, and OSU would drop all of them in a heartbeat if it meant more money/exposure.

Edited August 13, 2011 by ColoradoEagle

LongJim · August 13, 2011

I think you'll see some posturing from the legislature, but I think they'll let the Ags go. Make no mistake--Texas wants to play a majority of their games against their Texas/OU brethren. OU, OSU, Baylor and TT do, as well. As long as OU and Texas remain solid, those 4 will go somewhere as a package deal, and I think they all know it.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · August 13, 2011

Let it happen! We are a Have Not now anyway, better to let the MWC and CUSA schools join us then we'll be elevated by elimination.

It will simply be 1-A and 1-AA all over again just renamed BCS and non-BCS. The Top 64 can't survive and get their 7-8 home games by playing themselves...they need us for games too.

Exactly! Which is why I keep saying the BCS non-AQs should band together and refuse to sign anything but home-and-home contracts with BCS schools with insistence that the front end game played at the non-AQ school.

The non-AQs are going to have to start standing up for themselves. A&M is finally saying to hell with Texas and OU, the same way Nebraska and Colorado did. Why continue to put up with the time waste when you can get into a conference that has peace?

As posted before, part of the problem is saturation of the market. Realistically, any of these school or conference networks are mainly going to appeal to alumni and regional fans.

The time has come for non-AQs ADs to realize the BCS schools are eating themselves and take advantage of their greed. Demand better contract and higher payouts.

Most of us in the non-AQ world are now making the sacrifices to get better facilities and coaches in all sports. We deserve better than just to be taken for granted as a doormats game.

Demand better, and we'll get better. With our new stadium, we shouldn't be satisfied with just being considered "road kill" anymore.

Kudos to A&M for growing some balls and showing Texas and OU that they don't have to wait on them to decide their own future - and, a future in the SEC is pretty nice. Aggie football, baseball, and track programs are going to fit in very nicely there.

Now it's time for us, and those like us, to get into the same mindset. If the Texas', OUs, BYUs, and Notre Dames of the world are going to look out for themselves only, we should do it, too. Force the bastards to come here in every sports or ignore them.

Edited August 13, 2011 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

NorthTexan95 · August 13, 2011

When I think of the Ags in the SEC I see Arkansas. The Ags will immediately become an also ran. I just can't see the Ags doing more than that. They'll become the Texas Tech of the SEC West.

MCMLXXX · August 13, 2011

If I am not mistaken it only requires 24 hours for the Senate committee to set up a formal meeting that
a&m would be compelled to go to..

The legislature is not in session. Unless a special session is called it will not be in session. This committee meeting (house committee) is little more than a waste of taxpayers money by legislators seeking to appease a few angry constituents on matters unrelated to the legislatures business. They cannot force the Aggie President or the BOR president of A%M to appear. The legislature will not meet again until January 2013. Where do you come up with this stuff?

El Paso Eagle · August 13, 2011

When I think of the Ags in the SEC I see Arkansas. The Ags will immediately become an also ran. I just can't see the Ags doing more than that. They'll become the Texas Tech of the SEC West.

Or it could give them a recruiting advantage for players from Texas who might want to stay “home” and still play in the best football conference (just like the bump TCU might get in basketball from joining the Big East)

emmitt01 · August 13, 2011

Or it could give them a recruiting advantage for players from Texas who might want to stay “home” and still play in the best football conference (just like the bump TCU might get in basketball from joining the Big East)

Ding ding ding....winner

The Fake Lonnie Finch · August 13, 2011

Or it could give them a recruiting advantage for players from Texas who might want to stay “home” and still play in the best football conference (just like the bump TCU might get in basketball from joining the Big East)

Hammer meet nail:

"Kid, you'll be playing every week in front of 80,000 - home and away - with Alabama, Tennessee, LSU, Florida, Georgia. Sign with Texas and you'll be taking a trip up the road to Waco, a little further up the road to Lubbock, (maybe to Robertson Stadium)...."

The notion that kids don't realize the SEC is a better conference is absurd. All you have to do around here is turn on CBS in the fall and - boom - there's the SEC, bigger than life in your living room.

NEWSFLASH TO TEXAS: The SEC is already here, baby. It's been here for years. They've been winning football championships without having to recruit the state. Now, they'll just have Texas for supplement the speed they are already getting out of the South.

Mean Green 93-98 · August 13, 2011

When I think of the Ags in the SEC I see Arkansas. The Ags will immediately become an also ran. I just can't see the Ags doing more than that. They'll become the Texas Tech of the SEC West.

When Arkansas left the SWC, they lost a significant factor in their Texas recruiting, and Arkansas' success had always been built largely on Texas recruits. But A&M has an advantage over Arkansas--they are in Texas.

UNT90 · August 13, 2011

When I think of the Ags in the SEC I see Arkansas. The Ags will immediately become an also ran. I just can't see the Ags doing more than that. They'll become the Texas Tech of the SEC West.

I think you mean they will be the Texas A@M of the SEC west, right?

greenminer · August 13, 2011

The non-AQs are going to have to start standing up for themselves. A&M is finally saying to hell with Texas and OU, the same way Nebraska and Colorado did. Why continue to put up with the time waste when you can get into a conference that has peace?

...

The time has come for non-AQs ADs to realize the BCS schools are eating themselves and take advantage of their greed. Demand better contract and higher payouts.

Most of us in the non-AQ world are now making the sacrifices to get better facilities and coaches in all sports. We deserve better than just to be taken for granted as a doormats game.

Demand better, and we'll get better. With our new stadium, we shouldn't be satisfied with just being considered "road kill" anymore.

Kudos to A&M for growing some balls and showing Texas and OU that they don't have to wait on them to decide their own future - and, a future in the SEC is pretty nice. Aggie football, baseball, and track programs are going to fit in very nicely there.

Now it's time for us, and those like us, to get into the same mindset. If the Texas', OUs, BYUs, and Notre Dames of the world are going to look out for themselves only, we should do it, too. Force the bastards to come here in every sports or ignore them.

FREEDOM

Green Mean · August 13, 2011

I know Texas is dang powerful with practically unlimited resources but at some point could Texas become Notre Dame? I know they are in Texas and in a great city in Austin with good weather year round compared to South Bend but I just hope Texas knows what they're doing. Short term it will all be good but 10-20 years down the line I wonder if Texas will be what Notre Dame has become right now.

Edited August 13, 2011 by Green Mean

The Fake Lonnie Finch · August 13, 2011

Notre Dame Model is football independence and Big East for all other sports. Could Texas really so that?

Notre Dame was independent for so long, but traditionally had some built in opponents:

Navy - 84 games

Purdue - 82 games

USC - 82 games

Michigan State - 74 games

Pitt - 66 games

Army - 50 games

Northwestern - 47 games

Michigan - 38 games

Georgia Tech - 34 games

Texas has nothing like this outside of old SWC and Big 12 foes. Outside of those, they've only played four schools other more than ten time:

Tulane - 19 games

LSU - 17 games

Haskell Institute (KS) - 11 games

Notre Dame - 10 games

That's why I've said, independent for Texas in football kills them. Conference expansion will likely take away one out of conference game for conference members. And, with everyone wanting six or more home game, few high profile schools will be willing to give up much to Texas.

So, they're going to have to back down and start trying to get along...like other "rich" schools seem to be able to do.

Edited August 13, 2011 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

GTWT · August 13, 2011

Predictions

Texas A&M goes SEC. They won't win many SEC championships but no big deal. They've never won many conference championships. They'll be happy. Being a medium/small fish in a big pond ain't bad - ask Vanderbilt.

Texas stays in the Big XII as long as OU is in the Big XII. Two top 10 programs is good enough.

Houston enters the Big XII.

UNT goes to cUSA.

Edited August 13, 2011 by GTWT