Do you think moving to the SEC is better for OU?

[thebigabd]

Do you think moving to the SEC is better for OU from a competitive standpoint? Ignore the money, focus on football and basketball.

Teams:
OU, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Kentucky, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Arkansas, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas A&M.

 

[WichitaSooner]

Your poll needs to be adjusted to include what I think is the correct answer. Our odds of winning conference titles in football obviously go down considerably, but our odds of winning a national title probably improve as we gain access to better recruits.

As for basketball, I’d say our odds of winning conference titles increase because there isn’t any school in the SEC that dominates like Kansas does in the Big 12.

 

[WTSooner]

Honestly, I think it's about the same. Bama and Arkansas both have good coaches. Kentucky = Kansas. Florida has had success, as have some of the other schools over different periods of time. We'll have to see how the pods/scheduling lineup, but from a competitive stand point, I don't think a lot changes.

Same with NC hopes. I don't see much of a change.

 

[Darwin]

Clearly fewer conference football championships but better chances of Natties. As for hoops, better chances for FFs. If the B12 remained the same, the competitive deficiencies would increase.

 

[sooner 1234]

I think it helps ou . It matches us up with a conference full of “ football schools “ who still have want to have a top 25 basketball program.
OU has had a better basketball program wise than everyone other than Kentucky and maybe the hogs ( I would still put OU above them )
I’m talking about the last 40 years as a whole .
I think this also guarantees and new basketball arena , which is much needed.

 

[WTSooner]

OU has had a better basketball program wise than everyone other than Kentucky and maybe the hogs ( I would still put OU above them )
I’m talking about the last 40 years as a whole .
I think this also guarantees and new basketball arena , which is much needed.

That was true in the Big 12 as well. Better than all but Kansas, unless you give Baylor an automatic jump of us b/c of the NC (I don't).

 

[SoonerBounce13]

strictly speaking for football, we are in the middle of the longest drought between NCs ever. It is time to try something different. We have proven we dominate the big 12 but aren't good enough to make it over the hump.

 

[MJSooner]

I am not sure it gives an immediate recruiting lift as it does in football. Very few, if any, 4-5 star players in basketball make college choices with the conference in mind like they do in football. Top 100 football players mention playing in the SEC as a factor, but I have never heard a commit to Kentucky, Kansas, Gonzaga, Texass, etc say a factor as to why they went there was the conference. The exception may be UNC and Duke and the ACC reputation, but that is fading fast.

How it will help us however is in the revenue and mindset. The added dollars from playing in the SEC can end up filtering in recruiting resources, as well as, hopefully, an upgrade in facitilities, which boosts recruiting. We were always at an uphill battle against Kansas and now Baylor in the Big XII in the standings and competition. At least now we are competing with other "football-first" schools. Plus, the way the scheduling works out in a 16 team league, it will be like the old Big XII schedule where we may only have to play Kentucky or Florida once a year, and I think the bottom half of the SEC is weaker in basketball as the Big XII right now is as tough 1-8 or 9 as any league. Finally, it will more than likely get us a better TV schedule, especially considering the last 2-3 years we've had too many games on ESPN+, or not on Big Monday.

I don't think the SEC is as good as top to bottom as a basketball conference as the Big XII, but I think this move can only help us in revenue, recruiting, and facilities going forward.

 

[sooner 1234]

That was true in the Big 12 as well. Better than all but Kansas, unless you give Baylor an automatic jump of us b/c of the NC (I don't).

I wouldn’t give them an automatic jump , but I will say a lot of Big 12 programs were doing more with their basketball programs ( the last 5-6 years )be
cause they struggled to compete with their football programs consistently.
I will say from a coaching standpoint , the big 12 was / is much tougher than the SEC .
OU’s arena/facilities , and former staff as a WHOLE was not towards the top currently in this conference .
We seemed to falling father and farther behind

 

[thebigabd]

While I find it humorous that the general sentiment toward the SEC among OU and Big 12 fans over the years has been contemptuous, and now it seems like everyone can't wait to join them, I leave you with this..... the story of our old friends up north.

What's that they say about history? Something about learning from it lest you be doomed to repeat it.

Nebraska has played 10 seasons in the Big 10. They are 68-55 and have won their division 1 time. The last 10 years of the Big 12 they were 84-45 and won their division 5 times.

They are picked to finish 12th in the Big 10 this year.

"The University of Nebraska would have new opportunities with membership in the Big Ten -- and I believe the Big Ten would be a stronger conference as well"
-Nebraska President JB Milliken (at time of announcement)

"We see significant increases in the quality of the students, faculty, and administrators we are able to recruit (by being in the Big 10)"
-Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman

Colorado..... has played 10 seasons in the Pac 10. 43-75....1 winning season in 10 years... Last 10 years in the Big 12.... 60-66. 4 winning seasons. They sucked either way, but they suck WAY worse now.

"This is the dawning of a new day for the Pac-10"
-Pac 12 Commissioner

"Colorado is a perfect match for the Pac-10"
-Colorado President Bruce Benson

And they've finished as the worst team in the league every year since joining, for all intents and purposes. They are projected to suck again this year. Probably the worst team in the league.

West Virginia has been in the Big 12 for 9 years... They were 86-29 in the Big East before making the move.... They are 62-49 since joining the Big 12.

You go join a league with Auburn, LSU, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, A&M, etc and you have no idea what is going to happen. You have no clue how its going to impact your recruiting, your relationships, your brand, your reputation, your competitive advantages that you've built over the years, etc.

How many times over the last 10 years would those teams in the SEC have been the best team in the Big 12? All 10?

Changing leagues has been a disaster for Nebraska, Colorado, and West Virginia.... Just something to consider before we start popping champagne and order national championship banners.....

 

[sheepdogs1]

While I find it humorous that the general sentiment toward the SEC among OU and Big 12 fans over the years has been contemptuous, and now it seems like everyone can't wait to join them, I leave you with this..... the story of our old friends up north.

What's that they say about history? Something about learning from it lest you be doomed to repeat it.

Nebraska has played 10 seasons in the Big 10. They are 68-55 and have won their division 1 time. The last 10 years of the Big 12 they were 84-45 and won their division 5 times.

They are picked to finish 12th in the Big 10 this year.

Colorado..... has played 10 seasons in the Pac 10. 43-75....1 winning season in 10 years... Last 10 years in the Big 12.... 60-66. 4 winning seasons. They sucked either way, but they suck WAY worse now.

"This is the dawning of a new day for the Pac-10"
-Pac 12 Commissioner

"Colorado is a perfect match for the Pac-10"
-Colorado President Bruce Benson

And they've finished as the worst team in the league every year since joining, for all intents and purposes. They are projected to suck again this year. Probably the worst team in the league.

West Virginia has been in the Big 12 for 9 years... They were 86-29 in the Big East before making the move.... They are 62-49 since joining the Big 12.

You go join a league with Auburn, LSU, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, A&M, etc and you have no idea what is going to happen. You have no clue how its going to impact your recruiting, your relationships, your brand, your reputation, your competitive advantages that you've built over the years, etc.

How many times over the last 10 years would those teams in the SEC have been the best team in the Big 12? All 10?

Changing leagues has been a disaster for Nebraska, Colorado, and West Virginia.... Just something to consider before we start popping champagne and order national championship banners.....

Such is life. Life is worth exploring and taking chances is part of journey. You, yourself, have done the very same. Next!

 

[WichitaSooner]

While I find it humorous that the general sentiment toward the SEC among OU and Big 12 fans over the years has been contemptuous, and now it seems like everyone can't wait to join them, I leave you with this..... the story of our old friends up north.

What's that they say about history? Something about learning from it lest you be doomed to repeat it.

Nebraska has played 10 seasons in the Big 10. They are 68-55 and have won their division 1 time. The last 10 years of the Big 12 they were 84-45 and won their division 5 times.

They are picked to finish 12th in the Big 10 this year.





Colorado..... has played 10 seasons in the Pac 10. 43-75....1 winning season in 10 years... Last 10 years in the Big 12.... 60-66. 4 winning seasons. They sucked either way, but they suck WAY worse now.

"This is the dawning of a new day for the Pac-10"
-Pac 12 Commissioner

"Colorado is a perfect match for the Pac-10"
-Colorado President Bruce Benson

And they've finished as the worst team in the league every year since joining, for all intents and purposes. They are projected to suck again this year. Probably the worst team in the league.

West Virginia has been in the Big 12 for 9 years... They were 86-29 in the Big East before making the move.... They are 62-49 since joining the Big 12.

You go join a league with Auburn, LSU, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, A&M, etc and you have no idea what is going to happen. You have no clue how its going to impact your recruiting, your relationships, your brand, your reputation, your competitive advantages that you've built over the years, etc.

How many times over the last 10 years would those teams in the SEC have been the best team in the Big 12? All 10?

Changing leagues has been a disaster for Nebraska, Colorado, and West Virginia.... Just something to consider before we start popping champagne and order national championship banners.....

Comparing us to Nebraska is as wrong as it is superficially easy to do on the surface. We were rivals for a long time and owned the Big 8 in football for decades. The similarities pretty much end there.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

While I find it humorous that the general sentiment toward the SEC among OU and Big 12 fans over the years has been contemptuous, and now it seems like everyone can't wait to join them, I leave you with this..... the story of our old friends up north.

What's that they say about history? Something about learning from it lest you be doomed to repeat it.

Nebraska has played 10 seasons in the Big 10. They are 68-55 and have won their division 1 time. The last 10 years of the Big 12 they were 84-45 and won their division 5 times.

They are picked to finish 12th in the Big 10 this year.

It is also funny that you left Texas A&M out of your analysis. They have actually fared better in the SEC than they did in the Big 12 if I'm not mistaken





Colorado..... has played 10 seasons in the Pac 10. 43-75....1 winning season in 10 years... Last 10 years in the Big 12.... 60-66. 4 winning seasons. They sucked either way, but they suck WAY worse now.

"This is the dawning of a new day for the Pac-10"
-Pac 12 Commissioner

"Colorado is a perfect match for the Pac-10"
-Colorado President Bruce Benson

And they've finished as the worst team in the league every year since joining, for all intents and purposes. They are projected to suck again this year. Probably the worst team in the league.

West Virginia has been in the Big 12 for 9 years... They were 86-29 in the Big East before making the move.... They are 62-49 since joining the Big 12.

You go join a league with Auburn, LSU, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, A&M, etc and you have no idea what is going to happen. You have no clue how its going to impact your recruiting, your relationships, your brand, your reputation, your competitive advantages that you've built over the years, etc.

How many times over the last 10 years would those teams in the SEC have been the best team in the Big 12? All 10?

Changing leagues has been a disaster for Nebraska, Colorado, and West Virginia.... Just something to consider before we start popping champagne and order national championship banners.....

big...no offense, but this is the worst take you have ever had.

Comparing OU to these programs is beyond ludicrous and if you can't see how vastly different OU is from these programs you listed, I don't know what to tell you

 

[skyvue]

I've made a similar point elsewhere -- bringing up what happened when CU, NU, Mizzou and even A&M left the Big 12. In bringing them up, I wasn't (and am not) making direct comparisons between them and OU, but I think it's fair to say that all those teams expected to improve their status by changing conferences, and none of them have (A&M is the one possible exception, but they haven't experienced any miraculous turnaround, either -- they just receive more hype for what they have accomplished because ... they're in the SEC). OU expects the same (with a higher peak).

They all make more money now (well, maybe not CU -- I don't know), but if it doesn't lead to better results and even championships (conference and national), it's hard to get excited about that.

We're going to a conference that is widely considered to be a cesspool as regarding compliance, one that our fans have long derided for that reason, and now we're asked to celebrate because we're diving headfirst into that fetid swamp? We also going from being top dog -- not just on the field but in influence and power -- to a spot several rungs down on the conference ladder. Many have said texas was the true behind-the-scenes leader in the Big 12, but even if so, that was just one program we had to butt heads with and we had scoreboard.

Now, we're the new kids in a well-established conference -- anyone who thinks we're going to be able walk in and swing our elbows when conference decisions are being made is, I am convinced, kidding themselves. Even programs like Ole Miss and Mizzou will have more power and influence for the foreseeable future than we will.

I've spent more than a decade hating the SEC -- the over-the-top hype, the arrogance, the absurd, cultish, coattail, SEC-chanting fans, the bagmen and other illicit practices -- and many, if not most, other OU fans have repeatedly expressed similar feelings regarding that conference. Many have done a 180 and now are all in on joining the SEC (you can count on some OU fans doing the SEC chant eventually). For me, this move is very hard to take. I'll always be a diehard Sooner fan, but I expect to die (hopefully many years from now) more than a little embarrassed that we joined the freaking SEC.

 

[steverocks35]

I think with playoff expansion that it will help OU football to be in the SEC. If they lose a game or two against the Alabamas of the world then they can still get into the top 8 (or 12 if it expands to 12.) Once in the playoff it will help because the playoff will be a lot like the conference grind.

In basketball I'm not so sold, but OU basketball is going to follow OU football so there isn't much we can do about it. Hopefully we can still schedule some of the old rivals as OOC games.

 

[MsProudSooner]

I've made a similar point elsewhere -- bringing up what happened when CU, NU, Mizzou and even A&M left the Big 12. In bringing them up, I wasn't (and am not) making direct comparisons between them and OU, but I think it's fair to say that all those teams expected to improve their status by changing conferences, and none of them have (A&M is the one possible exception, but they haven't experienced any miraculous turnaround, either -- they just receive more hype for what they have accomplished because ... they're in the SEC). OU expects the same (with a higher peak).

They all make more money now (well, maybe not CU -- I don't know), but if it doesn't lead to better results and even championships (conference and national), it's hard to get excited about that.

We're going to a conference that is widely considered to be a cesspool as regarding compliance, one that our fans have long derided for that reason, and now we're asked to celebrate because we're diving headfirst into that fetid swamp? We also going from being top dog -- not just on the field but in influence and power -- to a spot several rungs down on the conference ladder. Many have said texas was the true behind-the-scenes leader in the Big 12, but even if so, that was just one program we had to butt heads with and we had scoreboard.

Now, we're the new kids in a well-established conference -- anyone who thinks we're going to be able walk in and swing our elbows when conference decisions are being made is, I am convinced, kidding themselves. Even programs like Ole Miss and Mizzou will have more power and influence for the foreseeable future than we will.

I've spent more than a decade hating the SEC -- the over-the-top hype, the arrogance, the absurd, cultish, coattail, SEC-chanting fans, the bagmen and other illicit practices -- and many, if not most, other OU fans have repeatedly expressed similar feelings regarding that conference. Many have done a 180 and now are all in on joining the SEC (you can count on some OU fans doing the SEC chant eventually). For me, this move is very hard to take. I'll always be a diehard Sooner fan, but I expect to die (hopefully many years from now) more than a little embarrassed that we joined the freaking SEC.

The SEC was always at the bottom of my list of conferences to go to after the Big XII because of their over-the-top, out in the open cheating. A year or two ago, I wouldn't have liked this move at all. However, I believe the NIL changes everything. Will there still be bagmen trying to influence high school kids? Sure, but really good players can make more money from the NIL than the bagmen will offer - and they won't have to worry about getting themselves or their school in trouble.

I suspect that the pandemic year showed Joe C. and the OU Athletic Department what life would be like with a greatly reduced budget and they decided it was time to make a move. It will be interesting to learn how this all came about. Did OU and Texas get together and approach the SEC? Did the SEC approach us? Did we talk to the Big 10? We might have to wait until Joe C. writes his autobiography to find out.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

I've made a similar point elsewhere -- bringing up what happened when CU, NU, Mizzou and even A&M left the Big 12. In bringing them up, I wasn't (and am not) making direct comparisons between them and OU, but I think it's fair to say that all those teams expected to improve their status by changing conferences, and none of them have (A&M is the one possible exception, but they haven't experienced any miraculous turnaround, either -- they just receive more hype for what they have accomplished because ... they're in the SEC). OU expects the same (with a higher peak).

They all make more money now (well, maybe not CU -- I don't know), but if it doesn't lead to better results and even championships (conference and national), it's hard to get excited about that.

We're going to a conference that is widely considered to be a cesspool as regarding compliance, one that our fans have long derided for that reason, and now we're asked to celebrate because we're diving headfirst into that fetid swamp? We also going from being top dog -- not just on the field but in influence and power -- to a spot several rungs down on the conference ladder. Many have said texas was the true behind-the-scenes leader in the Big 12, but even if so, that was just one program we had to butt heads with and we had scoreboard.

Now, we're the new kids in a well-established conference -- anyone who thinks we're going to be able walk in and swing our elbows when conference decisions are being made is, I am convinced, kidding themselves. Even programs like Ole Miss and Mizzou will have more power and influence for the foreseeable future than we will.

I've spent more than a decade hating the SEC -- the over-the-top hype, the arrogance, the absurd, cultish, coattail, SEC-chanting fans, the bagmen and other illicit practices -- and many, if not most, other OU fans have repeatedly expressed similar feelings regarding that conference. Many have done a 180 and now are all in on joining the SEC (you can count on some OU fans doing the SEC chant eventually). For me, this move is very hard to take. I'll always be a diehard Sooner fan, but I expect to die (hopefully many years from now) more than a little embarrassed that we joined the freaking SEC.

I don't think any of those teams left to get better on field results...except maybe a&m. They left because they were tired of texas

 

[thebigabd]

big...no offense, but this is the worst take you have ever had.

Comparing OU to these programs is beyond ludicrous and if you can't see how vastly different OU is from these programs you listed, I don't know what to tell you

First of all..... comparing OU to Nebraska is fair game. They tanked as a program but until that point they were a power.. They went 35 straight years and the worst season they had was a 9 win season. They are commonly referred to as a blue blood. Currently dormant, but blue blood all the same.

Second, I am not comparing OU to those programs... I am saying there is significant risk in moving. You have no idea how it shifts things. Nebraska didn't like playing 3rd fiddle to OU and Texas. Now nobody even knows they play football anymore. They are a red-headed step child in the Big 10.

How many more players from our traditional recruiting region go to 15 other SEC schools now that the conference has spread to this area?

With Texas being the premier institution in Texas that is in the SEC, how much better do they get? Does Texas become the most premier spot in the state for talent?

How many players from our traditional recruiting region start looking at programs like OSU and Baylor in the Big 10 or ACC?

OU is the dominant program in the Big 12. 4 or 5 other teams have more recent championships than OU in this league. How does it impact OU recruiting to not be the top dog in the league anymore? Does it get better? Does it get worse? Recruits in the area like playing for the #1 team in the league. How does that change things?

Everyone on here seems pretty sure that our odds of conference championships go way down... but if they expand the the playoff to more teams our odds there increase.... That has NOTHING to do with being in the SEC. It has everything to do with expanding the playoff teams. Of course the odds of winning a natty get better when your odds of getting into the playoff improve. What you are really saying is "we can lose 2-3 games to LSU, Florida, Bama, etc and still get in"...

We also going from being top dog -- not just on the field but in influence and power -- to a spot several rungs down on the conference ladder.

Spot on by sky.....

Now, we're the new kids in a well-established conference -- anyone who thinks we're going to be able walk in and swing our elbows when conference decisions are being made is, I am convinced, kidding themselves.

Spot on by sky.... Texas, Bama, LSU, Georgia, Auburn, and Florida will all have more pull.

but I think it's fair to say that all those teams expected to improve their status by changing conferences, and none of them have

Correct... In fact, they've all gotten worse.

They all make more money now (well, maybe not CU -- I don't know), but if it doesn't lead to better results and even championships (conference and national), it's hard to get excited about that.

Correct... and why would we, humble fans, care about anything but the results? I've never been excited about TV contract money, for obvious reasons.

and many, if not most, other OU fans have repeatedly expressed similar feelings regarding that conference. Many have done a 180 and now are all in on joining the SEC

Correct. I guess it was just penis envy.

but I expect to die (hopefully many years from now) more than a little embarrassed that we joined the freaking SEC.

I don't see a good outcome for OU in all this... I just don't. Major programs make mistakes. This is one of them for OU.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

First of all..... comparing OU to Nebraska is fair game. They tanked as a program but until that point they were a power.. They went 35 straight years and the worst season they had was a 9 win season. They are commonly referred to as a blue blood. Currently dormant, but blue blood all the same.

Second, I am not comparing OU to those programs... I am saying there is significant risk in moving. You have no idea how it shifts things. Nebraska didn't like playing 3rd fiddle to OU and Texas. Now nobody even knows they play football anymore. They are a red-headed step child in the Big 10.

How many more players from our traditional recruiting region go to 15 other SEC schools now that the conference has spread to this area?

With Texas being the premier institution in Texas that is in the SEC, how much better do they get? Does Texas become the most premier spot in the state for talent?

How many players from our traditional recruiting region start looking at programs like OSU and Baylor in the Big 10 or ACC?

OU is the dominant program in the Big 12. 4 or 5 other teams have more recent championships than OU in this league. How does it impact OU recruiting to not be the top dog in the league anymore? Does it get better? Does it get worse? Recruits in the area like playing for the #1 team in the league. How does that change things?

Everyone on here seems pretty sure that our odds of conference championships go way down... but if they expand the the playoff to more teams our odds there increase.... That has NOTHING to do with being in the SEC. It has everything to do with expanding the playoff teams. Of course the odds of winning a natty get better when your odds of getting into the playoff improve. What you are really saying is "we can lose 2-3 games to LSU, Florida, Bama, etc and still get in"...



Spot on by sky.....



Spot on by sky.... Texas, Bama, LSU, Georgia, Auburn, and Florida will all have more pull.



Correct... In fact, they've all gotten worse.



Correct... and why would we, humble fans, care about anything but the results? I've never been excited about TV contract money, for obvious reasons.



Correct. I guess it was just penis envy.



I don't see a good outcome for OU in all this... I just don't. Major programs make mistakes. This is one of them for OU.

Nebraska dying had NOtHING to do with switching conferences
They were dead already

 

[hoopsaustin]

While I find it humorous that the general sentiment toward the SEC among OU and Big 12 fans over the years has been contemptuous, and now it seems like everyone can't wait to join them, I leave you with this..... the story of our old friends up north.

What's that they say about history? Something about learning from it lest you be doomed to repeat it.

Nebraska has played 10 seasons in the Big 10. They are 68-55 and have won their division 1 time. The last 10 years of the Big 12 they were 84-45 and won their division 5 times.

They are picked to finish 12th in the Big 10 this year.





Colorado..... has played 10 seasons in the Pac 10. 43-75....1 winning season in 10 years... Last 10 years in the Big 12.... 60-66. 4 winning seasons. They sucked either way, but they suck WAY worse now.

"This is the dawning of a new day for the Pac-10"
-Pac 12 Commissioner

"Colorado is a perfect match for the Pac-10"
-Colorado President Bruce Benson

And they've finished as the worst team in the league every year since joining, for all intents and purposes. They are projected to suck again this year. Probably the worst team in the league.

West Virginia has been in the Big 12 for 9 years... They were 86-29 in the Big East before making the move.... They are 62-49 since joining the Big 12.

You go join a league with Auburn, LSU, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, A&M, etc and you have no idea what is going to happen. You have no clue how its going to impact your recruiting, your relationships, your brand, your reputation, your competitive advantages that you've built over the years, etc.

How many times over the last 10 years would those teams in the SEC have been the best team in the Big 12? All 10?

Changing leagues has been a disaster for Nebraska, Colorado, and West Virginia.... Just something to consider before we start popping champagne and order national championship banners.....

Thank god were not also-rans like them.. we are an elite at our peak team.. neither of them were when leaving so..