The A&M/SEC rumors

[Tony]

A&M Rivals site says it's a done deal:

http://tamu.rivals.com/

 

[WTSooner]

It may help them financially, but I think it will hurt their recruiting in Texas, and I think their football team will fall even farther back in the pack. In the Big 12, they only had to find a way to beat OU and UT. They could have legitimately been the 3rd best football team in the conference most years. They won't sniff that in the SEC. At least we don't have to deal with their stupid traditions and male cheerleaders anymore. The SEC will give them all kinds of hell over that.

 

[Sawyer]

A&M could have been the 3rd best football team in the conference for a long time. When was the last time it actually happened, though?

If the Big 12 dissolves, Texas recruiting will be wide open IMO. No team with a foothold there now will suffer all that much. It's not like A&M will be leaving the state or someone else will be gaining access.

The Big 12 is pretty much done. There's no way it can be saved at this point IMO. I would love to keep as many Big 8 schools together as possible, but I don't see any way that happens at this point (I guess OU, OSU, ku, ksu, MU and ISU could all join the Big 10 to make 16 teams... but why would the Big 10 want to do that?).

 

[WTSooner]

The Big 12 is pretty much done. There's no way it can be saved at this point IMO. I would love to keep as many Big 8 schools together as possible, but I don't see any way that happens at this point (I guess OU, OSU, ku, ksu, MU and ISU could all join the Big 10 to make 16 teams... but why would the Big 10 want to do that?).

I don't know why people keep saying this. It MAY break up, but it can certainly continue with nine teams, or add a mediocre 10th. OU and UT have a near cake walk to the BCS game if they win out. I've seen reports that the league wants to stay together, even if aTm leaves. I think they will try. Time will tell if that works.

If they stay together, aTm won't be able to recruit as well in Texas, IMO, b/c those kids want to play games against their peers. And their peers are staying in Texas and playing for UT, TT, TCU, NT, Rice, and OU. I don't think the SEC recruits the state of Texas all that well. Maybe I'm mistaken on that.

 

[stoops4pres]

A&M could have been the 3rd best football team in the conference for a long time. When was the last time it actually happened, though?

If the Big 12 dissolves, Texas recruiting will be wide open IMO. No team with a foothold there now will suffer all that much. It's not like A&M will be leaving the state or someone else will be gaining access.

The Big 12 is pretty much done. There's no way it can be saved at this point IMO. I would love to keep as many Big 8 schools together as possible, but I don't see any way that happens at this point (I guess OU, OSU, ku, ksu, MU and ISU could all join the Big 10 to make 16 teams... but why would the Big 10 want to do that?).

You're right about A&M underachieving in football... There is no excuse for Texas Tech to have been consistently a better program than A&M has been. And to answer your question, since the 2000's, A&M has never placed higher than 4th overall in the conference.

I don't know if I agree that Texas recruiting will be "wide-open" should the Big 12 dissolve. I still think teams within the state (ie Texas, A&M) or close proximity from Texas (OU) will still get more recruits than otherwise.

 

[stoops4pres]

I don't think the SEC recruits the state of Texas all that well. Maybe I'm mistaken on that.

You're pretty much right. Consistently speaking, LSU is the only program in that conference that recruits the state of Texas real well.

 

[Sawyer]

You're kidding yourself if you think the SEC would stop at 13 teams IMO. Likewise with the Big 10, PAC 12 and eventually Big East and/or ACC. They aren't going to sit idly by and wait for others to determine how things shake out.

 

[garyeb2]

It would probably be a useful exercise to start figuring out who the 16th team will be in the SEC. I'm guessing that A&M, OU, and OSU will jump.

 

[WTSooner]

You're kidding yourself if you think the SEC would stop at 13 teams IMO.

They won't. They'll want an even number. And rumor has it they are looking at Clemson or GT (I think those are the names I heard).

I just don't see OU wanting the SEC. It isn't a good fit, IMO, for a lot of reasons.

You better start worrying about Mizzou.....and where they might end up.

 

[Soonerman]

A couple things:

First, I'm sure Texas would LOVE to add another team and keep the Big 12 going, and being an independent is a last resort... for now. But I don't doubt for a second that independence is their ultimate goal. They just want to milk this conference for all its worth first while they get their network up and running.

Second, I think it's clear at this point that assigning blame to any one institution (namely Missouri, which received the bulk of it last summer) is unfair. Everyone, both individual institutions and the conferences themselves, are looking out for themselves with little to no regard for how it will impact anyone else.

Mizzou was the butt of most jokes last Summer, not receiving most of the blame.

 

[FlounderinDC]

I agree with what Trammel wrote today in the dok. I want no part of the SEC.

 

[campbest]

West Coast = Best Coast

 

[DenverSooner]

I don't understand how the "money can be right" if aTm leaves? Aren't they the reason we get the Houston tv market? Wouldn't that decrease or go away if aTm goes elsewhere? That is a pretty big market to have just "go away" without trying to replace it. I don't understand why the Big 12 wants to keep getting smaller, and losing markets, and not even try to replace them. Conferences are going big, and here we are going small.

I don't think A&M controls the Houston market by any stretch of the imagination. Certainly A&M helps but Texas is the team most non-college graduates (or garduates of other Texas schools) support in Texas. A&M gets tagged with the Corp and it turns a lot of people off. Even the younger alumni are not that big on the Corp.

Additionally, Houston has a significant number of OU fans, OSU fans, Baylor fans and Tech fans. Losing A&M will have some impact on the conference but I don't think it is nearly as big as A&M alumni think. They just aren't the football power they think they are. If A&M goest to the SEC it will help the SEC with Houston but it will not destroy the Big XII with Houston.