[College Football] Big Ten, Texas have initial talks

Lots and lots of smoke about A&M to the SEC ... Sources like Finebaum and Chip Brown are now even admitting it

If we can work the politics and ditch Texas, get ready for mass changes on the CFB landscape and hopefully it leads to a D1 playoff

 

Rick Perry Says A&M in Talks With SEC


Report: Texas A&M considering SEC
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By David Ubben
ESPN.com
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Texas Gov. Rick Perry says his alma mater, Texas A&M, and the SEC are discussing the Aggies possible future membership in the league, according to a report in the Dallas Morning News.

Perry was asked by reporters from the paper on Wednesday about recent swirling speculation surrounding the move.

"I'll be real honest with you. I just read about it the same time as y'all did. ... As far as I know, conversations are being had. That's frankly all I know. I just refer you to the university and the decision makers over there."

Perry once served as a yell leader for the university, whose president, R. Bowen Loftin, recently acknowledged that there was "uncertainty" regarding the university's future membership in the Big 12.

Texas A&M released this statement to multiple media outlets: "President Loftin is committed to doing what is best for Texas A&M not only now, but also into the future. We continue to have wide-ranging conversations regarding all aspects of the university, including both academics and athletics."

Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe is taking Texas A&M's possible move "very seriously."

"I've been talking to a number of people." Beebe told the Austin American-Statesman. "Obviously, there are a significant number of Aggie supporters who are interested in going in that (SEC) direction.

"There's a huge risk if an institution leaves its geographic proximity and rivalries. In the long run, it can create a lot of problems."

Texas A&M discussed membership in the league last summer with the Big 12's future in doubt, but university leaders chose to remain in the Big 12.

Texas A&M leaders have expressed concern about the Longhorn Network's effect on the longterm stability of the Big 12, and rumors of renewed talks between the university and the conference have persisted in recent weeks.

David Ubben covers the Big 12 for ESPN.com.

 

The implosion of the Big 12 has been great theatre.

 

"UT is headed to SEC without A&M" - I would love to hear this as it would serve A&M right for the drama. Go or don't go. Trying to use leaving as a bargaining chip is weaksauce.

 

The one problem is that nobody on earth would buy that UT was serious about doing that. And I doubt the SEC would want UT after the turmoil they have caused in the Big 12.

To say that A&M using leaving as a bargaining chip is weak is laughable considering how UT has basically threatened to destroy the Big 12 every year if all of their demands are not satisfied.

Glad to see A&M doing what is best for them. They'll fit right in with the SEC, now if they can get OU to come along with them, it'll be perfect.

UT will go independent in football, not just because they can and it is what's best for them, but because they've created an environment of distrust for themselves and established a reputation as a terrible conference mate.

It is inevitable. Only question is whether they join the PAC-12 or the Big 10 as a non-football member.

 

So, how many Big 12 championships did aTm win? They were relevant for how long? lol

Yeah, good luck in the Good Ol' Boys conference. You'll be just as relevant as you were in the weak 12 and you'll be out recruited in your own state, again.

Let's get rid of the Thanksgiving day game too. I'm usually too sleepy to watch it anyways.

 

I'm certain most of you will disagree with me....but I think this is a HUGE mistake for A&M.

 

yeah i agree and i'm starting to hope it happens.

 

Can you explain why?

 

Pretty sure I will see a monkey fly today. A Solomon article I actually agree with???

Link.

 

That alone should give you enough pause to rethink your position.

 

The focus of all of this conference realignment discussion is football and football alone.

Let's take this coming season for example. A&M is 6th in the country in some polls (IIRC). If they find a way to upset OU, they have a legit shot at playing for the national title. The Big XII affords them that, the same way it has afforded Texas the same opportunities.

The SEC is a much more difficult road. I could see A&M being entirely irrelevant in that conference for quite a while. I don't think that's their quickest path back from what has been way too long of a "down" period for them.

A&M's rivalry with Texas defines A&M far more than it does Texas. For a school steeped in tradition, I don't think I'd be so eager to give that up.

Beyond all of that...I have doubts the State Legislature would allow these schools to split apart.

 

Seriously, I'm at the point where I wish Texas would just PAY aTm to leave the conference. They will still be nothing in the SEC facing Alabama, LSU and Florida every year instead of OU, Texas and Tech. Just take your tissues and go away already. This drama is old.

 

Here's the article


The Big 12 survived a near-death experience last summer, but here we are again, with Texas A&M clutching its chest like Fred Sanford calling to Elizabeth:

"SEC … I'm coming to join you honey."

No A&M official will admit on the record that it is only considering playing the Southeastern Conference card as part of its strategy to combat the Texas Longhorns' genius (and lucrative) move of forming its own television network.

But with fear-mongering Aggies running rampant claiming the Longhorn Network is the scale-changer that will ruin Aggie lives forevermore, A&M brass must respond. (Even if your fan base is irrational, it is your fan base.)

The last time A&M waved the SEC card around, it more than doubled its television guarantee from the Big 12 to $20 million. That's smart business.

Continuing to use that card to get its way could be dangerous because one day somebody might call the bluff.

Aggies live off a regular diet of an embarrassing inferiority complex and an irrational superiority complex.

SEC commissioner Mike Slive said recently that the league isn't looking to expand, but it could pick up interested suitors in 15 minutes if it so desired. To which some Aggies are saying, "pick us, please, pick us," while others brag this is the Aggies' call to make.

There is little doubt that A&M to the SEC would be good for the SEC. There is much doubt about how good it would be for A&M. This is all about football, and A&M is a long way from being able to compete with SEC football powers.

Young fans want out
A&M athletic director Bill Byrne has told the Aggie faithful that a move to the SEC wouldn't be smart.

Some, mostly young whippersnappers who spend the majority of their waking hours online (splitting time evenly among Aggies fans sites, video games and social networks ), aren't listening.

The desire to get out from under UT's shadow is a real issue at A&M. And it has been for, oh, about 100 years or so.

Moving to the SEC would indeed get the Aggies out from under the Longhorns' shadow … and put them under the rather large shadows of Alabama and LSU, and even Florida.

Is it worth it?

There are enough quality football players in the state of Texas for A&M to always compete with Texas, with or without the Longhorn Network. When A&M isn't on par with or better than Texas on the field, it is because the Aggies aren't doing their job.

The best way to get from under someone's shadow is to knock him down, not run away.

Forget UT's so-called recruiting advantages. There are great players in this state who you couldn't pay to go to Texas. (And speaking of pay to play, wait until you get a taste of the SEC.)

Moving to the SEC wouldn't vault A&M ahead of UT as much as it would open the door for SEC schools to bid for more of the state's top recruits.

You think it is a coincidence lesser Big 12 schools such as Kansas State, Kansas and Missouri have posted record victory totals since the new conference opened the state's borders to them?

Unlike K-State, KU and Mizzou, probable SEC division mates Alabama, LSU and Auburn are already players on the national scene. They would only get stronger with regular visits to Kyle Field.

Not to mention, the Longhorn Network, which launches Aug. 26, isn't likely to have the impact so many paranoid and jealous Aggies seem to think.

TV issues overblown
For one, it is likely the NCAA will forbid university-branded networks from televising high school games. Secondly, nothing is stopping A&M from starting its own network. Had ESPN come to it first, A&M would have leapt at the chance.

So UT has more money than everybody else. That's a new development?

Some of you might recall how upset athletic directors were when Notre Dame signed with NBC to televise its home games 20 years ago. Everyone said that gave the Irish an unfair recruiting advantage.

Amazingly, the world didn't come to an end and Notre Dame didn't win every national championship from that day forward. In fact, it has won exactly zero of them since.

A retired long-time athletic director says schools weren't mad at Notre Dame because of what the Irish did; they were mad because they did it first.

When it comes to the Longhorn Network, the Aggies don't hate the game, they hate the player.

They need to drop the hate before they mess around and get played by the SEC.



Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/solomon/7692549.html#ixzz1UjKqeQ2u

 

LOL, [insert why you mad pic here]. TAMU would be a great coup for any conference. Top 20 athletic program easy.

I agree, it might be tough for them to compete, the Big 12 has been soft for awhile now. It was joke when the national media was going on and on about the great Big 12 QB play -- all the QB's were jokes in spread offenses going against soft defenses. OU and UT were the only guys playing defense for awhile until Nebraska came on.

But it isn't a mistake.

1. What is the alternative? The Big 12 is done...
2. They'll be the only Texas school in the best football conference, that's a significant recruiting chip. One that would put them over OU if they didn't follow TAMU (although I imagine OU/OSU/Clemson would be added eventually).

I just don't see how it can be a mistake. Unless the Pac-16 is back on the table they have no choice. Congrats to TAMU for being the only team in the conference that has balls and isn't glued to UT's teet.

 

You're looking at this from a fan's/emotional point of view, you need to look at it from an administrator's/practical point of view.

The SEC is a harder football conference, but it offers A&M more stability, greater revenue, more freedom, and last but not least – no UT looking over their shoulder.

The rivalry with UT isn't dependent upon conference alignment. If UT wants, A&M will play them every year in every sport, even in different conferences.

And the legislature, for whatever little amount of pull it has in this discussion, doesn't seem to be completely in agreement with you.

UT had made the Big 12 an untenable situation, A&M is doing what they must. I cannot blame them for it.

 

That was a funny article. Funny because it was all true. The inferiority complex, crazy fan base, trying to get out from under big brothers shadow for the past 100 years... lol.

 

I think it will be good for A&M to get out from under UT's shadow a bit, the Little Brother complex & all that. Financially, it could be very good for the Ags, they just have to get their football program back to where it should be (legally, *cough* SEC *cough*), and it looks like Sherman has a plan & has things moving in the right direction. They are already highly competitive in all other sports, and culturally they have always seemed more like a "southern" school anyway, to me at least (and I don't mean that as an insult).

UT going independent is good for UT, at the moment and maybe for some time. They are the financial juggernaut of NCAA athletics (even without the TV network) and reside in a dying conference. They will join a conference again, but them being indy while the inevitable re-alignment shakes out over the next few years isn't a bad thing. They will be free to do whatever they feel is in their best interests, which is pretty much what they've always done anyway. There's no doubt they will get the same BCS deal (top-8 guarantee, iirc) that Notre Dame has. I hope they schedule some interesting games.

I really, really hope they continue to play each other. College football without a UT-A&M game is just wrong. And not just that game: A&M-Baylor need to play. Look what happened to UT-Arkansas, take a few years off and if/when you resume it, it's just not the same.

I have no idea what this would do to the rest of the conference. OU will be fine, just not sure what happens to OSU/TT/Baylor/Kansas. KState & Iowa St and maybe Mizzou could be screwed.

 

I believe they're going to get their ass handed to them by the SEC. I think that's pretty practical, actually. Falling into irrelevance is not a good thing for administration or anyone else. Easier shots at national title games sounds more appealing to me, given the money that comes from such appearances.