But conference strength isn't just about winning national championships. The Big10 has their massive research grant consortium that makes them, by far, the premiere landing spot for academic institutions. If they break into the NY market as is likely if they go to 16 teams, they will have a substantial population base as well. Financially, even without as much on-field success, they have run circles around the Big12. Structurally, each institution gets equal say in how the conferences are run, which makes them much more stable at the bottom/middle of the conference. Again, there are very real reasons why Big12 schools are trying to get into those conferences, while none of their schools are clamoring to get into the Big12. The more the Big12 caters to teams with individual networks, the less money the rest of the schools will get, and the less reason they will have to stay. Over time, it'll devolve into a conference filled with teams with their own networks and schools who are desperate not to be in some crap conference.
Yes, I do disagree with him (both in substance and style) more often, ergo I think he deserves more of the crap he gets. Funny how that works, eh? You may not remember this, but I used to fight side by side with Ric in many a thread. But his water holding just became too much for me (his knee-jerk, pre-emptive defense of Kubiak and Co after the Tramon Williams thing is a perfect example... still makes me chuckle to this day), so, now we find ourselves on opposite sides of the fence.
Bugs in your ears: CBS and ESPN communicating behind scenes they are not willing to pay more for TV rights just because SEC adds the Ags. Same TV revenue now being split with one additional team if this goes through. CBS/ESPN suggesting they already get the markets in Texas just fine with the Aggies --- see also, David Barron article suggesting they're right. VA Tech isn't interested in SEC...NC will not leave ACC...Mizzou AS OF NOW is saying they're not interested...OU can't move without OK ST. S. Carolina/Georgia/Florida are all dead set to adding from within their own states -- and apparently voting in lockstep to protect each other from that. AGAIN...i'm not saying this won't happen....and i'm not saying that i have direct contact.
If A&M didn't already have assurances that they would be welcome in the SEC (or somewhere else) before they started this whole process, they really have to be pretty stupid. There's no way they are staying in the Big12 at this point, so they must have some type of end game already planned out. It'll be interesting to see what that is.
Exactly, they can compete in the Big 12, not every year, but at least a good number of years.....but in the SEC, they could not compete, they are cutting their own throats out of jealousy. If A&M wants a TV channel then they should go and make their own, compete, don't run away like a scared child. DD
The NY Market? Please don't say Rutgers/Syracuse/UConn, lol...those games air on MSG+ Network (not regular MSG..) at noon EST to an audience the size of sham-wow commercial. Basketball is another story.
You're looking at this from a completely skewed angle man. You keep using words like jealousy, yet this has nothing to do with jealousy. You think TAMU's board wants to move the school's conference because of jealousy? You are aware its not TAMU fans that are moving the school to the SEC right? I'm borderline serious when I ask that, that's the sad part. TAMU's going to a tougher conference, meanwhile UT is working behind the scenes with the Big 12, grasping at straws to keep the conference together -- all with the purpose of having an easier path to the BCS... AND somehow its TAMU that's scared?
Wouldn't the TV networks not being willing to add more revenue change the game up? Doesn't the current SEC contract have a few more years on it?
TAMU and Nebraska are the teams that clearly do not need UT. To boot -- UT is the one saying it will refuse to play TAMU non-conference. Sucker
this is the only reason why ut wants to keep the big xii together? and dadakota is the one that makes outrageous claims. enjoy 4th place in the sec west every year. that's a huge selling point to recruits!
Actually, I am looking at this as a fan of the state of Texas, not from one team's perspective over another. It looks to me like A&M has fallen behind UT, doesn't like being 2nd fiddle (perfectly understandable) but instead of fighting to compete with UT, they run off to the SEC where they will not be 1st fiddle, or even 2nd, they will be a bottom feeder in that conference. It benefits the SEC to get a patsy program, that can help them recruit the fertile Texas High schools. But A&M gets basically nothing out of this, it is a lose lose proposition. IMO, they should continue competing in the Big 12, and if they want their own TV channel, by all means do that as well. Fight the battle in your own backyard, before you run off to another war. DD
Its funny... if I was a UT fan. No scratch that, not fan. An actual Alum + fan (suckers), I'd be ecstatic if my team was going to the SEC. As excited as I would have been about a network, the idea of UT in the SEC... that would be special. But here is TAMU catching all the flack? Maybe I'm just insane. All this jealousy talk... whats there to be jealous of? A network no one can actually watch?
Nebraska made a smart move, they could not compete either, but they went to an easier conference, and one that is more centrally located to their university. I think Nebraska and Colorado made the right move, and if A&M was going to a weaker BCS conference, I could see that too, but they literally get NO benefit at all from going to the SEC. Basically A&M would become another Mississipi St, or Kentucky or Old Miss a 2nd rate program used to bolster the big boys. Again, they only have 2 big boys in the big 12, OU and UT, they can compete there, but in the SEC, they will simply be a 2nd class citizen. IMO, it is just stupid, not well thought out, and just spite. DD
UT would be stupid to go the SEC, they would just be another top tiered program added to the mix, and make their road to the NC that much harder. That is entirely the point here. DD
