i hear ya. i guess it will all come down to economics. does the paycheck from a newly merged/formed conference give them enough more than the MAC to justify the new travel expenses.
hearing now that Mizzou is not interested in SEC. they're an AAU school and are not interested in SEC affiliation.
A&M is an AAU school and apparently they dont care. Pretty odd that AAU membership would trump the chance to make good money in the SEC, especially when you cant guarantee you'll get into the Big Ten.
Yes Mizzou wants B1G, but if they dont step up soon Mizzou will go SEC because it will be better than any other option for them I also think its funny that Boone Pickens is now spouting off about "saving" the Big 12 again immediately after reports come out that the Pac might not want ou, osu, or tt without ut minus the LHN. Boone's most recent statement really makes me believe that Pac doesnt want those other 3
i think you're right...here's what Pickens is saying now: Boone Pickens: Big 12 isn't dead; Texas A&M ‘sobering up' CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT – Oklahoma State benefactor Boone Pickens calls on Texas governor and presidential candidate Rick Perry to step in to save the Big 12 Conference. BY BERRY TRAMEL, Staff Writer, btramel@opubco.com Oklahoman 1 Published: September 20, 2011 Boone Pickens doesn't believe the Big 12 is dead. The Oklahoma State benefactor even believes Texas A&M's departure for the SEC can be stopped. OSU booster Boone Pickens says he thinks the Big 12 is not dead, and he's urging Texas Gov. Rick Perry to step in and do something about all this realignment mess. (AP Photo/The Amarillo Globe News, Stephen Spillman) Boone Pickens: Big 12 isn't dead; Texas A&M ‘sobering up' “I think the Aggies are sobering up,” Pickens told The Oklahoman. Pickens has even pulled out the big sales job. He's petitioned Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination. Pickens said he told Perry to show America that “you fix problems, don't contribute to 'em.” Perry is a former Texas A&M yell leader. “After the Aggies leave school, they're still looking for a yell leader,” Pickens said. He said he told Perry to be that leader. Pickens, whose BP Capital Management office is based in Dallas and who has many A&M ties, said a month ago that he tried to talk the Aggie leadership into staying in the Big 12 but it was a lost cause. Now, Pickens said he's not so sure. “I keep thinking they're hearing me,” Pickens said. “I'm not sure they're listening to me. But they trust me.” Pickens said Baylor's threat of a lawsuit is real. The Bears have declined to waive their right to sue the SEC, should the Aggies be admitted to that conference. “Baylor is going to do anything,” Pickens said. He likened Baylor to the jackrabbit that is chased by the faster greyhound but isn't caught. “The difference is, one's running for the fun of it,” Pickens said, “and one's running for its life. There's no question they'll file a lawsuit. They sure can stir up a hell of a lot of problems.” Pickens said his plan for A&M is to tell the University of Texas that the Aggies will stay in the Big 12, but only if UT folds its Longhorn Network into an equitable revenue distribution. However, that's a different cause than what irks A&M and OU about the Longhorn Network. The network's association with ESPN, which has pushed to air high school content, bothers the Sooners and Aggies, who believe it would give Texas a recruiting advantage. “I would cut them off on that thing real quick,” Pickens said. “Your problem is DeLoss (Dodds, UT's athletic director). DeLoss is a guy who's always played with all the cards. “I told him six weeks ago, ‘we understand you've got the best hand. But you can't keep doing that to people. You gotta show leadership. “Big 12, come to your senses. Step up on leadership. Explain to Texas that whatever they have that's different, it's not (going to be) different anymore.” Pickens said his message to OSU president Burns Hargis and athletic director Mike Holder is be patient. Pickens said if OSU and OU enter the Pac-12, “are you going to be full-fledged members? Not ever, probably. You'll be viewed as the division without the ocean. You'll get to play SC (Southern Cal) at Stillwater every eight years. That's not much of a deal.” Read more: http://newsok.com/boone-pickens-big-12-isnt-dead-texas-am-sobering-up/article/3605929#ixzz1YWNo8dRB
i understand..but there have been SOME exceptions to the "money trumps all" points in these discussions. like the ACC deciding it's more interested in Rutgers and UConn than it is in UT.
I think creating a "semi-pro" alternative to college is a complete non-starter. Without the affiliation to universities, there will be very little fan interest and players would reject it completely. How exactly would this alternative be funded? Without heavy funding of top notch training facilities, stadiums, coaches, etc, how would it exist? To each his own, but I see no chance for a 3rd option to college FB and the NFL (same for basketball). I think revenue generating college athletes need to be compensated financially. How and how much? Don't know.
One day I plan on designing a T-Boone-Pickens-bot software program that can be run over any sample of prose and folksily metaphorize it by over 342%
Of all the arguments against ending amateurism in college athletics "where will the $$$ come from to support it!?!?" has got to be the absolute least convincing one out there. Same place it comes from now. From people who want to sell you beer and cars and shoes.
... And A&M immediately discredits Picken's statements with this statement from their Marketing Director. "Texas A&M has made our intentions perfectly clear. We do not intend to be a member of the Big 12 past this season." Pickens is laying the ground work for OU/OSU to go back to the Big 12 with their tail between their legs without looking pathetic. They are going to try to lay claim that they are "saving" the Big 12 and doing it out of the kindness in their hearts and to "save tradition". In reality, no matter how good an athletic program you run, when the big market you bring is OKC and you are an academic albatross, it is not an easy sell. Don't think it is over, but it seems to me that OU is going to have to give a good sales presentation to get the PAC to take them without UT.
Sure, why not? Licensing deals, part ownership, etc - finding creative ways to structure capital arrangements and squeeze dollars out of brands is one industry that America seems to kind of kick ass at.
i think you're absolutely 100000% correct. in fact, i'm hearing that the Pac12 isn't interested in Tech or OSU, no matter what, now. too much pushback because of academics. i don't know this for a fact...what i'm literally hearing is: "the perception we're getting from conversations now is that Ok St and Tech know they will not be getting an invitiation to the Pac12; and that OU most certainly can't make the leap without OSU." they have to have 9...apparently Cal and Stanford do not want OSU or Tech...and Utah and Colorado are against expansion, entirely. my guy still contends that what he gets is that big 12 holds without A&M and expands very quickly, picking from remaining Big East schools (W VA and Louisville almost certainly) and BYU. everytime a story breaks that it's "for sure" the horns are heading west he says, "yeah, that's not what i'm getting at all." he may end up being wrong, but he is consistent.
CFB players already get paid cash on top of free food, dorms, tutors (how much is that worth?), tution. I am all for making the NFL throw in their $$$ to support their now obviously connected minor league (see terrelle pryor), but lets not act like these guys are starving.
DanWolken Dan Wolken by ChrisLevel Mizzou cant keep mouth shut RT @ClayTravisBGID: SEC wants to wait for Big 12 to implode before pursuing Missouri. Not happy with leak. kCarltonDMN Chuck Carlton MT @vgregorian: SEC's Charles Bloom in phone interview: "The SEC has not extended an invitation to any school beyond Texas A&M ... "
The way the top Mizzou insiders are hearing it is that there are a small faction of academic types that aren't convinced on the SEC, but everyone in the athletic department and most of the higher-ups are sold and want to make the move. I do believe that the faction of academic types is why Mizzou isn't jumping now. I think in their ideal world, the Big 12 (with UT/OU) would stay put, though there are others that want the SEC no matter what. So, they'll wait out Oklahoma and see if they make the decision for them. If OU stays, I get the sense MU probably would too, though it's up in the air. If OU leaves... I think the SEC is a done deal. MU wouldn't place itself in a second-rate league over the objections of a select few. PS: The Big 12 really isn't that much better than the SEC, academically.
Semantics. There's no such thing as an official invitation, as everyone should know from the A&M process. There's contact between the conference commissioner and the school's appointed leader, and he extends an unofficial offer in which he says he'll recommend to league presidents that they approve the school's application. At that point, the school applies. Then the league presidents get together and vote on it, as they did on the A&M bid on the Tuesday after Labor Day. For obvious legal reasons, the SEC doesn't want to be seen as the aggressor. And in a technical sense, they aren't. They never "extend an invitation" to anyone, until the school applies and the presidents convene and vote. That obviously hasn't happened. That's not what the sources are reporting, though. EDIT: Note that the SEC denied extending an invitation, but "declined to comment" on whether it had been in contact with Missouri. They can't.
This stuff changes by the minute. Let A&M walk. Add BYU, WVA and another Big East school. I wouldn't be opposed to TCU or UH but obviously the Texas schools are opposed to this idea.
I think that's definitely true. But that's for the hardcore fans of each team. But I think part of the excitement for fans is seeing players go from their local HS to their local college to the NFL. If you have all the best players playing minor league NFL football, people would start splitting off to watch that. Keep in mind, virtually every player who remotely thinks they have a shot in the NFL would likely try to go to the development league - they get paid, and they get coached up for the NFL, etc. Imagine your national title teams and take the 5-8 best players off of it, and it takes away a lot of the excitement. No more Vince Youngs or Mark Ingrams or Reggie Bushes in college.
