Texas would dump Tech if it meant more money.Texas only looks out for Texas. I dont believe any reports on why this didnt get done through all of this only thing I've learned is nobody knows anything
I'm all for putting more restrictions on the LHN (i.e. no high school games or highlights), but if I'm UT no way in hell do I share revenues from the LHN with anyone in the Big 12. Why?? Build your own network.
Maybe the daughter of that guy who is a higher up at UT enrolled at Tech will come down with a case of Raider Rash and he'll pick another Texas public school to coddle.
So A&M's exit fee is going to be an issue that will crop up soon. A few years back, the athletic department borrowed money from the university...when that happens, it's your money..taxpayer money..on the line for college sports. So the questions will arise about what funds wll be used for the exit fee... but that aside...read the highlighted portions in this article. holy crap, i'm shocked these quotes haven't been recirculated since all this started up with the SEC again!!! http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...es/20100810-Texas-AandM-s-Bill-Byrne-9493.ece Texas AandM's Bill Byrne: On Texas; skipping the SEC; Aggies' potential AText Size By KATE HAIROPOULOS / The Dallas Morning News khairopoulos@dallasnews.com Published: 11 August 2010 02:21 AM RelatedCOLLEGE STATION - Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne's fuming voice mail response to a vulgar Aggie e-mailer during this summer's conference expansion drama did not surprise Dr. Marilyn Kent Byrne, his wife of more than 40 years. "No," Byrne said during a recent interview in his roomy Reed Arena office, which features a row of windows that gaze on hulking Kyle Field. "I'm her warrior." Byrne, 65, has said that after reading through hundreds of impassioned e-mails about A&M's decision to remain in the Big 12, his Irish temper got the best of him. During such occurrences, Byrne said Marilyn can reference the statue and story of one Billy Byrne, an Irish revolutionist warrior in the late 1700s, that they noted on a past trip to Ireland. "The British hung him by the neck," Byrne said, and chuckled. "And she reminds me of that." Byrne emerged from A&M's feints toward the Pac-10 and Southeastern Conference during the expansion upheaval as one of the leaders who disappointed much of Aggieland. By failing to pull the trigger on jumping to the SEC, A&M missed a chance to split from, and stick it to, Texas, or "tu." Byrne, like most Aggies, makes a habit of not correctly naming A&M's truest rival. Or Byrne can be viewed as a steady leader who, along with the board of regents and university president Dr. R. Bowen Loftin, weighed all the options that ultimately led to perhaps the best decision for A&M - keeping the Aggies in a 10-school Big 12 and earning a larger guaranteed payout from the league while helping keep it together. 'Lightning rod' "He tends to be the lightning rod," said Billy Liucci, owner and senior writer of the independent A&M fan site Texags.com. "The thing about Bill is that he's fine with that." Also this summer, A&M finished sixth in the Learfield Directors' Cup, which gauges the overall strength of the nation's collegiate athletic programs. It was A&M's best finish and the first time it topped Texas in the rankings, despite limited help from the much-analyzed football program. Byrne, in his eighth year in College Station after leaving Nebraska - where he helped form the Big 12 in the 1990s - said the Aggies are just starting to tap into their massive athletic potential. He said the Big 12, while issues remain, is the right place for them to do it. "People who make decisions create tensions for others," Byrne said. "They're going to make some decisions that people like and some people don't. "That's why you make considered decisions. You know the decision you make will have a far-reaching impact. You have to think of what is best for Texas A&M." Byrne again expressed regret for the infamous June phone call. The e-mailer had labeled him, among other things, Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodd's lapdog. Byrne, in turn, told him the fan he deserved to get his tail kicked. The message, of course, became public. "I actually call people a lot," Byrne said. "First time I've left a message. The normal thing will be, I'll say, 'This is Bill Byrne,' and there'll be a pause. They'll say, 'The athletic director?' And I'll say, 'Yes.' "There will be a pause. And nine times out of 10, the response is, 'Ooh, I shouldn't be writing when I'm drunk.' "And then they apologize." He was the one saying sorry this time, though some of his coaches, including football coach Mike Sherman, basketball coach Mark Turgeon and track and field coach Pat Henry - who has won four national titles in the last two years - weren't dismayed by Byrne taking a stand. "He's going to be our secret weapon," Sherman joked. "We're going to bring him in on fourth down." Byrne has detailed hot-button issues, from bat residue in Kyle Field to a bruising financial audit and a $16 million loan from the school to the athletic department, in his weekly Wednesday blog on www.aggieathletics.com. His latest post, in June, answered the biggest questions and criticisms of A&M's decision to remain in the Big 12, along with apologizing for the angry voice mail. "It's important that people understand why we're doing things," Byrne said. "We may agree to disagree, but people understand there's a reason." Big 12 the goal Byrne said A&M's desire was always to remain in the Big 12. He worried about competing in different time zones - whether East or West - and didn't want traditional rivalries to end. A&M - along with Texas and Oklahoma - received a guarantee from the five Big 12 schools most at risk had the conference fallen apart. A&M's revenue share will jump from $9 million to $20 million. It's a status some credit to A&M's flirtation with the SEC and its hesitance to go to the Pac-10 with five other Big 12 schools. The split from Texas was publicly conceded as a possibility by Gene Stallings, the legendary former coach and an A&M regent. Stallings did not respond to interview requests. "They weren't nervous about being left out," Sherman said, praising Byrne and A&M's other leaders. "They said, 'We're Texas A&M, we're going to have a place to go.' And they held to their guns. ... They looked at every other opportunity. What transpired was the best thing for Texas A&M at this point." In a prepared statement, Loftin said, "Bill's commitment to do what was best for our student-athletes never wavered. ... He had been through such discussions previously, and his experience and connections were extremely important." Staying in touch E-mails obtained by The Dallas Morning News through open records requests revealed how Byrne handled some of the fallout from the decision to bypass the SEC. "We had the chance to gain the upper hand and you guys couldn't pull the trigger," one fan wrote Byrne. Byrne responded in part: "Take a look how Arkansas and South Carolina did before they entered the SEC and how they have done since. Unless you're the lead dog, the scenery is always the same." Other e-mails reflected Byrne's desire to remain in the Big 12. "We played it straight down the middle with pluses and minuses for all three options," Byrne wrote. "I believe the correct conclusion was reached." The e-mails included a note from Byrne to his senior staff referring to what he took as "tu's" leaks to the website Orangebloods.com as an "ongoing campaign" during the headiest times of the expansion frenzy. Byrne said A&M and Texas remain "friendly competitors, just like always." Byrne said he's motivated by the success of the athletic department in Austin - and said A&M has made strong strides in the Directors' Cup standings during his tenure. Turgeon, who worked briefly under Byrne years ago as an assistant at Oregon, credited Byrne's experience. "He's seen it, and he's done it," Turgeon said. "He knew with the right system and the right coaches that A&M could be very successful. ... He tries to help every sport." When Turgeon and A&M were in discussions regarding his contract extension this year, Byrne - according to obtained e-mails - urged Loftin to accelerate the process with the regents to relieve Turgeon's "angst" and prevent negative recruiting. Henry said Byrne works to give his coaches the tools necessary to succeed, and his sincere, straightforward style works. But it's Byrne's relationship with Sherman that is under the most scrutiny. "What's going to define his tenure," Liucci said of Byrne, "will be football." Sherman, entering his third season, said he appreciates what has been steadfast support. "We've gone through some difficult times," Sherman said, "and he's been there in the locker room after every game, regardless." Sherman said Byrne is a "wannabe" coach, even watching film when time allows. "He'll ask me about players, about recruiting," Sherman said. "He has a good pulse after the game." Byrne labeled his relationship with Sherman as "very good" and said he's optimistic about A&M's football future. With 30 years in the business, Byrne's competitiveness is not in doubt. He said he signed an extension through 2013, but said he doesn't want to overstay his welcome. Byrne's job remains steering A&M through this tumultuous period in college athletics and the new-look Big 12, and maybe even to a year beyond the sixth-place Directors' Cup finish. "We finished fourth at Nebraska [in 1997]," Byrne pointed out. "I came because I saw incredible potential here," he said. "We're not where we want to be yet, but we're starting to live up to it." Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne Dec. 2002-present Notable: The Aggies have won 32 Big 12 championships in 10 sports under Byrne, as well as four national championships in outdoor track and field and one in men's golf. ... Manages an annual athletic budget in excess of $70 million. ... Has overseen construction or renovation of $60 million in facilities. ... Season ticket sales for men's basketball have grown by 86 percent since 2003. Women's basketball sales have jumped 269 percent in that span. ... While at A&M, Byrne has hired nine head coaches in eight sports. ... Byrne and his wife, Dr. Marilyn Kent Byrne, have two sons, Bill III and Greg. Greg is athletic director at Arizona. Byrne dotes on grandsons Nicholas and Davis and is an active fisherman. On the rise A&M's finishes in the Director's Cup national all-sports rankings under AD Bill Byrne: Year Rank 2009-10 6 2008-09 13 2007-08 12 2006-07 18 2005-06 23 2004-05 26 2003-04 16 2002-03 28
why? because unless you want to go independent, you won't have much of a choice. no one is taking you anywhere else unless there's some sharing.
A&M isn't the lead dog, so, they're changing scenery. If they end up sucking SEC buttwind instead of Big 12 buttwind, at least they can say they tried, I guess?
read the email Byrne was responding to. Byrne is saying, unless you're a lead dog in the SEC, it's not a good spot to be...and references Arkansas and S. Carolina to make that point. whether you agree with him or disagree with him isn't the issue...the issue is that email was written roughly 12 months ago. i'm just surprised we haven't seen the quotes in that article recirculated in this discussion or elsewhere. 12 months ago, the AD of A&M wrote the SEC wouldn't be a good place to be because the Ags wouldn't be a "lead dog" there. LHN crawled up their butt.
No, I understand sharing if you are going to another conference. But not if you are staying in the Big 12. What is OU going to do, threaten to go somewhere else? If you are in a conference that allows you to build your own network then YOU build your own network. Sure, restrict what I can show on mine but don't try to poach some of the revenue. Especially when you ok'd the network a year ago (again I'm only speaking of revenue sharing and not content).
I'm saying that logic is applicable to the Big 12, especially now that the LHN/Death Star is fully operational, and, in fact, not a moon.
that's from a political standpoint, though...that's not what he's talking about. i got the sense he was talking about results on the field. right now, in the big 12, the ags are very much a lead dog.
They are not at the top, but they are in the 2nd tier, UT is top, followed by OU and A&M.... I agree, the LHN is the main problem, and no one is carrying the danged thing..... Why doesn't ESPN, just start its own SPorts channel for 3rd tier rights and High School games without the Longhorns? Make ESPN pay for content, whatever content they want...etc. DD
Depends. If you want OU and OSU and Mizzou to commit for the long term, you might have to make concessions. If you're fine with potential implosions anywhere down the line the next time the SEC or Pac12 get the expansion itch, then Texas certainly doesn't need to compromise at all. If they do nothing, the Big12 continues to exist, but only so long as none of the other members have the option of going anywhere. As soon as they do, they will bolt, as was the case last year and this year. And Texas will be under the gun again.
Read the email again..he talks about how S. Carolina and Arkansas "did before joining the SEC." He's not talking about who is leading the conference politically...he's talking about on the field. And right now, as much as I hate to admit it, A&M is a better football team than UT, and that's the second straight season that's been correct. Byrne is suggesting that you don't want to go to the SEC to get abused by the "lead dogs." Again, I'm very surprised those comments that he wrote directly in an email about 12 months ago haven't surfaced.
Oh, I agree Max, that is an excellent find, A&M can compete in the Big 12 for sure, year in and year out. DD
OU is threatening to go somewhere else. OU probably cant support its own network. Also, UT repurposing the LHN and sharing revenue may be the only way it ever gets picked up.
I remember those quotes, and that's why Byrnes is a hypocrite and an ass. We should have left last year and due to his stubborn mentality, he will cost Texas A&M millions of dollars which should come out of his own pocket, not students and tax payers. I'm not even sure if it's worth it anymore. The BigXII has a structure which allows A&M to succeed in football, basketball, baseball...pretty much all the sports. Our shortcomings haven't been due to the conference. The recruiting has been fine, considering the level of winning in recent history. That said, moving to the SEC made sense on many levels last year. It still does this year, but it'll just cost a lot more and expose Byrne for his stupid actions. The man has done a lot of good things for A&M, but this current mess is his responsibility.
