[College Football] Big Ten, Texas have initial talks

The typical Aggie fans don't know much... they think; SEC, oh that's cool yay. They probably even think they can compete. They will probably talk amongst themselves like they did something special, actually out-maneuvered OU and UT, so they would wind up in the best conference.

The average TAMU football fan is delusional. Breaking up with UT would be horrible. The outsiders and new kids on the block don't realize the historical value of the rivalry. All the cool UT kids these days like to talk about how no one cares about TAMU, its all OU...

Ask any older UT fan. They still get it. That rivalry is huge.

 

I'm not so sure about this - a rivalry is only huge if the participants and fans think it is. At this point, I don't think UT fans or players get up for it in the same way as OU, for example. Aggies certainly do, which explains why they seem to play their best games against Texas every year. But ultimately a rivalry is only what the people make of it.

That said, I don't see why the game can't continue. Sure, it makes for a tougher schedule. But lots of the SEC schools do it. Florida/FSU. Georgia/GaTech. SouthCarolina/Clemson. It looks ugly now because Texas is so good and A&M is not, but it won't always be that way. If the point of joining the SEC is to help A&M get better, then it shouldn't be as big a deal.

 

The players ey. There are only a few hundred players involved. The alumni go nuts. NUTS. The rivalry is HUGE. UT alumni, donors, boosters, hate losing to TAMU. I've talked to guys that have played at UT, all they hear from the alumni is to beat TAMU. OU is a back and forth thing. The TAMU game, it means a lot to those people.

 

Sure - that's definitely true for the older alums. But the younger alums look at OU much more - especially those who've graduated in the last 10 years when OU has been good. So over time, OU has become a bigger thing. That certainly goes in cycles though, of course.

A&M also has had trouble selling out of tickets for the UT-A&M game the last few years at home - so A&M alumni seem to be less and less interested as well.

 

Really? Thats crazy. I went to a record setting Tech/TAMU game at Kyle Field on a stupid hot day that was only like 3yrs ago. I assumed every game was a sellout.

 

Okay, so if the Pac-16 does happen.... anyone else excited to see what happens to the spread offense? I think that alignment makes or breaks it.

 

I know this past year, there were tickets available - the A&M AD's weekly newsletter was asking people to buy them up in the last week or two so UT fans wouldn't get them. I believe they had similar problems 3 years ago.

 

Man, wake me up when the wheels stop spinning.

At the end of the day all aliances will fall apart and $$$$ will rule.

Bring back the SWC....

DD

 

Apparently, on Dallas radio, Gene Stallings (A&M regent) said A&M is not excited about the Pac10 at all, and is not necessarily linked to UT. Seems at least he really wants the SEC.

 

I don't see the Pac 10 as all that exciting either....I mean other than USC...they don't have premier programs in sports.

Heck arguably Stanford is the next best sport program in the entire conference overall.

I know it is all about the benjamins, but at least get some interesting matchups.

Personally, I would rather see UT go against Michigan & Ohio State and the rest over the Pac 10 teams.

DD

 

If you're looking at football, it would be Cal, Oregon, and Oregon State, with UCLA always lurking as a potential star (especially with USC's troubles). If you're looking all-around, Stanford certainly is - but along with Texas, they have the best all-around athletic program in the country based on the Sears Cup, so I don't think that's a negative.

For Texas, it's also about academics and academic reputation. That's a big part of their problem with the SEC. Certainly would open the door for the B10 though.

 

Man... tell me about it! On ESPN College Football Live I watched Herbstreit argue with Craig James - Herbsreit said the Pac-10 was better than the Big 12. Seriously?! I swear ESPN is just biased. Makes no sense. Cal football is probably their 2nd best program recently. OU is playing title games and Cal is gets slaughtered by Texas Tech in a Holiday Bowl... Big 12 easily has the better basketball. And with all the sanctions on USC looming. I don't get it. How an inferior conference is pillaging the Big 12 is kind of crazy.

 

Sick of all of this. I liked the Big 12. I like watching the Aggies play TT / Baylor / Texas / OU. I do not want to go to the SEC to get beat the hell up every Saturday by a bunch of players pillaged from Houston / Dallas.

I guess we can all stop pretending college football is this grand game that pits earnest young student athletes against each other and acknowledge the fact that its all about getting that cash money.

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Gents, some of the comments here are laughable and so out of touch with reality it is sad. Three points:

1. UT is the big fish everyone wants. UT is a 10/10, with the #1 athletic program and, more importantly the #5 endowment of all universities.

2. If UT is a 10/10 then A&M is an 8/10. A&M has a top-20 athletic program despite their football woes but more importantly they bring political and academic weight to any conference and have the 12th largest endowment of all universities.

3. OU, Tech, oSU are subpar schools with no money. OU is slightly separated from the pack because they have a good football program but they are not AAU and the Big 10 will not consider them on their own and the SEC and PAC-10 would not consider them without Texas.

I'm sorry to piss in everyone's cheerios but after the multi-billion dollar behemoths of UT and A&M there isn't much to like in the Big 12.

 

I agree with this.

 

Uhhh, no.

 

i believe their football program is top 15 revenue-wise.

eta: top 20

 

I like the Baylor Bear uniforms, green and gold looks nice.

 

UT have the #5 endowment? Are you sure? And A&M 12th largest endowment? You got to be joking.

I guess you are correct. I thought MIT was higher than Texas. Never realized A&M have so much money.

 

Link please? (only one I can find was from 07-08) and okstate=10th, a&m=21.

basketballwise a&m even anywhere near osu?