[College Football] Big Ten, Texas have initial talks

SEC already has a sweet television deal that runs though, IIRC, 2015. They don't need the increased TV revenue quite as bad as the other schools. Additionally, the rumors say that Texas pretty much wants no part of the SEC. There's been a little bit of smoke about A&M going to the SEC and parting ways with UT, but I seriously doubt that will happen.

 

I am shocked so many people have such strong feelings about this.

Bevo isn't going to be replaced by a surfer.

Baylor is not being converted to a Hebrew Union Institute

Who the hell cares.

 

Texas has no interest in joining the SEC which has lower academic standards. I think you can find a quote from the University President where he almost says exactly that.

Don't forget there is more than just the tv money in play here. Research and academic grants also come into play.

 

college football is largely about tradition and money. both are impacted by this.

 

It's just a **** measuring contest. Nothing more.

 

http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/06/chet-edwards-wants-texas-legis.html

Chet Edwards wants Texas Legislature to have hearings on imminent Big 12 collapse

With the Big 12 Conference crumbling as we speak , Rep. Chet Edwards is making a last-minute push to protect Baylor University and Texas Tech University by asking Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and state House Speaker Joe Straus to hold immediate hearings on the matter.

"This is such an important issue to the entire state of Texas that long-term decisions about the future of our state's universities and their respective cities should be made in public, with input from citizens and legislators alike," said Edwards, D-Waco.

Edwards is an Aggie, and A&M resides in his district. And with or without the Big 12, the status of his alma mater and the University of Texas are quite secure. Those two football behemoths are hot commodities and would have no problem finding a new, profitable home (likely in the Pac-10).

But the congressman also has Baylor in his district. If the Big 12 dissolves and the Pac-10 doesn't pick up all four Texas schools - which reports indicate is entirely possible - then Baylor and Tech could be left without a BCS conference affiliation.

That means less money and less prestige. And that wouldn't sit well with Edwards.

"It is my hope that the historic ties and traditions of UT, A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech can be continued, and I would urge board members at UT and A&M to consider doing so," Edwards said.

Edwards pointed out that this isn't new ground. He said hearings helped stave off the collapse of the Southwest Conference back in the late 1980s and early 1990s long enough to come up with a plan that would benefit some of the Texas schools.

The result was the Big 12 (now 11, soon to be 10 and potentially 0).

 

Thanks for the wonderful insight.

 

I could see state reps working to save the State schools but any private university is not really the state's business.

DD

 

Just curious. How do research and academic grants come into play?

 

Occam's razor

 

said this earlier...the economic impact of baylor athletics (estimated at $155 million impact on Central Texas) is the state's business. and the guy who represents Waco's district has to be concerned for Baylor. that's his job.

 

I don't see how the state has any say in the makeup of NCAA conferences, but obviously being part of a major conference brings in money to those communities and the state as was pointed out in the Chet Edwards article. I'm just not sure what clout the state actually has here.

 

It depends almost entirely on how powerful the members are in the Lege that have the school(s) in their district. That, and Texas/A&M have always been seen differently by the Lege. The fact that they have the Permanent University Fund trumps the rest of the schools. UH, in particular (IMO), has been shafted by the state when it comes to funding. UT and A&M have influence in the Lege all out of proportion to what one would imagine to be the case.

 

Not being from Texas, I don't understand the alumni network in Texas. But I'm wondering what about other Texas schools like Rice, UH, TCU, do they not have the same alumni power base?

Given a school like Rice, top-notch academics, I would awesome a lot of their graduates would be in more powerful positions.

 

having a law school helps....fuels lawyers who go on to run for state legislature.

 

In terms of the legislature, UT has the largest amount of undergrad alumni in the Texas legislature.

What is interesting is UH is #2 in terms of alumni representation in the Texas legislature, yet despite that they never seem to have very much bargaining power when it comes to universities.

 

They tend to be Democrats.

 

UT and ATM have powerful alumni networks. Rice doesn't put out very many graduates every year so although they have better degrees, there aren't nearly as many as the two big schools.

 

Clarification: Regardless of where they end up, Baylor athletics is not going away. There will still be games and a need for equipment and supplies and hotel rooms and food and trinkets and t-shirts and such. It's not a question of $155 million with the Pac-Whatever or nothing.

Also, any SEC offer to A&M is designed to put pressure on Texas to go the SEC, not because A&M is so great that the SEC would beg them to take a part of those TV revenues. (That, and the better access to Texas recruits.)

 

no question. the question is....is it still $155 million? instead of that number growing going forward....is it shrinking, instead?

i think the SEC would take A&M without Texas.