[College Football] Big Ten, Texas have initial talks

I agree, but at the beginning everyone was saying that Texas had all the power and that they could make things happen for other teams. I personally believe that UT does have a great deal of power, and if they wanted Baylor included, they could make it happen. At this point who really know what's going on? However, it doesn't look good for Baylor.

 

Certainly - culturally, UT fits the Pac10 really well, while A&M fits the SEC very well. But that goes back to my point - these decisions are about things besides just money.

You don't really see Vandy crying about it because they don't have a lot of other options - they need the money. There is some talk about the B10 expanding to add Vandy and Maryland though. In that case, I think Vandy would jump at the opportunity because they would get the academics plus the money. The B10 would take them to get a longterm foothold in the south and for the academics.

 

Sorry - to clarify, I mean its good strictly for Baylor on-the-field success in athletics. Certainly its not a plus in other areas.

I'm not sure why it's UT responsibility to pull Baylor along. UT is trying to improve its own situation - it's not going to risk that by making any of its moves conditional on Baylor. They were exploring options with the B10 and Pac10 - they aren't going to sacrifice their own improvements for the sake of a competing university.

That said, the Pac10 ensured that wouldn't be the case by going ahead and adding Colorado, and forcing the issue.

 

Okay, one more question about this whole A&M to the SEC thing.

Logistically, how would it work? I can't imagine the teams in the SEC would approve a conference with uneven divisions. Who else would they add? Or, if somehow they decide to add just one team, who gets bumped to the West division? Alabama and Auburn are the westernmost teams, but I can't see them getting separated. Same with Ole Miss and Mississippi State. So does one of LSU or Arkansas, the two current easternmost teams, end up in the West? I can't imagine they will be happy playing Florida, Georgia, & Tennessee every year.

I keep hearing all this confirmation of TAMU being SEC bound, but I just can't for the life of my understand why the SEC would mess up how the conference is broken up just to add A&M alone.

 

I agree 100% that it is not UT's responsibility to bring Baylor along. I just think it is interesting how most people originally thought UT was insisting that all the Texas schools were part of a package deal. Now it looks like Baylor may have always been on the outside. I wonder how many teams would have to turn down an offer to the Pac-16 before they finally would look at Baylor. We will probably never know.

 

I think it is sad how the history between these schools is being tossed into a dumpster. Sure, there will be plenty of lip service about continuing old rivalries, but unless that "old rivalry" produces a big payday and/or an easy win to pad a record, the history will soon become a memory. I still miss the SWC. Who will miss the Big 12? It's a pity that money seems to rule everything.

 

I'm very worried at the thought of Mizzou/KU getting the Pac 10 invite and not Utah.

That basically kills any "new" Big 12 talk and likely caps the MWC at 12 teams (KSU and KU or Mizz or ISU), thus leaving UH stuck in CUSA with Baylor and possibly ISU or some other Sunbelt team.

Bleh.

 

I guess "everyone" made the wrong assumption. What power does UT have with the Pac-10? I think your assumption about UT forcing Baylor down the throat of the Pac-10 is dead wrong. I'm not saying Baylor is completely radioactive, but it's clear no major conference wants to have anything to do with them.

 

UT has a lot of pull.

And if both UT and A&M want you in their conference, then it's practically a foregone conclusion.

Each school brings a lot to the table, and the Pac 10 stands to gain a lot from adding UT and whomever they chose to bring with them.

Unless your school has some serious, serious baggage/problems.

 

it's simple - A&M brings a good chunk of the Texas tv market, an terrific inroad to the abundance of high school talent, and would automatically become the conference's no. 1 or 2 academic institution (not that they're all to concerned about it).

but really, it's all about bringing in the Texas television market - or in other words - $$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

UT has power with the Pac-10, because the Pac-10 wants everything that UT can offer any conference, such as TV ratings, academic excellence, etc. The Pac-10 definitely wants UT, and that gives UT at least some bargaining power.

I do agree with you, at this point it looks like no major conference wants Baylor.

 

I think they'll add an eastern school just like they did in 92 when they added Arkansas and South Carolina.

 

It will be interesting what the Kansas legislature does if KU gets the invite. Little brother KSU doesn't have a coattail to ride on into the Pac 10.

 

Would it be a big deal? Nobody in Texas cares about Tech. Iowa plays Iowa State but they don't care about em.

 

The only glimmer of hope is that Utah's version of "Chip Brown" is reporting that Utah does indeed have an invite waiting and that the Pac 10 is only speaking to KU and Mizzou in case OU decides to go with A&M to the SEC. So the Pac 10 is making a contingency plan, basically. I think that is a reasonable explanation. Because none of the Pac 10 stuff is going to go down until A&M decide's its fate on Tuesday. So the Pac 10 wants to have every scenario planned for. Smart on their part. Once A&M votes, all hell is going to break loose.

 

They may not care about them in a rivalry sense, but its never good for the well-being of a state when one of it's largest state schools gets hung out to dry in a scenario like this. KSU being in a good conference is good for the state of Kansas. The KU people know that and likely will do what they can to help them within reason.

 

No one gave a damn about UH, as I recall, except those who were fans of Houston.

 

Unfortunately true.

Someone once said that Texas as a state would be in a hell of a lot better shape if all its public institutions would stop trying to slit each other's throat at every opportunity and work together to improve each other's standing and the State as a whole.

A little idealistic, but I tend to agree.

 

Everyone already tried to tap into the TAMU/UT PUF fund, just leave us alone already. Nobody likes you guys. Like a bunch of flies causing a nuisance.