If the SEC asked, would/should Georgia Tech say yes?
Not long after the conference expansion issue really started to heat up, I found myself in a charity golf foursome with a couple of Georgia Tech guys. We were waiting to hit, so I just asked them point blank:
“If Georgia Tech got an invitation to leave the ACC and join the SEC, would you vote to go?”
Response No. 1: “In a New York minute.”
Response No. 2: “Can we go today?”
Now look, Georgia Tech has had a very good football home in the ACC since 1983. It is the defending ACC champions. And the situation got a lot better on Monday when the ACC landed a very good television deal with ABC/ESPN that will pay the league $155 million per year. In this economy, the ACC essentially doubled their money from the previous contract and that is quite an accomplishment. A number of people (this writer included) thought that the numbers might be lower so give the ACC kudos for getting that deal done.
Having said all that, there are two questions we will ponder today:
How/Why does Georgia Tech get on the SEC’s radar?
Why would/should Georgia Tech even consider leaving the ACC?
First, some history: Georgia Tech was a charter member of the Southeastern Conference in 1933 and remained in the league through the 1963 season, when the school withdrew and became a Southern Independent. We won’t debate the reasons why or the wisdom of Georgia Tech’s move. The fact is that Tech was a member of the SEC for 31 years.
People of a certain age will remember going to Grant Field and watching Georgia Tech, as a member of the SEC, play in some of the best rivalries in all of college football. The Georgia rivalry you know about, but did you know:
That Georgia Tech and Auburn have played 92 times? Tech first played Auburn in 1892 and from 1904 to 1987 the schools met every year but two (1905, 1943).
That even after it left the SEC, Georgia Tech also kept playing Tennessee? Between 1964 and 1987 Georgia Tech and Tennessee met every year but three (1974, 1975, 1978).
That there was no fiercer rivalry in the 1960s than the one between Alabama and Georgia Tech? Bear Bryant and Bobby Dodd were friends until the 1961 game, when Tech’s Chick Graning received a blow to the head from Alabama’s Darwin Holt. It broke Graning’s jaw and nose and put him in the hospital. The episode touched off a war of words between newspapers in the two states and drove a wedge between Bryant and Dodd. A year later Alabama came to Grant Field with an 8-0 record and ranked No. 1. Georgia Tech handed Alabama its only loss that season, 7-6. After the 1964 game the two teams did not play again until 1979. They played six straight years until 1984 and have not played since. They were scheduled for a two-game series in 2013 and 2014 but those games have now been postponed.
The point is that Georgia Tech has a lot of history with the current members of the SEC.
Here is how Georgia Tech could get an invitation from the SEC: If the Big Ten expands to 16 teams and exponentially increases its revenue (now at about $22 million per team), the SEC, which pays about $17 million per team, will have a decision to make. If the SEC decides that it must expand as well, some teams from the ACC could come into play if the SEC wants to strengthen its Southeastern footprint.
Whether or not the SEC would extend an invitation to Georgia Tech is a matter of some debate. The argument could be made that with the University of Georgia, the SEC already controls the state’s market place. But the same argument could be made about Clemson (because of South Carolina) and Florida State (because of Florida).
Why Georgia Tech would say yes:
1) More money. Georgia Tech needs it. Even with the ACC’s new contract, there will be about a $4 million gap in shared revenue per team. If the SEC expands, that gap could grow.
2) Easier scheduling. If Georgia becomes a conference game, then Tech has another non-conference game to play with. That would guarantee at least seven home games a season. That is also more money.
3) Better attendance: Bobby Dodd Stadium holds 55,000. With Paul Johnson in place, attendance is picking up as over 50,000 turned out for five of six games last season. The year before (2008) only one game drew over 50,000 (Florida State). But what if Georgia Tech were placed in an SEC division that included Clemson, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Miami, South Carolina and Tennessee? How great would the demand for tickets be? How much more would people pay just for the right to buy them? More money.
Why Georgia Tech would say no:
1) The school has 27 years invested in the ACC. It has become a good fit for the Institute, both philosophically and academically.
2) Winning the ACC football championship is hard. Winning the SEC is harder. That’s just a fact. Writer Rick Bragg once said that every SEC game “is like a knife fight in a ditch.”
3) You can’t go back. As much as the old guard romanticizes about good old days the fact remains that it’s been 47 years since Tech left the SEC and the world has really changed.
So if you’re a Georgia Tech fan and you got a vote, would you vote to go back to the SEC if the invitation came? Or do you think the ACC is still the best place for the Yellow Jackets?
If you’re an SEC fan, would you like to see Georgia Tech come back?
The floor is yours.
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661 comments Add your comment
Flo-Ri-Duh!
May 18th, 2010
11:50 am
Tech got out of the SEC because of money. They abandoned their fellow schools strictly because they thought they could get more cash on their own. They had the big head and overrated their importance. Much like Notre Dame today – they lapsed in to mediocrity because the athletes wanted to go to conference school. This lapse of judgement cost Tech MILLIONS of dollars and a free fall in to mediocrity. They should stay in the ACC because they can’t compete in the SEC and the SEC should not take a turncoat back in the fold.
kgator79
May 18th, 2010
11:50 am
BamaU….based off of what? 1 SEC title win? Last I checked Florida was 4-3 vs. Alabama in the SEC title games. Not exactly owning the state there.
JW
May 18th, 2010
11:50 am
Thirty Points To Your Twenty-Four Points
329 yards are good, but 409 yards are much better
see if this will jog your memory
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq46H9ThXYw
we’re going to spank that tail again in your cesspool inbred town
Thirty Points To Your Twenty-Four Points
May 18th, 2010
11:51 am
kgator,
welcome to Georgia buddy. I’m glad THIS State can offer you opportunity and a chance of happiness, unlike YOUR State.
GT Alum
May 18th, 2010
11:51 am
Hatfieldgeoff, first of all, Tech is not a castoff from the ACC. It’s in the top half of the conference in most sports, including the major ones, and is in the top half of the conference academically. Tech would have to be poached from the ACC by a more appealing offer.
Also, I don’t think most Tech fans are denying that the SEC has more football clout than the ACC. Look at ESPN, the top 10 of the football rankings or talk to most football fans and that’s obvious. Most Tech fans criticize the SEC for their academics, their basketball and their players’ criminal records.
Also, while the Dawgs may have most of the Georgia fan base, they don’t own the majority of the Atlanta fan base. Bringing in Tech would give the SEC direct access to the most populous part of the state.
It would also help revive historic rivalries, which can only help the league’s publicity. And let’s face it – the SEC is very top-heavy. There’s usually a couple of top teams, then a lot of overrated good but not great teams (yes, UGA fits here), then KY and Vandy and Miss St. Tech would probably start in the middle of the pack, but should move up as recruiting improves.
Also, you puppies keep complaining about Tech fantasizing about being in the SEC. Then, you start with your fantasies of Texas, Oklahoma, VT – teams that have very strong reasons to turn the SEC down if they are extended invitations.
Thirty Points To Your Twenty-Four Points
May 18th, 2010
11:53 am
JW,
I find if HILLARIOUS you Nerds are still clinging to that game played in 2008.
When it comes to the current State Champion, bow your head to UGA.
{{{{30-24}}}}}
8-1
60-39-5
We. Simply. Run. This. State.
JW
May 18th, 2010
11:55 am
Thirty Points To Your Twenty-Four Points
You can find it funny all you want
we are playing in Cesspool, USA (aka Athens, GA) and the last time we were there we ravaged your D for 400+ yards on the ground
we’ll spank that tail there again
kgator79
May 18th, 2010
11:55 am
Sorry dont live in Georgia. What exactly does it offer besides a city who equals Cleveland in producing losers who cant win titles in Atlanta and a theme park built on a farm in Valdosta? Yeah! We are all missing a lot there.
VA DAWG
May 18th, 2010
11:56 am
I think people need to come back to reality and see that adding schools to different conferences has to do with more than football. It has nothing to do with such frivolous things as what type of offense paul johnson runs.
GTAlum from Alpharetta
May 18th, 2010
11:56 am
There is no debate – I would support Tech returning to the SEC in a heartbeat. This is the south and football is king and the SEC is the best football conference around. The ACC has been good for Tech, but think of the excitement that would surround home games with Alabama, Tennessee, Auburn and Florida rather than Duke, NC, Maryland and Wake Forest. Its no contest and the rivalry with Georgia would even be better if it were a conference game for each of us. Let’s do it and do it now. Hopefully, the SEC will extend this invitation.
SEC Headlines – 5/18/10 « MrSEC.com
May 18th, 2010
12:02 pm
[...] is back in John Calipari’s good graces and will return to Kentucky for his junior season.22. Would Georgia Tech be wise to accept an SEC invitation… if offered?23. This Gainesville writer says “Sleazy [...]
Lady Ga Ga Gator
May 18th, 2010
12:03 pm
kgator79
May 18th, 2010
11:47 am
Thirty Points….Im sorry, I could have swore this article was about Georgia Tech and joining the SEC, not about Georgia to make this a GT/UGA blog. So maybe you should take your own advice when clearly you whole point of coming on here was to bash GT fan. If your going to dish it out to another, learn to take it like a man when it comes back at you.
Why don’t we read the Gainesville Sun?
Thirty Points To Your Twenty-Four Points
May 18th, 2010
12:03 pm
What do Georgia Tech Football and Marijuana have in common??
They are both frequently SMOKED in bowls.
JW
May 18th, 2010
12:03 pm
GTAlum from Alpharetta
You’re forgetting have Duke, NC, MD, WF, Coack K, Roy Williams coming to Alexander Memorial….Billy Donovan and Pearl are nice, but nothing compared to Coach K and Williams
BamaU
May 18th, 2010
12:03 pm
kgator79
I base it on the fact that you gaytor fans come on here spewing about how great you are because of your record against UGA. Just wanted to remind you of the a$$ whipping a few months back. Also, if you want to use stats from the past, list them all. what is FL record against Bama? How many more NC do we have?
JW
May 18th, 2010
12:05 pm
Thirty Points To Your Twenty-Four Points
What does UGA and Univ of Houston have in common?
Both have not been relevant since the 80’s and both have less than half the number of National Titles than GT
Thirty Points To Your Twenty-Four Points
May 18th, 2010
12:05 pm
Georgia Tech Football: Keeping the Thursday Night JV Traditon Alive.
Foarte Buna
May 18th, 2010
12:06 pm
If I were DRad and I had a chance to get to a real football conference I’d go in a New York minute. The ACC is now and what it’s always been Basketball first and everything else except maybe Baseball sucks hind t i t. As long as people like Mike K and some others hold sway like the North Carolina (UNC/DUKE/NCSTATE/WAKE FOREST) mafia then football is just a fill in until round ball starts.
Sweet Home Alabama
May 18th, 2010
12:06 pm
With all due respect THE nerd have no business in a football conference.we play football 1st ,2nd and third.academics are there but we emphazise football.IF YOU WANT TO worry about education The SEC is no place for you.
Roll tide ROLL………..FLY YOUR FLAGS PROUDLY……….
Otto
May 18th, 2010
12:07 pm
GT Alum, I do not see GT delivering the Atlanta TV base. The metro Altanta area has more UGA fans than GT.
A large percentage of GT alums move out of state and the SEC has the Atlanta TV market by Atlanta having a very high percentage transplants with many coming from SEC schools. GT would not create a large swing.
If anything I see GT being more credible making it harder for UGA, Bama, UT, and Auburn to win recruiting battles in Georgia.
Dacula Jacket
May 18th, 2010
12:08 pm
Tech was too good for the SEC in the 60’s and definitely too good now.
UGA79
May 18th, 2010
12:08 pm
JW,
If UGA is not relevant, I’d be corious to know what you would consider Tech.
The truth
May 18th, 2010
12:09 pm
if GT returned to the SEC…they would lose every game.
Thirty Points To Your Twenty-Four Points
May 18th, 2010
12:09 pm
JW….
simply put….. {{{{{30-24}}}}}
8-1
60-39-5
GT: Acc “champs” (every fat camp has a skinniest kid)
GT: Not even 1st in their own state.
JW
May 18th, 2010
12:11 pm
UGA79
A more recent National Champion winner than UGA
Tech Head
May 18th, 2010
12:13 pm
WTF said “UGA won the ACC Championship last season 30 – 24 on November 28th at US Grant Field. Tech too good for the SEC back in the 60’s, and the SEC is too good for Tech now.”
Just like Tech won the SEC East the year before!
JW
May 18th, 2010
12:14 pm
Thirty Points To Your Twenty-Four Points
Enjoy it while it lasts – starting a new QB with zero game experience….humiliation will be your friend soon….very soon
UGA79
May 18th, 2010
12:14 pm
JW- And what year was that?
Thirty Points To Your Twenty-Four Points
May 18th, 2010
12:15 pm
State of Georgia Football Rankings:
1. UGA
2. Georgia State (even they have the balls to schedule a real SEC team)
3. Valdosta State
4. Ga Southern
5. Mercer
6. Lincoln County
7. Southern Poly Tech
8. Berry
9. Parkview
10. Perimeter College
***** Tech was not even listed!!!!! *****
GT Alum
May 18th, 2010
12:16 pm
Otto, I don’t know much about the Pitt-Penn St rivalry, but I don’t know that’s an apt comparison. You claim that UGA fans would move on and not miss it. Why, then, do UGA fans buy Tech season tickets just to attend that game? Why do they go on Tech blogs just to brag about how much better UGA is than Tech? UGA fans like to say they don’t really care about the rivalry and that it’s their third or fourth biggest rivalry, but their actions don’t really support that claim. You just don’t want to give Tech respect by acknowledging how important the rivalry is.
Also, we’re not saying we can compete with the SEC based on wins over Vandy and Miss St. We’re saying we can compete with the SEC based on wins over Auburn and a competitive series with UGA (even though UGA’s had the better of the series of late, there haven’t been many blowouts either way). I don’t delude myself that we’d come in and immediately beat UF and Bama and win the conference. I do believe we would probably start in the middle of the pack, and move up as being in the SEC helps improve our stature and thereby our recruiting.
Also, as much as Georgia likes to brag, in the 18 years the SEC has had a championship game, UGA has won the East 3 times and the conference twice. UGA has won the division less than UF and UT, and the rest of the teams in the division have never won the division. This slots UGA as about the 5th best team in the SEC. Hardly a powerhouse.
Tech would probably come in slotted right behind UGA in the conference standings, ahead of Miss St., Vandy, UK, SCar, and competitive with UT, Auburn, UGA, Ole Miss, Arkansas. Tech would hardly be a cream puff getting destroyed on a weekly basis. They would be a middle of the pack SEC team, but, honestly, so is UGA.
JW
May 18th, 2010
12:16 pm
UGA79
Post 1980-1989
Re-read my comment…”UGA has not been relevant since the 80’s”
There is no ambiguity
kgator79
May 18th, 2010
12:17 pm
BamaU….wow! congrats on your 21-14 record over Florida and that 6 game winning streak Bama had on them in the 70s. Or that out of Bama’s 45 National titles, they have won only 2 of those over the last 30 years and only 5 SEC titles over that same period. Certainly if you feel the need to go back to the 70s and beyond feel free to. Their history is certainly quite respectable, but in the modern day Florida is the premier program in the SEC with Alabama a close second. But of course Im probably telling all this to a UGA fan who is pretending to be a Bama fan as his only way of trying to trash Florida.
JW
May 18th, 2010
12:18 pm
Thirty Points To Your Twenty-Four Points
That list is for the unversities whose students will like end up doing smack and dating their sister
idiot
osama
May 18th, 2010
12:18 pm
If GT moved back to the SEC, it would mean Paul Johnson would hav to leave because the triple-option would NOT work against UGA, Alabama, LSU, & Florida.
That being stated, I would luv to c GT, Miami, FSU, & Texas or VT n the SEC.
Boss
May 18th, 2010
12:19 pm
The Big 10 is the top conference in the nation, and will widen the gap even more if they go to 16. GT should be a part of that if the Big 10 offered. Football wise the Big 10 is no more difficult than the ACC. It may be a bit easier. Penn State Iowa, Michigan and Ohio State players just aren’t as tough as VT, Miami, Clemson and FSU.
The SEC would be a big step down for GT. With the new contract the financials aren’t that different. But the “academics” in the SEC, and the SEC fans are in the rock-bottom gutter compared to the ACC fans/academic and Big 10 fans/academics.
UGA79
May 18th, 2010
12:20 pm
JW-re-read mine. If UGA is not relevant, but beats Tech almost yearly, where does that leave Tech?
Paul Johnson
May 18th, 2010
12:21 pm
The ACC sucks so just admit it. If GT moves to SEC then I will lose my job. Anytime I play a real team with real defense, the option gets the smack down. Just look at the Orange Bowl last year.
Dawg-Hatin' Jacket
May 18th, 2010
12:21 pm
Would I vote to go back to the SEC? In a New York minute. Can we go today?
JW
May 18th, 2010
12:21 pm
osama
CPJ put 428 yards on UGA in athens, 324 yards against LSU, 415 yards against UGA in Atlanta – how can you say the offense doesn’t work against UGA and LSU? That is asinine bias.
Dan
May 18th, 2010
12:22 pm
I think CPJ has proven it works against UGA, osama. His offense is averaging 35 a game and has outscored UGA 54-27 in the 2nd half.
Where are you hiding?
BamaU
May 18th, 2010
12:23 pm
Saying that the Big 10 in the top conference is like saying….well, I have to compare it to. It’s sure funny though.
JW
May 18th, 2010
12:24 pm
UGA79
Relevancy in my post is measured by national titles – you are more than within your rights to disagree with that however as it pertains to my post which you are challenging, UGA has not been relevant (i.e. national titles) since the 80’s
A counter for you would be, GT hasn’t been relevant since the 90’s
HugoStiglitz
May 18th, 2010
12:25 pm
Im with you boss. I would love to see Ga Tech go to the Big Ten. Its a great conference that excels in many areas. Going to the SEC would just seem like a consolation prize. Football may be more fun but not really worth it at the expense of everything else.
L S U
May 18th, 2010
12:25 pm
jw
and remind me again. how many points did tech put up against lsu?
JW
May 18th, 2010
12:27 pm
minus the garbage points at the end….about as many points as UGA put up against Urban “I’m UGAs Daddy” Meyer the last time UGA played UF
1eyedJack
May 18th, 2010
12:27 pm
All I know is Tech would have the godawfullest uniforms in the SEC.
Dacula Jacket
May 18th, 2010
12:27 pm
If Tech joins the SEC, recruiting will improve and so will the football program. What Tech gains in recruiting, UGA loses. This is bad news for the pups who currently dominate recruiting in the state but can only manage to beat “lowly” Georgia Tech by a few points every year.
UGA79
May 18th, 2010
12:29 pm
JW
I looked back in the record books and could find Tech name nowhere in the last 50 or so years, However, it did have Colorado as the 1990 champs. So, I can say…Tech has not been relevant since WWII. That’s better.
Milky
May 18th, 2010
12:32 pm
GT isn’t coming to the SEC, so it doesn’t matter. Fact is, GT needs the SEC more than the SEC needs GT. Football-wise, the SEC is far superior top to bottom. Argue all you want, but those are the facts. You’re quick to point out your record against the SEC, but those are against the lower tier (Miss St and Vandy). Week in week out playing against Bama, FL, LSU, AU, UGA would further prove my point. VT is the only school who has been consistently good in the ACC the last several years. If any of the following teams were to leave the ACC, the conference would fall apart and most likely lose it’s BCS bid: fsu, clemson, miami or vt.
uga99
May 18th, 2010
12:32 pm
JW-Our “not relevant” team kicks your a$$es on a yearly basis.