Let’s do a mailbag! And how would Tech fit in the SEC?
That’s right I used an exclamation point in the headline. That’s how excited I am about doing our second e-mail mailbag.
Send me any question you may have about any Georgia Tech sport and I’ll do my best to provide you an insightful answer.
I’ll post the answers on a blog on Tuesday at lunchtime. That’s Tuesday at lunchtime. There was some confusion about the publication of the answers when we did the last mailbag.
—
Now, on to the pie-in-the-sky topic that esteemed colleague (to borrow Mark Bradley’s phrase) Tony Barnhart broached last week.
As many of you know, expansion is the topic du jour for several conferences. The Big 10 has openly said it’s considering it. The SEC said it has reviewed scenarios. I await an answer from the ACC if it too has reviewed or is reviewing scenarios.
Should one or two of the conferences make a move, Barnhart suggested that the SEC may turn to the ACC and try and lure Clemson and Georgia Tech, among others, into the fold.
While I think that Clemson and FSU (the other possibility) would be natural fits because of the stadium sizes and geographic footprint of the fan bases, I’m not sure that Tech would. I’m also not sure that they would want to, unless it came to that.
Financially, it’s a no-brainer. Thanks to ESPN’s largess, SEC schools pull in the second-highest per school revenues behind those from the Big 10, which has its own TV network funding the athletics department.
The ACC is in the process of negotiating new TV deals for football and men’s basketball. It’s unlikely to pull in the $2 billion over 15 years that ESPN pledged to the SEC.
While Tech was once a founding member of the SEC, I would be very surprised to see the dominoes fall in such a way that find Tech back in the fold.
Some comparative stats, courtesy of Wikipedia (so take them with a grain of salt). These are meant for talking points only:
College/Metro pop./Year founded/Affiliation/Enrollment/Joined
University of Florida/ (114,916)/1853/Public/51,474/1932
University of Georgia/ (113,398)/1785/Public/34,180/1932
University of Kentucky/ (282,114)/1865/Public/26,054/1932
University of South Carolina/ (127,029)/1801/Public/27,488/1991
University of Tennessee/ (184,802)/1794/Public/30,410/1932
Vanderbilt University/ (596,462)/1873/Private/12,093/1932
Western Division
University of Alabama/ (90,221)/1831/Public/27,014/1932
University of Arkansas/ (73,372)/1871/Public/19,849/1991
Auburn University/ (56,088)/1856/Public/24,530/1932
Louisiana State University/ (223,689)/1860/Public/28,810/1932
University of Mississippi/ (17,265)/1848/Public/15,289/1932
Mississippi State University/ (24,187)/1878/Public/17,824/1932
Georgia Tech/5,000,000+/1885/Public/12,966/1885
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432 comments Add your comment
DawgBoi
May 3rd, 2010
11:25 am
“I RUN THIS BLOG!”
eastside
May 3rd, 2010
11:34 am
gt phenom. what was the score last time gt played lsu? think it was a blowout in a bowl game. gt would be good if the sec wanted another doormat team to give beat-downs to annually
fishtales
May 3rd, 2010
11:45 am
GA Tech just asked out of the series with Bama so why should they be asked to join the SEC? They obviously want no part of it…especially when they can’t beat GA either. And ATL Gator…while you’re patting your academic record on the back…realize that Bama just recently won the SEC academic honor roll for the second year in a row. UF second, UGA third.
fishtales and dawgbutts
May 3rd, 2010
12:23 pm
well, that just goes to show you there’s not much “honor” in the SEC, academic or otherwise
supersize that order, mutt
May 3rd, 2010
12:24 pm
Does anybody know for a fact who dropped whom in the Tech-Bama deal? All I have read so far is that it was agreed by both schools to postpone it. Nothing was said who instigated it or why. Does anybody have any facts?
HugoStiglitz
May 3rd, 2010
12:51 pm
According to the Tuscaloosa news GT requested that the matchups be postponed. Here is the quote from Alabama’s AD:
“Their athletic director (Dan Radakovich) contacted me and said they wanted to postpone the series and we were willing to work with them,” Moore said. “We do want to resume the series at some point in the future, but we did not work out any dates at this time.”
DAVE
May 3rd, 2010
1:04 pm
Lets send prayers and condolences out the the family of beloved GT FOOTBALL ALUM,NICK RODGERS WHO PASSED EARLY THIS MORNING.
REST IN PEACE NICK..
supersize that order, mutt
May 3rd, 2010
1:17 pm
Thanks, Hugo. I wonder why D-Rad wanted to postpone, since I assume he’s the one who originally scheduled it anyway.
techie
May 3rd, 2010
1:46 pm
They would be ranked a little lower than Vandy in attendance! They would be ahead of Florida in muggings! They would be ranked near Alabama in terms of tactful coaches.
The SEC is the best, why change to water it down?
HBTD
May 3rd, 2010
1:52 pm
Bama dumps tech!! Oooops!
supersize that order, mutt
May 3rd, 2010
2:16 pm
And they would be WAY BEHIND UGAG in number of players arrested
supersize that order, mutt
May 3rd, 2010
2:20 pm
Also behind UGAG in number of professors who murder their wives in public, and in front of their children, and number of campus employees who attempt to extort students.
HBTD
May 3rd, 2010
2:24 pm
supersize that order, mutt
May 3rd, 2010
1:17 pm
Thanks, Hugo. I wonder why D-Rad wanted to postpone, since I assume he’s the one who originally scheduled it anyway.
I think the answer to that question is fairly obvious to most.
#1 BAMA FAN
May 3rd, 2010
3:11 pm
Hey Leroy….BAMA plays at Arkansas, South Carolina, Tenn & LSU. We also play Florida, Auburn, Penn St., and MISS at home. BAMA plays GT, home and home in 2011 & 2013. I
#1 BAMA FAN
May 3rd, 2010
3:11 pm
Hey Leroy….BAMA plays at Arkansas, South Carolina, Tenn & LSU. We also play Florida, Auburn, Penn St., and MISS at home. BAMA plays GT, home and home in 2011 & 2013. I
Bruce Mac
May 3rd, 2010
3:52 pm
They would fit somewhere between Kentucky and South Carolina. Not great but you have to worry about them every year. They would have to build a new stadium for big boy football.
supersize that order, mutt
May 3rd, 2010
4:09 pm
HBTD, I can assure you that win or lose, neither DRad nor CPJ would ever back away from a game out of fear. I am sure there is more to it than that. Oh, and by the way, why do you think Ole Miss dropped Tech for this year and next? Were they scared of Tech? I doubt it; I’m sure there were other reasons there too. But since you are obviously a mutt living in hope that one day you might return to relevancy (assuming you ever really had any) in the SEC, just keep spouting your mindless drivel.
Doug Roberson
May 3rd, 2010
4:11 pm
Where did the enrollment figure come from: Wikipedia, which is what I wrote when put them in the story.
As for the Bama game, as I wrote. It was a mutually agreed upon decision, and is fairly common when schools start trying to line up opponents.
HBTD
May 3rd, 2010
4:27 pm
supersize that order, mutt
May 3rd, 2010
4:09 pm
HBTD, I can assure you that win or lose, neither DRad nor CPJ would ever back away from a game out of fear. I am sure there is more to it than that. Oh, and by the way, why do you think Ole Miss dropped Tech for this year and next? Were they scared of Tech? I doubt it; I’m sure there were other reasons there too. But since you are obviously a mutt living in hope that one day you might return to relevancy (assuming you ever really had any) in the SEC, just keep spouting your mindless drivel.
Wow!! Talk about insecure. Supersize, see Doug’s 4:11 post for the obvious reason I referred to in my 2:24 post. LOL!!!
HBTD
May 3rd, 2010
4:36 pm
Supersize. Based on your spirited posts today, I’m guessing you were one of the 350-400 who attended this year’s T-Day game. How bout a first hand report of what the squad looks like this year?
T3
May 3rd, 2010
4:50 pm
IMHO, GT & Bama are “postponing” their games
to let both keep their schedules…”flexible.”
Translation: the SEC will be adding GT within the next two years.
T3
May 3rd, 2010
4:58 pm
Every current Big 10 school is also a member of the AAU,
and thats a HUUUUUUUGE institutional consideration for
Big 10 expanison. Afterall, its the school Presidents,
not the ADs that have the FINAL approval.
The following schools are also AAU members:
Missouri (Big 12)
Nebraksa (Big 12)
Iowa State (Big 12)
Kansas (Big 12)
Pitt (Big East)
Syracuse (Big East)
Colorado (Big 12)
So, it is HIGHLY LIKELY that Big 10 expansion will come from this roster. Of course, all this assumes Notre Dame rejects the Big 10 again.
Another HUUUUUUUUUUGE factor often overlooked is: TIME.
Or more accurately: Time Zones.
The Big 10 is actually split between Eastern & Central time zones.
This matters A LOT when youre talking TV audience and TV money.
“TV market share” and Time Zones strongly correlate.
(7) Teams in Eastern Time zone are:
OhioSt
Michigan
Michigan State
Penn State
Indiana
Purdue
Illinois
(4) Teams in Central Time zone are:
Northwestern
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Iowa
So, adding 3 Central Time zone teams (Mizzou, Nebraska, Iowa State) would result in a “balance” of 7 teams in each time zone.
Now the Big 10 can offer MORE games in the NEXT time zone for TV.
Think of it as…”controlling the game clock.”
I consdier the addition of Mizzou, Nebraska,
and IowaSt as STONE-COLD LOCKS for the Big 10.
The addition of these three would be 14 teams.
If the Big 10 wanted to go to 16, they could likely add one team in each time zone. Perhaps, add Pitt in the East, and Kansas to the West.
If the Big 10 went to 18 teams, in addition to Pitt & Kansas, they would likely also add Syracuse in the East, and Kansas State in the West.
With 14, 16, or 18 teams, now the Big 10 would have football to offer fans all the way from mid-day in the Eastern time zone, until later in the night in the Central time zone.
The SEC has a time zone advantage with 5 teams in the Eastern and 7 teams in the Central. This is an advantage for the SEC when it comes to TV money. The SEC currently has more games to offer across a
longer/wider range of time.
The Big 10 knows this. Its the same reason the PAC10 wants to pick up teams in the Mountain time zone, like Colorado, Utah, etc.
The ACC has a BIG disadvantage in this manner as all teams play in Eastern time zone. No way to realy “extend” the clock.
Count on the Big10…”going West.”
supersize that order, mutt
May 3rd, 2010
5:00 pm
HBTD, I’m not insecure; I just know how assinine most of the mutts who post here are. Perhaps I am wrong about you; you will have to prove that, however. Regarding the T-Day game, I live 3 hours from Atlanta, and as much as I would have liked to go, I could not. If I lived in Atlanta, I would not have missed it. However, to be honest, I don’t see what the big to-do about spring games is anyway, no matter what school. Generally they are pretty boring, although it’s a nice chance to see what might be ahead for the following season.
wesleywhatwhat
May 3rd, 2010
5:02 pm
if your enrollment numbers come from wikipedia, why are they wrong?
u list georgia tech as having an enrollment of 12,966, which is wrong but close to the undergraduate enrollment number (13,515) but nowhere near the actual number students (20,291), according to wikipedia.
unless u are only using undergraduate numbers, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with auburn, for example. u list auburn as having 25,530 students while wikipedia says they have 20,302 undergrads and 24,137 total students.
i don’t really care how u can be off by 1,000+ with regard to other schools total enrollment but it seems that the other schools are listed by total enrollment while georgia tech is listed by undergrad enrollment only, which is a huge difference. is there any reason for that?
T3
May 3rd, 2010
5:05 pm
FSU & GT are both in the Eastern Time zone.
That would give the SEC 7 in the Eastern, and 7 in the Central.
This is how the SEC will “counter” some moves by other conferences.
Small Johnson
May 3rd, 2010
7:54 pm
This is coach Small Johnson
We will not enter the SEC because I cannot win with my middle school option veer.
Please Tech fans do not push this issue, I want to win many ACC chumpionships and be considered the greatest ACC coach ever.
I will not win and be a champion in the SEC
Again please do not push this issue UGA is too much to handle once a year. We cannot handle 7 UGA teams or my record will end up being a losing record!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ckgator
May 3rd, 2010
8:30 pm
I have been saying how much I’d like Tech back in the SEC for years. Would bring my Gators to town on occasion, bring much more interesting games to Tech, and would be great for the Atlanta economy – SEC fans travel!
This would also elevate the Tech program and revive some great classic match-ups like Bama / Auburn and so on.
All for it – at least consider switching places with Vandy!
messin with sasquatch
May 3rd, 2010
8:41 pm
On the other hand – CMR would like to join the ACC so he won’t have to play UF, UT, UA, and the other powerhouse SEC teams every year. Maybe he wouldn’t lose his job after 2010-2011 is another underachieving year capped off by another trip to a low country bowl game. And has the ghost of the fsu criminole come to athens to help cmr lose more players to jail?
Barack Dawg
May 3rd, 2010
10:47 pm
GT BABY –> Remember a little team from the Big Ten that spanked Tech in the Orange Bowl.
For you SEC championship counters – Tech won 5 while in the conference. UGA has won 12. Before this year, you had not won the ACC since 1998.
Look at your Bowl record the last 10 years. You have lost 5 bowl games in a row and you have only been to 1 BCS Bowl game which was last year. We have one 4 bowl games in a row and in the last 10 years we are 8 – 2 in bowl games and 3 are BCS Bowls where we are 2 and 1.
Also if you want to count National Championships – we could argue that we have 5 based on finishing with a number ranking in at least one of the final national polls and included in the Official NCAA Football Record book — 1942, 1980, 1927, 1946, 1968.
So you techies don’t think I am being biased, it should be noted we lost to GT 12 – 0 in the final game of the year in 1927 – regardless UGA finished ranked #1 in 2 polls recognized by the NCAA – Boand System and Poling System.
I don’t think you have to worry about an SEC invitation coming anytime soon. Regardless of what Sonny Purdue and company think, they don’t have any say so in the SEC. If they want to force it then they can but they can easily just move the game to a different location rather than playing in Atlanta, which of course be a mistake.
In addition, you would have to get rid of your coach because he does not run an offenseive scheme that would work long term in the SEC. You will see that if you play a talented SEC team. Also the argument made about Tech beating Auburn and Clemson beating a school – what happened last year in the ACC. UGA beat Tech and South Carolina beat Clemson. UGA beat South Carolina so does that make us the real champion from last year in the ACC? Just saying….
Barack Dawg
May 3rd, 2010
10:50 pm
messin with sasquatch – did he kick you in the a**? CMR does not care to be in the ACC. You should not his record in the last few years against anyone other than Florida. He is 3 – 1 against Alabama and 4 – 0 against Auburn the last 4 years. I don’t think he is going to be losing his job anytime soon. Morons like you are not in charge of the decision making.
supersize that order, mutt
May 3rd, 2010
11:26 pm
Barack, what you failed to mention is that while Tech was in the SEC, winning 5 conference championships, UGAG only won 3. The majority of the conference championships that UGAG has won have been since Tech left the SEC. Whether that would have made a difference, nobody knows, but odds are Tech would have won more, and UGAG would have probably won less. Counting the years prior to the SEC, when Tech and UGAG were in first the SIAC and then the old Southern conference, Tech has a total of 16 conference championships in football (Southern, SEC, and ACC); UGAG has a total of 14 (SIAC, Southern and SEC). You might also be interested in knowing that Tech won one SEC regular season basketball championship and one SEC basketball tournament (same year) while in the SEC. During that same time, UGAG won NONE of either. Since leaving the SEC, Tech has won two regular season ACC basketball championships and three ACC basketball tournament championships; UGAG has won one regular season SEC basketball championship, and two SEC tournament championships. Looks to me like no matter what the conference, and whether football or basketball, Tech can hold its own. It remains to be seen how the two schools would stack up against each other if Tech were back in the SEC. I for one would sure like to find out. And don’t go on and on about the last 10 years (or even last 40) years in football; if you’re going to consider the past as being relevant in determining the future, then you have to look at all the past, like I just attempted to do.
college football
May 3rd, 2010
11:55 pm
They would be a whipping post yearly, besides the SEC needs teams of character.