If SEC expands, it needs to hook them Horns
The past week, whether it’s at work or out and about, I’ve been hearing college football fans talking about possible SEC expansion if the Big 10 kicks off the era of 16-team superconferences, and which teams ought to be added.
It’s the kind of subject that leads to spirited and enjoyable debate, with the candidates I’ve heard suggested ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous.
So here’s my take on all of this:
If the Big 10 adds more than one team, Commissioner Mike Slive has indicated the SEC will be proactive to protect its position. Which probably means going to at least 14 and possibly 16 teams.
But just adding teams isn’t what this is all about. The aim of expansion for the SEC will be widening its television footprint by moving into lucrative new markets. Why add teams (like, for instance, Georgia Tech or Louisville) in markets that the conference already dominates? Splitting up the money more ways only makes sense if there’s more money generated. And that’s only going to happen with a bigger TV audience. (Someone mentioned that Louisville would bolster the SEC in terms of basketball, but that’s basically irrelevent to the discussion. Conference expansion is all about football.)
The Longhorns belong in the SEC. (University of Texas Athletics)
The best way for the SEC to add audience would be to invade the state of Texas. A lot of folks think the Big 12 will start to crumble if the Big 10 takes several of its northern teams, and the University of Texas is the jewel everyone wants. Texas in the Big 10 (as rumored early this year) is a bad fit, and while some think the Longhorns might go to the PAC 10, the SEC seems like a much more natural home for them.
According to former SEC Commissioner Harvey Schiller, Texas would have joined the conference back in 1992 had the Texas Legislature not insisted that Texas A&M must be taken, too. At the time, the SEC wasn’t interested in the Aggies. But if the SEC was going to 16 teams, adding Texas and Texas A&M would work just fine this time around. And if the Lone Star politicians didn’t get involved this time, adding Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC would be even better. Oklahoma isn’t a major TV market, but the Sooners are a marquee team.
And if Texas does decide to bolt to the PAC 10 and doesn’t take A&M with it, adding the Aggies and the Sooners to the SEC would work, too.
So that takes care of two of the four teams needed to reach 16. For the other two, some fans think locking up the state of Florida by taking Florida State and Miami away from the ACC (which probably will end up feasting on whatever’s left of the Big East after the Big 10 is through with it) would make sense. The University of Florida likely wouldn’t be thrilled about both of its in-state rivals being added to the conference, but I doubt they could veto both of them.
So if you just take one, the Seminoles are the better choice, both geographically and in terms of fan support. Miami fans don’t travel well and the U doesn’t even draw well at home (though perhaps they’d put a few more folks in the seats if they had SEC competition on a regular basis). Last time we went through all this, FSU opted to dominate (for a while) the weaker ACC rather than joining the SEC, but that would be less likely in today’s TV-oriented college football landscape.
As for South Florida, a school I’ve heard several fans mention, forget it: not ready for prime time.
For the fourth team, a lot of fans on both sides of the border would like to see the Clemson Tigers in the SEC, and admittedly they’d be a good fit in terms of football culture, location and natural rivalries. But they wouldn’t add much to the conference’s TV appeal.
Virginia Tech, on the other hand, might be more inclined to bolt the ACC, where it hasn’t been all that long, and the Hokies would give the SEC access to the Washington-Baltimore area TV market. So I like that move, unless the politicians in the Old Dominion state throw a spanner in the works by insisting the University of Virginia must be taken, too. The Cavaliers aren’t a good fit for the SEC, so in that case Clemson would be the better choice.
So there’s your menu for selecting four new teams: Texas, Texas A&M or Oklahoma, Florida State or Miami, and Virginia Tech or Clemson. Add those to the SEC and it doesn’t matter what any other conference does.
Would this lineup make it tougher for UGA to win an SEC title? Undoubtedly. But it would make it tougher for Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and LSU, too. And whichever team came out on top from such a conference would have a pretty good claim to being the best team in the country.
Feel free to share your own SEC wish list. …
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240 comments Add your comment
Frank Lane
April 29th, 2010
12:16 pm
First of all LOGAN GRAY – REMEMBER HINES WARD coaches.
Four adds. Texas, Oklahoma, FSU, Miami.
OolteawhDawg
April 29th, 2010
12:16 pm
Wow! First? not even trying. These changes would do everything but guarantee the SEC the National Championship every year.
OoltewahDawg
April 29th, 2010
12:19 pm
2nd, but who cares. Even us folks from Ooltewah have trouble spelling it! Frank, I would take Clemson or West Virginia before Miami.
dawgs01
April 29th, 2010
12:22 pm
If we added Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, and Florida State to the SEC it would be impossible to go undefeated. Just think about how great those games would be. Our conference would just be stronger than it already is. I dont see the Big Ten getting any stronger with the teams it is talking about getting just more watered down.
KimZ's Package
April 29th, 2010
12:22 pm
Bill Texas is not coming to the SEC and have their History have to Bump Heads with Bama’s History. The Travel cost is out of the world too. Do you see all that many fans traveling that distance for an away game? I don’t see it. I would not go to a Tech v BC game everyother yr. if they were in Tech’s division. Maimi is a hard trip already and the city of Maimi is not all that either. The Natural Order would be to keep all the Southern Players staying in the South to play. That means Clemson (Who Tech beats consistantly in History and now 7 in a row), that UGA fears to the SEC. Tech back to the SEC. Miami and FSU in the SEC too. VT is a pretty good drive too. Dad and I go to that game because we love the town and He has Ga. Power friends that live there.
KimZ's Package
April 29th, 2010
12:23 pm
Sorry I was First I just had too much to say to do that STUPID FIRST THING.
slow down young pups
April 29th, 2010
12:25 pm
I say get Middle Tenn, Tenn. Tech, Troy and Clemson for good measure. Maybe sub Ga. Tech for Tenn Tech.
Texas and Oklahoma will not come. Maybe picking up a few from the dreadful ACC would be okay.
Go DAWGS
KimZ's Package
April 29th, 2010
12:29 pm
dawgs01 you can’t get Oklahoma without getting Oklahoma State too. I think that is a law the state senate passed there a few years ago. OSU didn’t work out too well for UGA last year and do you really think UGA want anything to do with Texas or Oklahoma.
If they really want to be a super conference...
April 29th, 2010
12:30 pm
…then the SEC would look like this,(throw out Vandy and MS State:
EAST – UGA, UT, UF, KY, SC, Clemson, FSU, VT/UM
WEST – AL, AU, MS, AR, LSU, TX, OK, OK State/TX A&M
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
12:37 pm
I’m not sure there is an expanded TV market for West Virginia, other than Pennsylvania. Clemson doesn’t make sense as a new market. Greater Greenville? The comments on Miami are accurate. The don’t travel well, and they don’t support middling teams.
So, Texas and Texas A&M would open up the west, but Vandy really should move out to another conference. Ga. Tech would add to the SEC because SEC fans will travel to Atlanta, and the traditional Tennessee and Auburn rivalries would be restored. That (traveling fans to a major city) overshadows the expanded TV market in that specific case. I think VT would welcome a move to a more competitive conference. The other suggestion would be Florida State since they are as football-crazy as SEC fans.
Gordon
April 29th, 2010
12:38 pm
How would the football schedule work in a superconference of 16 teams? If there are 2 divisions and you played everyone in your division every year, you would play teams in the other division once every 8 years assuming you continued to play 8 conference games. You would only see teams from the other division once every 16 years at your own place.
Dan
April 29th, 2010
12:38 pm
I say leave well enough alone. IF the SEC does expand, and Clemson and re-ignite the UGa/Clemson rivalry and then maybe Texas, if that doesn’t pan out FSU
Sam
April 29th, 2010
12:38 pm
The t.v. money might be what drives the decisions but for the fans and alums we care more about the history and traditions. If the conferences get too big, I’m afraid it will diminish the quality of the game. That being said, if the sec chooses to add teams, they should seek the teams that already have a history with other sec teams like Clemson, FSU, and Tech. I like the thought of Texas as well but geographically, it’s too far away.
common sense
April 29th, 2010
12:41 pm
But isn’t Bull-baiting illegal?
Clem
April 29th, 2010
12:44 pm
2nd largest area for Clemson alumni outside the NC, SC, GA borders is the PA/VA/NJ area. you can check their alumni map here http://www.clemson.edu/alumni/us-map.html. I’m not saying that Clemson would leave the ACC, but don’t count out their east coast market influence.
KimZ's Package
April 29th, 2010
12:48 pm
The biggest TV advertizers are companies that do business all over the US. Why is a bigger TV market going to make all that much more money? If my business in is Texas am I going to pay a ton more money to run ads during the games to fans that can’t even buy, want, or need my products? If you want to make your town more money than you need to have the FANBASE to travel to your town and spend money. That being said more money will be made for the actuall TOWNS if away fan can get to the games. Splitting more money between the colleges doesn’t help the local economy as much as you are saying. The money will go to the people that the college uses to make the sprots programs better, but not the rest of the student bodies college experience better. Sports money doesn’t help the SMART COLLEGE KIDS or the UNIVERSITIES get BETTER PROFESSORS.
common sense
April 29th, 2010
12:48 pm
Texas will never go for the equal share ($) in the SEC. Tx and Ok get a larger portion in the Big 12.
redeployed dawg
April 29th, 2010
12:50 pm
If we added more teams, several traditional East/West rivalries (GA/AU is the first to come to mind) would fall by the wayside (too many divisional teams). I am not a fan of only playing western teams like LSU and Alabama twice every 16 years. 12 teams is a combination that makes sense; lets get all the real conferences on the same page. I guess I would be in favor of some shaking up of the conferences though.
BAMA STAN
April 29th, 2010
12:59 pm
13 NATIONAL TITLES – 22 SEC TITLES!!!
Personally – I hate the idea of 16 teams – totally unmanagable – 12 is the perfect number.
With that said – if the SEC were to expand – the goal would be to expand the TV market and make the SEC more lucrative for all teams.
I would be in favor of 14 teams – adding Texas and Texas A&M.
Each team would play 10 SEC games.
Each team would have a 4 games from the other SEC Division – One permanent opponent – and three rotating games. This way – you play all teams home and home every 4 years!
SEC EAST:
Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vandy.
UGA’s new SEC West Perm. Opponent Texas A&M (repacing Auburn)
Tennessee would add Texas (replacing Alabama)
SEC WEST:
Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, Miss State, Ole Miss, Texas, Texas A&M.
Alabama will pick up Auburn as their Perm. opponent (replacing Tennessee)
I would really hate losing the Tennessee Alabama rivalry – but we would get to play Texas every year – and would still get to play Tennessee 2 times every 4 years.
Your toughts??
ROLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL TIDE!!!
Spike
April 29th, 2010
1:03 pm
We are all dreaming, but here goes. Texas, of course. Oklahoma, ditto. Texas A&M, not so much. FSU, yes. But they blew us (the SEC) off once, so they are down on the list. Clemson would be good in the SEC East. DA U, no way, no way, no way. Louisville? Yawn.
Spike
April 29th, 2010
1:04 pm
And at least this got us off the Logan Gray soap opera. Thanks, Bill.
Kyle
April 29th, 2010
1:04 pm
I don’t understand why you’re writing off Miami if you’re main point about expansion is television coverage. South Florida is a huge market.
True, Miami fans don’t travel well, but it’s an 8 hour drive (if you’re lucky with traffic and don’t make stops) up to Tallahassee just to see them play the in-state Rival. What other team has its only real instate rival 8 hours away?
That being said, fans of other teams still come out and see their team play Miami, regardless if they aren’t what they used to be. Plus Miami would make an intriguing “villain” in the SEC: a private school in a major metro up against a bunch of publics in state capitals and ho-dunk college towns. Let’s not get started on Miami’s diverse fanbase and black coach. Then again, I get sick of hearing opposing fans make “rich kid” taunts and then mutter vaguely racist things about Miami.
observation
April 29th, 2010
1:07 pm
Although extremely unlikely, the ultimate dream team of 4 schools (and tv markets) would be Texas and Texas A&M in the West and UNC and Va Tech in the East. This would bring in the Dallas and Houston markets along with Charlotte and DC/Baltimore. It would also bolster both football and basketball.
Gordon
April 29th, 2010
1:14 pm
Bama Stan,
The only problem with your plan is it limits the out of conference schedule to 2 games. Some schools (UGA, UF) have permanent out of conference opponents, so for them there would only be 1 “free” game. That game would probably be used for a weaker team, so they would never have any chance to play a team from another major conference except in the postseason. Even the schools that don’t have a traditional rival from another conference would be very limited with 10 conference games.
KimZ's Package
April 29th, 2010
1:16 pm
Better YET make all conferences 14 teams. Play everybody in your divison(6 gms) & 3 rotating from the other divison(9th gm), & 1 traditional OOC rival(10th gm), and a championship game(11th gm). Stop playing 3 minor league games every year. 9 conference totaling 126 teams. Playoff with the 2 teams with the worst records having to play-in(12th gm) then 8 teams in a 4 game playoff to total 16 games and a Champion. NO BYE week in the season, but a bye week before the League championship. 1 week off before the play-in game which means the other teams get 2 weeks off before they play the Playoffs & 1 week off before the Championship Game. Start games the last Sat in Aug. and we could be done with the championship on New Year’s Day/ Night. It is PERFECT and screw the worthless bowls that don’t matter being playe on a Tue afternoon.
1eyedJack
April 29th, 2010
1:18 pm
Bill, if this should come to pass don’t expect it to make sense.
Portland Dawg
April 29th, 2010
1:20 pm
Bama only has 13 titles? I thought they were up to 34,35 by now.
Spike
April 29th, 2010
1:21 pm
Oh, I notice nobody is interested in Tech joining. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Here come the pencilnecks in 4,3,2,1,…
Nick
April 29th, 2010
1:22 pm
This is all kooky talk.
Let’s add every team in the country.
Logistically speaking I don’t think travelling to and from the states of TX, OK and to an extent south FL are viable.
Nick
April 29th, 2010
1:24 pm
First off, Bama Stan, UGA/AU, UT/UA not playing annually anymore is stupid and would cause riots. Move on. It’s a dumb suggestion.
Bobo, Bobo, a pirate's life for me
April 29th, 2010
1:26 pm
I’m not sure if it would really help guarantee the SEC a national championship team every year, or maybe even most years. I just feel like adding that many “good” teams will almost ensure that every SEC champ has 2 losses stamped on its record. With the way some of these other conference teams are scheduleing, i dont think a 2 or 3 loss SEC champ would unseed an undefeated or 1 loss other team….just my opinion.
Dawgs62
April 29th, 2010
1:29 pm
Add the teams, I think is a great ideal anything to make life harder for Fla and Al.
KimZ's Package
April 29th, 2010
1:29 pm
Spike TECH had Auburn on the schedule and we beat them with reggie Ball and then in Auburn, Miss State we beat the last 2 time we played, Beat Vandy. Ole backed out of their game with us. Tech is better than many SEC teams. My 9 Leagues 126 Div 1 teams covers it all and the crapy bowls can go away. 12 cities will get a Playoff game instead of 80 crapy cities playing a bowl game on Tuesday Afternoon.
Skyler
April 29th, 2010
1:30 pm
“And whichever team came out on top from such a conference would have a pretty good claim to being the best team in the country.”
The winner of the SEC already has an excellent case to be the best team in the country as we’ve seen for the past 4 seasons. I don’t see the trend of SEC championship teams with 1 or 0 losses playing in the MNC changing anytime soon. I understand the appeal for adding teams in order to make a quick buck, but it will only keep UGA from winning a MNC, let alone an SEC championship, for a long time. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Go Dawgs!
dawgs01
April 29th, 2010
1:31 pm
KimZ, I know that will not happen. I was going off what Bill wrote. If we did take teams it would probably be GA Tech, Clemson, FSU and maybe NC or miami. Last year did not go well with OSU but we beat the hell out them before that. We sucked last yr. nice observation. You should be on espn with all your knowledge of college football.
uuughh...
April 29th, 2010
1:31 pm
To Gordon…Since we are all dreaming anyway, why not just add another game or four.
Also…I would pay money to see Tech have to face a SEC Defense week in and week out. Their fans don’t really get it…but they would. There would be no more talk about UGA’s weak OOC schedule. Boy wouldn’t that be nice.
dawgs01
April 29th, 2010
1:34 pm
Kimz I am glad GA tech beat MSU and Vandy the worst two teams in the SEC and how many points did those teams score against. MSU would have beat yall if they would not have turned the ball over like 6 times and i think vany scored like 31 points on your “Georgia let me take off my yellow pants and jack it”
Spike
April 29th, 2010
1:37 pm
KimZ.. You are bragging about beating Auburn one time and Miss. State and Vandy. Sad, if that is all you got. You may have beat them, but you didn’t beat us!
KimZ's Package
April 29th, 2010
1:43 pm
uuuughh UGA 2010 W La-Laf H
W USC A
should be a W Arkansas H
GT 2W’s in a row W Miss St A
W Colorado A 3-9 last yr HAHAHA TUFF game
W/L VOLS H toss up right now
W Vandy H GT beat them last yr Nuff said.
W Kentucky A will dawgs stay for the 4th Qtr?
L Gators N dawgs with a NEW gimmic?
W Idaho St H 1-10 boy I bet the Dawgs are scared
W/L Auburn A Alway a tuff call
W Ga, Tech H Dawgs don’t fear the bees do they?
Boy UUUGHH… that sounds like a TUFF Schedule for sure. Those are som real Powerhouse OCC games.
Minnesota Dawg
April 29th, 2010
1:45 pm
Too many power houses might be frustrating but you never can tell since the recruiting wars would spread out more. Miami and Florida State should definitely be consisdered seeing they are land locked by the SEC. They could go in the EAST and Texas and Texas A&M could go in the WEST.
KimZ's Package
April 29th, 2010
1:54 pm
Spike we beat Auburn 2 in a row. They can to Tech #3 with J Campbell and Cadalic. You didn’t beat Auburn that year but you did beat Tech. Don’t talk bad about vandy and Miss St when there are on your schedule with La-Laf(6-6), Colorado(3-9), and idaho St(1-10) there are 4 of the 7 wins needed for UGA to get to Shreveport.
DCJohn
April 29th, 2010
1:57 pm
One of my favorite comments ever: Va Tech Gal, “There are a ton of Virginia Tech grads working for the Federal Government.” Me, “I think I just figured out what is wrong with the Federal Government.”
I would love to play Va Tech every year in the SEC and turn them into an also ran of a school. I have seen better high school offenses than the ones when Va Tech played Maryland in a stadium that reminded me of Paulson Stadium.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
1:59 pm
I can’t imagine UNC leaving the ACC. The Duke basketball rivalry means more than football.
With a 16 team conference and playing 1 team from the other half each year is essentially having two 8-team conferences with a playoff between the 2 winners. Prelude to NCAA playoff system? Four 16-team conferences = 64 teams; five = 80, 6 = 96. That is getting down to the edge of current FBS population. Schools like Nevada, Middle Tennessee State, Central Michigan would want to be in localized conferences for travel reasons, I would think. With Hawaii, it doesn’t matter – gotta fly.
How long a drive is it to Austin and College Station? How well do the most eastern SEC teams travel to Fayetteville? There are no doubt SEC fans in Dallas-Ft. Worth and Houston that would travel to the games in Texas.
Rock
April 29th, 2010
1:59 pm
Wow Bill, Miami and FSU would certainly be bad for UF and I thought you said it was about more money and market share for the SEC. Yet, I see you conveniently left off GT which just so happens to operate in one of the largest television and population markets in the country, isn’t that convenient.
J40
April 29th, 2010
2:03 pm
Everybody assumes Texas and these other schools would want to come to the SEC. Truth is, if the SEC, Big 10, and Pac 10 all want Texas, the Horns should go where they have the conference where they have the best chance to play for a championship every year. IMO, that would be the Big 10. It doesn’t make sense geographically, but the competition is much weaker. And the TV money (for the time being) is greater than the SEC.
Already
April 29th, 2010
2:05 pm
I am not sure why Texas a&m is mentioned over Texas Tech. Tech has a better program (currently), while A&m has shown no signs of improving. Tech has improved their facilities dramatically the past few years to keep up. Also with the addition with Tuberville and his first-class staff, it is definitely a program about to make some noise. A&m has dudes for cheerleaders anyway,
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
2:06 pm
Hawaii might be “legislated” into the PAC-16. USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, Washington, etc. fans would be more likely to show up in numbers in Honolulu than Hawaii’s current conference opponents.
J40
April 29th, 2010
2:12 pm
@Delbert,
UCLA, Cal, Stanford, & Washington fans don’t even show up to their own home games. What makes you think they would travel across the Pacific?
Spike
April 29th, 2010
2:14 pm
KimZ.. Did you proofread that? Are you drunk? Listen big fella, rationalize all you want about Vandy, MSU, the schedules blah,blah,blah. The bottom line is this. Tech could not survive in the SEC year in and year out. Hell, UGA has beaten your arses eight out of nine times, including last year, we really were bad and you were the dreaded ACC Champs.
kaput
April 29th, 2010
2:14 pm
South Florida not ready for prime time? Tell FSU and Auburn that, USF has beat both of them.
USF is a comer.
But I would be leery of the academic standards, but then I look at Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina . . . USF is on par with them.
patrick
April 29th, 2010
2:15 pm
Soooo let’s make the sec harder? Then a undefeated pac ten team and an undefeAted b ig ten team (which is easer to do in a weAker conference) would play in the NC even tho a better team has one loss playing in the sec. Yeah see how smart that is.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
2:19 pm
Florida, FSU, Miami, SF, CF, FI, FA. Needs one more school for a Southern Division of some conference. Lowers reliance on foreign oil. Ultimately, Obama runs everything (or is it Rahm Emmanuel?)
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
2:25 pm
J40 – Good point. Optimistically, some would rather go to Hawaii rather than attend a home game. More alumni from those schools would likely make the trip than La. Tech or Idaho folks.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
2:34 pm
J40 – The other thing is that our current President is a former Hawaiian, and there are large numbers of people living in Ala Moana Park, adjacent to Waikiki. The economy is in a desperate situation over there.
kevin
April 29th, 2010
2:34 pm
The Big 10 has 2 less teams than the SEC, the Big 12 and the ACC. Why on earth would the SEC expand if the Big 10 does? Moreover, there is no need to add the likes of Texas or any other competitive team the nation’s toughest conference. The SEC should remain exactly as it is.
how2fish
April 29th, 2010
2:35 pm
Sam agreed it should be those teams we have a history with.
kevin
April 29th, 2010
2:37 pm
btw, Kim Z, if GT joined the SEC, they would be viewed as equals to the likes of Miss St., KY and Vandy. Your conference is an absolute joke.
J40
April 29th, 2010
2:38 pm
Kevin, the Big 10 has 11 teams.
kevin
April 29th, 2010
2:43 pm
You’re right J40–sorry about that. Even so, no reason for the most dominate conference in football to make itself more competitive.
NebraskaMan
April 29th, 2010
2:43 pm
All you idiots that think Texas will join the SEC are dreaming. If anything, the Big 12 will draw Ark out of the SEC and add 3 more teams. The Big 12 isn’t going anywhere.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
2:45 pm
“equals to the likes of Miss St., KY and Vandy”
That begs the question, “What are those schools doing in the SEC?”
Jim n Buckhead
April 29th, 2010
2:46 pm
I’d say Texas, FSU, VA Tech and Clemson
Spike
April 29th, 2010
2:50 pm
Kevin, do you want to answer Delbert or do you want me to?
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
2:53 pm
The hypothetical SEC. I know why they are in the current SEC.
CLEVON LITTLE
April 29th, 2010
2:59 pm
Interesting…..
kevin
April 29th, 2010
2:59 pm
Take it, Spike
AceDawg
April 29th, 2010
3:02 pm
If the mega conferences come, however, we just need to add a playoff to determine the national champion so that the increasing difficulty of schedule in many conferences doesn’t further reward a team with zero or fewer losses and a weak resume.
I’d say Texas would be best, then Clemson, then FSU, then Va Tech – Oklahoma is OK but I think they should stay Midwest. Texas A&M has no appeal to me. Miami is NO SEC SCHOOL and would be a shame to add to the SEC due to its lack of football culture. Vandy and then Miss St would be the best to drop.
St. Bernard
April 29th, 2010
3:03 pm
add Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, and Louisville and there’s no need for a playoff debate. The SEC plays USC for the championship year end and year out.
Spike
April 29th, 2010
3:04 pm
Kevin, Delbert threw me a curve when he asked about the hypothetical SEC. I didn’t know there was one, and I’m not sure I’m man enough to answer that one. It’s all yours. Sorry.
KR
April 29th, 2010
3:04 pm
NebraskaMan, I can hear the desperation in you writing. Texas fans would love to come to the SEC and it makes sense with teams like Arkansas, LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss. Nebraska is just starting to make the B12 North much more relevant in that conferance, so the timing would suck. I wouldn’t want to be part of the Big Ten either….LOL about chest bumping over UGA losing to OSU last year considering we were so good.
UGADAWGZ
April 29th, 2010
3:05 pm
expanding would be stupid.Even if other conferences expand we will still be the dominate conference
Just a fan
April 29th, 2010
3:06 pm
Here is a solution to all of college footballs problems 1. Go to 10 conferences 12 teams each and independents must join a conference 2. All conferences must have a conference championship game the winner of each conference would get an automatic entry into college football playoff which consist of 16 teams 3. that would leave four at large spots to go to the highest seeded teams not to win their conference i.e. (UF losing to bama in SEC title game would get a spot). 4. To make this happen a panel of ex coaches/players would need to be formed to vote on the top 25 no current coaches and no media and no computers 5. This wouldn’t mean the end of bowl games you would still use the bowl sites to play the playoffs just make the games regional and rotate the championship game like they do now and still have the other bowl games that we currently do and just play those games opposite of the playoff format, and one last thing cut the current season back down to 11 games, by doing that you only end up playing 3 more games than we currently do if your team makes it to the championship game.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
3:07 pm
AceDawg –
“If the mega conferences come, however, we just need to add a playoff to determine the national champion so that the increasing difficulty of schedule in many conferences doesn’t further reward a team with zero or fewer losses and a weak resume.”
You got it right on the nose. No more strength of schedule stuff, if the conference-to-conference playoffs are fixed, and not based on seeding.
kevin
April 29th, 2010
3:09 pm
My only point regarding GT, was that Tech, year in and year out, is about as good as the Vandys, KY and Miss States of the world and would finish 6-6. Every conference has some weaker teams (as they should). That our conference has them says nothing about our conference whatsoever. Not sure about this hypothetical bit and its implications according to Delbert.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
3:09 pm
“If SEC expands, it needs to hook them Horns”
Bills blog is about a hypothetical SEC, expanded to include Texas as the teaser.
Saint Simons
April 29th, 2010
3:09 pm
sec should add Troy , Tenn. Tech, La Tech and Fla A&m !!!!!!!!
kevin
April 29th, 2010
3:09 pm
that should have read, “will finish 6-6 if they played in the SEC”
kevin
April 29th, 2010
3:10 pm
St. Simons,
Even with those additions, the SEC would still be stronger than the ACC.
DC DAWG
April 29th, 2010
3:11 pm
stupidest idea EVER! i would do this UNLESS tere was a PLAYOFF STSTEM. Otherwise you can forget SEC domianting. Ala, Texas, Fla, Lsu, uga, Tenn, Auburn all in the same conference? Thats totally crazy under the current crappy BCS system.
Also, look what expansion did to ACC. it ruined it. It also ruined Big East basketball. More eyeballs may lead to more revenue, but it may also dilute it and you could lose money.
A
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
3:15 pm
kevin – If Texas is added to the current mix, that is 13 teams. Following the Big-10 (11) expansion idea, that would or could lead to 16 teams in the SEC. Factoring in media coverage, travel, and strength of the conference, would it be better to keep these teams that don’t win championships or replace them with contenders? Miss. State, Kentucky and Vanderbilt…are they valued as in-conference opponents that can regularly be beaten? Would schools that produce more NFL players be more valuable? Think about the rest of the country looking at the SEC.
robodawg
April 29th, 2010
3:23 pm
I like 12 teams, but if you added two, I’d say Texas and VaTech. If adding two more teams, A&M and NC State wouldn’t be bad choices. North Carolina is an untapped SEC market, and of its two best football programs, UNC would be more likely to stay put for basketball — but a move could be a good opportunity for NC State. I don’t see what we get from adding Clemson — it’d be about like adding GT and would hurt the Dawgs more than anyone. I’d also choose Miami over FSU, since we’ve got the northern Florida market covered already.
Will Dawg
April 29th, 2010
3:23 pm
NebraskaMan you can have Ark. We’ll add FSU, Virginia Tech and Clemson and win National Titles STILL.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
3:24 pm
I’m assuming that these 16-team conferences would be that basis of an NCAA playoff system. A lot of political crap would need to be shoveled out of the way first. The East and West (or North and South) division winners make the playoffs and face each other. Alabama vs. Florida. Texas vs. Georgia, whatever. Won-loss doesn’t matter as long as you win your division (and tiebreakers, of course).
Sanford Drive
April 29th, 2010
3:28 pm
If that happened, I hope we wouldn’t lose any traditional rivalry games, like Auburn (assuming they were placed in the West and we remained in the East).
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
3:33 pm
With playoffs beginning with conference championships, a 3-loss SEC team could meet in the NCAA Championship game with an undefeated Big-16 team and win the championship. It pretty much dictates either 4 or 8 16-team conferences to avoid byes or play-ins.
Ferndolin
April 29th, 2010
3:39 pm
This is crazy. Does money have to decide everything? B.S.!! Leave it alone.
Rutted Pasture
April 29th, 2010
3:42 pm
No way University of Texas goes to the SEC or any other conference for that matter. This is the school that was close to inking a deal with the Pac 10 before the Big 8 expansion was organized in the 90’s. There is some support by some influential boosters and admins for a move to the SEC but the Pac 10 friendly higher ups will fight tooth and nail to not allow UT to go to the SEC.
I think five or so years down the road a second wave of schools like Nebraska will go to the Big Ten and then UT will be humbled and realistic enough to do the logical thing and go to the SEC when whats left of the Big Twelve totally falls apart.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
3:45 pm
Ferndolin – Money is deciding everything now. The BCS.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
3:50 pm
It would be a pretty big cultural change to focus everything on winning the sub-conference instead of trying to get that 6th win to get into the Arm & Hammer Bowl.
FortyNine49
April 29th, 2010
3:53 pm
Everyone who says something “will never happen” are speaking from the status quo. As it stands now, that is correct – Texas would never go anywhere. But suppose the Big Ten does pull Missouri and perhaps Nebraska, too. Then suppose the SEC says to Texas: “Either you come to the SEC, or we’ll invite Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. You think Texas is going to stand pat and watch the other stronger Big XII teams leave? Never mind the scenarios above – yes it could be the SEC grabs teams from the ACC – but the point is that if Texas wakes up one morning and sees the Big XII teams leaving…they are going to feel like they missed the boat.
back in the day
April 29th, 2010
3:54 pm
For the SEC to add TX and TX A & M is fabulous. To discuss Tech in this conversation is like putting Adam Sandler in the ring with Norton, Ali and Tyson and Joe Frazier and George Foreman and saying “what a group of fighters.” Ali & Co, and Tyson in their day were rough customers.
Sandler? He is nice like tech is um, ah, downtown?
AAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
76-Dawg
April 29th, 2010
3:58 pm
Expanding the SEC will make a great conference but unless the BIG- 10 adds some respectable teams, all that will do is allow them to limp into the national title game even easier than they do now.It is very frustrating for the BIG-10 champion to play in the national championship game when everyone associated with the SEC knows that as many as 3 or 4 teams in the SEC could beat them.
What happened to all the A&M criticism???
April 29th, 2010
3:59 pm
We were told that “A&M is not a major power,” back during the Weedeater Bowl in Shreveport. Right?? Can you all recall all of that crap?? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm?? “What is a Texas A&M” we were askked. AAAAAHAHAHAHAH
Well, um they are being looked at for entry into THE CLUB, along with Texas. See? This school has historically been BIG BOY BALL ………….unlike Tech. Money, power, oil and prestige drive this discussion. Um, ah did I say MONEY????? Money talks and GUN smoke from tech walks.
I mean, techies like to say “NASA, NASA” well, obama is canning NASA so, so much for that proud declaration going forward. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHHA
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
4:03 pm
76-Dawg – That would be the great dilemma of a playoff system. You’d want to be in a weak conference to advance to the regional playoff, but you’d want to be in a strong conference for the media contracts and recruiting.
38 Yardline Dawg
April 29th, 2010
4:06 pm
Get Notre Dame!!!!
38 Yardline Dawg
April 29th, 2010
4:07 pm
(Boy would I like to see the Dawgs beat Notre Dame over and over and over)
38 Yardline Dawg
April 29th, 2010
4:08 pm
Delbert, I think the BCS changed it’s name to BC$
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
4:11 pm
BC$ plus accommodation for Notre Dame.
BAMA STAN
April 29th, 2010
4:16 pm
13 NATIONAL TITLES – 22 SEC TITLES!!!
Nick – 1:24 post states that in my plan – UGA/AU and AL/TN would not play every year.
Re-read my post!!!
Auburn moving to the EAST means that UGA/AU will play every year.
UGA picks up Texas A&M as the permanent SEC West opponent.
Alabama/Tennessee rivalry will be sacrificed.
However – Tennessee picks up Texas as a permanent West opponent – battle of UT’s.
Alabama picks up Auburn as the SEC EAST permanent opponent – keeping the IRON Bowl intact. Most Alabama fans would rather keep Auburn as the annual rivalry over Tennessee.
The split I suggest is based on geography – Auburn moving to the SEC East makes the best sense.
A 14 team conference is just too big – if you want to try to play each team within a reasonable amount of time and can stomach a 10 game conference schedule. That only leaves 2 OOC games. For UGA – that would mean a warm-up game and end the season with GT.
Otto
April 29th, 2010
4:20 pm
FourtyNine49, Agreed and what if Oklahoma in addition to Nebraska, and Mizzou make the Big10 14 teams. Colorado has been open to Pac10 expansion, Regents that are on the board now and were elected but not yet in office at the time they went to the Big12 would vote for the PAC10.
Texas will never go for revenue being split equal? The revenue sharing structure of the Big12 may result in the downfall of the conf. leaving Texas with little choice but to join another conf. IMO Texas and Tx A&M still go as a package but a SEC at 14 teams with both Texas schools, the Big 10 at 14 with OU, Neb, and Mizzou, the Pac10 with Colorado and who ever they get from the WAC or MWC would make an interesting landscape. 14 teams with 1 team on rotation and 1 permanent rival from the other side would be workable.
I have said it before the Big10/SEC gain little form BigEast or ACC schools. The Northeast schools (Syracuse, Rutgers, Pitt) do not carry the TV ratings Nebraska or OU would grab. The SEC needs to expand in land area if the Big10 expands, Texas gains more TV sets. If Colorado and Nebraska reach contracts to move watch the Big12 dominos fall.
Columbus Tiger - WAR EAGLE!!!
April 29th, 2010
4:21 pm
I like 12 teams – but adding Texas and TEXAS A&M would be huge.
Auburn would need to move to the EAST – makes the most sense.
As long as we play BAMA every year – I am fine with that.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
4:22 pm
Bama Stan – So, is that a 12 team or 14 team conference? If it’s 12, who gets booted?
TRC
April 29th, 2010
4:27 pm
Call me crazy, but for a team to be in the South Eastern Conference, don’t they need to be in the south east. Sure, Texas and Oklahoma would be fun competition, but how did a couple of mid west teams ever enter the conversation here. It just doesn’t make sense and it’s impractical.
Otto
April 29th, 2010
4:28 pm
Delbert, Stan’s and My vision is 14 nobody booted.
However, I would like to see S. Carolina booted for Oklahoma.
Barry Hollander
April 29th, 2010
4:30 pm
It’s fun to speculate and the SEC might add two teams if other conferences make an aggressive move, but I don’t see either one of those new SEC members being Texas.
It’d be great fun, but Texas loses more than it gains in this scenario. Can’t see them jumping to the SEC.
Otto
April 29th, 2010
4:31 pm
TRC, follow the money it makes perfect sense if expansion does begin. The ACC schools do little to expand TV coverage. The SEC West likes to recruit Texas as it is. UGA has also snagged players form Tx, Rodney Hampton, and Stafford off the top of my head.
Again I do not see the SEC starting this trend but if the Big10 and PAC10 decide to up the arms race, the SEC will respond and in likely a decisive way.
Pat
April 29th, 2010
4:32 pm
Keep dreaming…
GT History
April 29th, 2010
4:34 pm
For history, I would love to see GT back in the SEC (Auburn vs GT, Bama vs GT). They would be one of the dominant teams in the SEC in basketball and baseball. However, I don’t think FSU, Miami, Clemson or GT will leave the ACC. These are institutions with much higher academic standards than the SEC with exception of Vandy. Maybe not FSU so much, but they are probably on a upward cycle in football looking to dominate again. There is no way Va Tech will leave the ACC. After what the Va legislature did to get them into them in the ACC. Plus, the ACC to basketball is what the SEC is to football. The ACC had 5 true national champions since 2000 in basketball. With the exception of this year with Alabama, some of their championships have been subjective (not their fault). Texas in ‘08-09 should have been in that game.
Otto
April 29th, 2010
4:36 pm
Barry, reading the national blogs, and reporters it is possible.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Today-s-hypothetical-Big-Ten-expansion-fantasy-?urn=ncaaf,219766
If Nebraska agrees to move the Big10, Pac10, and SEC will all be lined up in Austin.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
4:40 pm
14 schools is a good number. 8 conferences of 14 schools = 112. Good number, covers most every school in Div. 1 (120 currently, 4 moving from FCS)
Otto
April 29th, 2010
4:42 pm
GT history Texas should not have been in 08-09 game however it would have made it easier for UF.
Academics will not matter in the ACC if the Big10/PAC10 expansion takes place, the moeny gap will be large enough. The big money is made in Football not a NCAA basketball tournie that is falling in TV ratings. The SEC will not go after an ACC school until after the Texas option is off the table.
bamaguy
April 29th, 2010
4:52 pm
I have always thought the logical choices would be Florida State and Georgia Tech and/or Clemson. Make the in-state rivalry game mean something like Alabama/Auburn, Ole Miss/State and Ohio State/Michigan. It would also mean that GT would recruit much better in state.
william
April 29th, 2010
4:53 pm
Texas is not going anywhere and the ACC is not getting brokern up either. The Big 10 will expand to 12 by adding Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, or Syracuse. The Pac 10 will expand to 12 by adding Utah and BYU. Then the Big East will pick up the pieces and go to 12 teams by pilfering Conference USA’s East Division for 4-5 teams to get to 12. That way everybody (all big 6 conferences) gets their conference championship game and has 12 teams. Only the true conference champs will get a BCS invite. Maybe the remants of the Mountain West and WAC combine into a 12 team conference and get a 7th BCS bid leaving just one at large bid to go out. That bid should go to the winner of a playoff between the two highest ranked non conference champions.
THEN WE GOT OURSELVES A 8 TEAM BCS PLAYOFF!
BAMA STAN LIAR
April 29th, 2010
4:55 pm
W
TRC
April 29th, 2010
4:56 pm
Otto, I know we all recruit in the mid-west and that is a good thing. And the SEC would definitely stand to make a lot of money by acquiring Texas. It just seems that adding teams who are outside the south east to the SEC would compromise the traditions of south eastern football. It would be like the Pac-10 adding Atlantic coast teams, they would need to change there name to the pacific-atlantic 14, or whatever. The South Eastern and Mid Western Conference just doesnt have a good ring to it. Conferences are built around geographical regions. As pointed out by a few people earlier, it would be a brutal road trip from GA to TX for the fans. You are completely right about the money it would bring though. I hate to think that ESPN coverage is the dominate factor in all college football decisions, however.
Otto
April 29th, 2010
5:00 pm
8 team BCS playoff, that is the way the NCAA tournament started, 8 conf champs.
It will expand after something like UT/OU situation from ‘08 takes place a few times as it did in basketball with USC (being left out of the Tournament) and UCLA. It will go 12 or 16 teams, the regular season will be detroyed and college sports in general will fall by the wayside for the NFL and NBA…barf
BAMA STAN LIAR
April 29th, 2010
5:02 pm
We really don’t have 13 national titles,can’t claim at least 6 or 7 because Tuscaloosa News claim we wre national champions.Oh I almost forgot we did finish third is SEC one year and still claimed national championship.Bear Bryant and Elvis were dining at Waffle House together last night then went to Walmart to view crystal championship ball. ROOOOL TIDE !!!!!!!!!!!!!
FWIW
April 29th, 2010
5:06 pm
While GT was a member of the SEC 1933-1964,
GT recorded the following records against uga:
Wins: 16
Ties: 2
Losses: 14
Otto
April 29th, 2010
5:07 pm
TRC, I see your point but it will be to make more $$$. GT and Clemson will not turn new TV sets on. Texas was the target before Arkansas joined and yes it was about money.
Nebraska vs Penn St or Ohio St. is a Saturday night national game. Clemson/GT and any SEC school is likely regional coverage. FSU and Miami gets intersting but Texas will still be target #1.
Texas IMO has stronger SEC ties than Miami anyways. The 2nd best SEC team often played in the Cotton before the SWC split up. If a state has more passion for HS and CFB than Alabama it is Texas.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
5:10 pm
The NCAA would have to do another subdivision for even an 8-team playoff, because there are currently 11 conferences and 3 independents in the FBS.
Old Dawg
April 29th, 2010
5:33 pm
One thing most people are forgetting is the reaction of players and Title IX proponents. If these super conferences are created, football players will demand some form of payment because of the increased TV revenue. After that will come demands from non-revenue and women’s sports for payment and increased coach’s salaries. As outlined by Title IX, whatever a men’s sport receives the women’s programs must receive the same thing.
Because of the Title IX a lot athletic programs are going broke because the non-revenue and women’s sports simply don’t generate enough money to maintain their budgets, so they are completed addicted to football money.
As much as proponents of Title IX like to rave about the number of female athletes who have earned degrees etc, it is a financial nightmare for universities. So, like any business, universities are trying to find ways to pay for underfunded and/or financially strapped programs.
DawgTown
April 29th, 2010
5:38 pm
Don’t know adding Texas will be that great….it’s long freakin drive to Austin after Baton Rouge folks
Matt
April 29th, 2010
5:40 pm
Never happen. Texas has 1 team to worry about and thats OU. Why would they leave a conference they often dominate to get dominated by more physical SEC teams? Makes no sense.
'
April 29th, 2010
5:55 pm
Enter your comments here
Otto
April 29th, 2010
5:57 pm
DawgTown, Thats why we have airplanes.
Matt, Have you not been reading? Nebraska, Mizzou and Colorado are open to leaving. Texas needs more than OU to generate the money to compete.
common sense
April 29th, 2010
6:02 pm
Utah, Boise state, TCU, and BYU to PAC 10
ClemsonDude
April 29th, 2010
6:06 pm
The best SEC fit is FSU, Clemson to the east and Texas and Texas A&M to the west…Think about all the rivals that will happen inside the Conference. The renew of the Clemson- Georgia border fight, FSU-Florida game, Clemson-South Carolina game, Texas- Ark game, Texas- Texas A&M games plus an FSU- Auburn game which the schools are very close to each other. Personally, FSU and Clemson are SEC type programs in the ACC. Texas is Texas that has a huge TV market in the State of Texas.
Tech Man
April 29th, 2010
6:17 pm
NO…do not put TECH in the same conference with the muts. They are like there baseball team..no good!!!
Junkyard heap
April 29th, 2010
6:26 pm
Junkie Dawg blogger–get off your crack dude. Taxas will NEVER come to the SEC. Your more delusional than our Herschel Walker.
Dawg 39
April 29th, 2010
6:28 pm
I understand the TV market financial benefits & see where Texas, & A&M makes sense in a lot of ways. However, would it not be good if the annual GA.,GT game, the USC, Clemson Game, & the FSU, UF game were all conference games.
My real preference is for realignment & not expansion. I would prefer to see Ky.,Vandy, & Arkansas replaced by GT, Clemson, & FSU. Still only 12 teams.
Hunk
April 29th, 2010
6:28 pm
You realize if Texas comes to the SEC the days of Jawga winning anything are slim and none.
All I'm Saying Is...
April 29th, 2010
6:52 pm
I say add
Texas, Oklahoma, Florida State, and Virginia Tech
If have to take Texas A&M (and there is precedent here as Virginia State Legislature once voted that you had to take V-Tech if a conference took Virginia) then I say Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State.
5 Buck Box
April 29th, 2010
7:10 pm
FSU in the east and Texas in the west.
Another Dog
April 29th, 2010
7:25 pm
If the SEC took Texas, Oklahoma, and any combination of ACC teams, it would weaken the conference while expanding the television market.
The SEC truly flexes its muscle in the big bowl games, where the SEC top tier has a chance to play the top tier of other conferences. Aside from the Bama consolation Sugar Bowl against Utah, the SEC is regularly winning the marquee bowl matchups. The risk, however, is the difficulty of surviving the SEC schedule. How does adding teams like Texas or Oklahoma help the conference as a whole from a competition standpoint? Unless there’s a guarantee that the SEC champion plays in the National Championship, why wouldn’t you want to bolt for a weaker conference and undefeated seasons.
Breaking up the second most competitive football conference isn’t going to make every other conference stronger. It’s going to put a new team at the top of a crap conference (see: ACC, Big 10, Pac 10.) The SEC ought to take more middle-tier, big market teams (FSU, A&M, to a lesser extent Va Tech.) Adding Texas and Oklahoma to the Pac 10 or even the Big 10 doesn’t make either of those conferences stronger; the Big 12 is ALREADY top-to-bottom stronger than that situation, and still second tier to the SEC. It’s a downgrade for Texas and Oklahoma, competition-wise.
Leebo
April 29th, 2010
7:40 pm
Texas isn’t about to go anywhere. Their only true competition for the Big 12 title is OU. Leave a conference where you have a shot at the BCS every year to bump heads with Alabama, LSU, UGA, UF, Auburn, etc.? Ain’t happening.
Big XII
April 29th, 2010
7:44 pm
Someone is high on crack if they think Texas will join the SEC….You SEC fans are way too full of your conference.
mahmud jimmyjohn
April 29th, 2010
7:50 pm
take VT and FSU
mahmud jimmyjohn
April 29th, 2010
7:51 pm
you cant spell cokcsukcer without OU
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
8:05 pm
“Utah, Boise state, TCU, and BYU to PAC 10″
I said it yesterday, but I’ll repeat it here: It becomes the Best Western Conference.
Texas Fan
April 29th, 2010
8:05 pm
If it means that Delta will lower their sky high airfares from Atlanta to Austin,then bring on Texas into the SEC. OR better yet, allow Southwest Airlines into ATL so we can actually afford to fly to a few games.
Bama Folds With Tail
April 29th, 2010
8:10 pm
Are you kidding? The Alabama redneck mulletheads would NEVER let 16 teams enter the SEC franchise! Especially Texas from the West. Why? That would guarantee some competition to them and we know those Tuscalooser Homers would never endorse REAL competition. They want it real easy. Everything on a silver platter. I say bring on the Horns! And shove em up those elephants that can’t seem to remember if their mascot is an elephant, roll of toilet paper or a cardboard box of Tide detergent!!!!
Between The Hedges
April 29th, 2010
8:12 pm
Give me Virginia Tech over Miami and Texas Tech over Texas A&M along with Texas and FSU and I’m a happy man.
Since FSU delivers the Florida market along with the Gators, there is no need to take Miami. Virginia Tech is a great program that delivers a new market. And since Texas apparently must have a traveling buddy from in state, Texas Tech has a more exciting football product to put on the field and has Tuberville (people say A&M has tradition, but other than being fake military what tradition do they have other than probation and boring football?).
TennDawg
April 29th, 2010
8:13 pm
Why is everybody so confident the Big 12 will fall apart? Texas and Oklahoma rule that conference, so why would they want to come to the SEC where there is so much more competition? It’s not the money, hell they make loads of it where they are, not to mention the Big 12 makes sense geographically. Not so much when you add Texas teams and Oklahoma to the SEC. The SEC should not expand. Leave it the way it is.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
8:14 pm
Waaaarr-tiger!
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
8:16 pm
Miami is a sinking team. 1-1/2 inches per decade.
Delbert D.
April 29th, 2010
8:19 pm
There have been discussions…by people other than us, who know all…that Boston College will join Notre Dame in the Big-?? to maintain their catholic school rivalry. That solves 1/2 the problem of the longest conference in the country, the ACC.
DIGGITYDAWG
April 29th, 2010
8:37 pm
I’m against all this expansion. It dilutes the tradition and identity of the SEC. The SEC is supposed to be old south teams with history individually and against each other. If we expand as is being discussed, why just have one super conference and be done with it. If we keep expanding the SEC I’ll no longer be an SEC fan, just a UGA fan.
The Uga downward spiral continues
April 29th, 2010
8:40 pm
Stupid blog. Never going to happen.
Sugar Hill Dawg
April 29th, 2010
9:02 pm
Stay at 12 – don’t mess with success. If expansion is inevitable, go to 14 by picking up Texas and A & M, move Auburn to the East. Keep the schedule rotation as is. (I’d rather pick up an annual crossover with the Aggies or Horns rather than Idaho State one year, Louisiana Monroe the next, etc.) If 16 is the goal, Texas, A & M, Clemson, and VA Tech. (The Tennessee – Hokies game could be held at Bristol every year – 160,000 or more?) When The Trade School dropped out of the SEC, they left permanently, as far as I’m concerned. (Anyone who thinks adding Tech would help in the ATL market is a moron! UGA dominates the ATL.)
catsfly
April 29th, 2010
9:27 pm
The state of Ga. puts at most 140k fans (UGa 90k, Tech 50k in the stands each Sat. The state of NC puts at most 235K fans (UNC (60k, State 60K, ECU 45K, Wake 35k, Duke 35k)
Big Bob
April 29th, 2010
9:44 pm
How can Texas be in the SEC? They are in the Southwest, not the Southeast.
Top Dawg
April 29th, 2010
9:52 pm
Add Duke, Wake Forest, Georgia tech and Wofford.
bob
April 29th, 2010
10:27 pm
Texas & Oklahoma are their on major conference, why dilute?
DaveDawg 96
April 29th, 2010
10:51 pm
NO WAY the SEC does the crazy WAC thing and expands to 16.
NO WAY Texas and A&M are allowed to leave behind the other Texas schools. (We’ll have a “new” SWC a.k.a. “Texas League” before that happens.)
NO WAY Virginia Tech is allowed to bolt without Virginia, not after the Cavs stuck out their necks to get the Hokies in the ACC.
NO WAY the SEC has any interest in Louisville, Miami, Memphis or any other school with little tradition and/or a poor following.
This leaves us taking Florida State and Clemson. And if Arkansas bolts for the Big 12 / new SWC, the SEC adds Georgia Tech as well.
FSU is added to the SEC West. Their permanent East opponent is Florida.
Clemson is added to the SEC East. Their permanent West opponent is LSU (replacing Florida).
If Arkansas leaves, Vandy is shifted to the West and Georgia Tech is added to the East. Vandy and Tech become permanent East-West foes. South Carolina loses Arkansas but picks up Ole Miss (Vandy’s former crossover foe). Two pretty compelling annual match-ups.
That is the LOGICAL scenario for SEC expansion. Anything beyond this not realistic — the SEC is not going to diminish its brand with lesser teams.
Enough said.
The Ghost of Wally Butts
April 29th, 2010
10:54 pm
Here is the new 16-Team, 4-Division, SEC:
The New SEC North: UT, UVA, VT, KY
The New SEC East: UGA, SC, Clemson, Ga Tech
The New SEC South: FLA, FSU, Miami, Auburn
The New SEC West: AL, MS, ARK, LSU
Footnotes: Miss St. and Vandy and Bobby Pig-Sooey Arkansas can go join Division 1-AA (I said 1-AA, not the politically correct term)
I’d love to have Texas, but hell, the Republic of Texas already thinks it’s independent of the entire US anyway. Always has.
Can you imagine the money pouring in from the “SEC Divisional Playoffs”?
Can you imagine the enhanced meaning of the UGA-Tech game given the division crown on the line? Holy God.
DaveDawg 96
April 29th, 2010
10:54 pm
NO WAY the SEC does the crazy WAC thing and expands to 16.
NO WAY Texas and A&M are allowed to leave behind the other Texas schools. (We’ll have a “new” SWC a.k.a. “Texas League” before that happens.)
NO WAY Virginia Tech is allowed to bolt without Virginia, not after the Cavs stuck out their necks to get the Hokies in the ACC.
NO WAY the SEC has any interest in Louisville, Miami, Memphis or any other school with little tradition and/or a poor following.
This leaves us taking Florida State and Clemson. And if Arkansas bolts for the Big 12 / new SWC, the SEC adds Georgia Tech as well.
FSU is added to the SEC West. Their permanent East opponent is Florida.
Clemson is added to the SEC East. Their permanent West opponent is LSU (replacing Florida).
If Arkansas leaves, Vandy is shifted to the West and Georgia Tech is added to the East. Vandy and Tech become permanent East-West foes. South Carolina loses Arkansas but picks up Ole Miss (Vandy’s former crossover foe). Two pretty compelling annual match-ups.
That is the LOGICAL scenario for SEC expansion. Anything beyond this is not realistic — the SEC is not going to diminish its brand with lesser teams.
Enough said.
Dawg 39
April 29th, 2010
11:40 pm
Again: The week before the SEC Championship Game. All Conference Games with SEC Title implications. Ala vs Auburn. Ole Miss vs MSU., FSU vs UF, USC vs.Clemson, & UGA vs GT.
Realignment adding FSU, Clemson, & GT. Let them replace Ky.,Vandy. & ARK. if necessary.
The Ultimate SEC
April 30th, 2010
12:12 am
East- Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Florida, Vanderbilt, Kentucky
West- LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, Miss. St., Arkansas, Texas
Revenuer
April 30th, 2010
12:18 am
You are on the right track with TV money. It’s about national markets. If you are touting Clemson or Georgia Tech, those markets are already covered. They don’t bring in revenue and wouldn’t add to the conference.
Mike Bobo Offense
April 30th, 2010
12:34 am
haha, like the SEC would take Ga tech in that little high school stadium
SteerPower
April 30th, 2010
1:04 am
Who wants to be in a league with so many ‘goobers’?
G
April 30th, 2010
1:08 am
For the SEC East, how ’bout the conference drop South Carolina and let them go back to the ACC and take Vandy with them. For replacements, pick up FSU and Miami. Expand markets by adding VT and Cincinnati.
For the SEC West, make Ole Miss and MSU merge into one like IUPU (Indiana University-Purdue University) and play on alternate sites, send Arkansas packing and add TX, TX A&M, OSU and OU.
SteerPower
April 30th, 2010
1:10 am
Almost ALL of those 13 title were done in your granpappies days and hardly anyone still alive that remembers or cares about those dubious,? mythical? titles….As soon as the back knifing, two faced turncoat Saban is gone in a couple years (and he will be gone cause he can’t be faithful to any school) Old bammie will be back to just one of the old dogs chasin rabbits, licking its testicles, and pooping on the front step.
Rob
April 30th, 2010
2:16 am
I would rather see the SEC remain at 12 teams, but I think they will go to at least 14 if the Big 10 does.
14 teams is workable. I would add FSU to the west and Clemson to the east. Play 6 games in your division, one permanent opponent in the other division, and one rotating opponent. You go a long time between playing opponents in the other division, but that is the trade-off of expansion.
I think 16 teams is too big. The only way 16 makes sense is if you can get Texas and Texas A&M (they have to come as a package due to state politics). I think that is unlikely.
The danger to the Big XII comes if either Texas/Texas A&M or Oklahoma/Oklahoma State decides the conference is going to collapse and jumps ship. I wouldn’t be suprised to see the Big XII make a preemptive move for Utah, BYU, TCU, and either Arkansas or Houston to make that less likely.
I wonder if the basketball schools in the ACC would be all the upset if they went back to an eight or nine team “basketball first” conference. As I recall, the four NC schools opposed expansion to begin with and Virginia only agreed due to state politics to get VT included the expansion.
Dallas
April 30th, 2010
2:20 am
There is NO way Texas politicians don’t get involved. Governor Rick has his hand in everything going on at A&M so the idea that Texas politics wouldn’t be involved is preposterous if you know anything about Texas.
If the SEC expands into Big XII territory, they will benefit most from A&M and Texas. Both schools compete in every sport (A&M football has struggled, but that’s a cyclical thing). Both schools travel. Both schools have higher academic standards than pretty much every school in the SEC and are in the top 10 in the US in endowments (and would be instantly at the top of the SEC). And MOST importantly, both schools have histories with SEC teams. A&M plays Arkansas every year and UT and Arkansas are hated rivals. A&M and LSU also had a pretty heated rivalry back in the 80’s. Also consider the Cotton Bowl being in Dallas, where both schools have played SEC teams numerous times.
OU has no logical connection to the SEC other than the occasional non-conference game or bowl game. OU has natural rivalries with teams like Nebraska, Okie State, Colorado, Kansas State… you know, Midwest teams. OU won’t happen.
From a purely SEC standpoint, you would benefit the most from adding 2 Texas teams, either Florida State or Miami, and Georgia Tech or Clemson. By doing so you’d have 2 rivals from Texas, Florida, either Georgia or SC, which have your biggest markets. Add that to the states you already have with 2 teams (Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee) and you’ve got a very logical and lucrative expansion.
For what it’s worth, I’m a Big XII guy and I think that if we lose Mizzou to the Big 10 and can somehow get rid of Iowa State, then look for us to add TCU, try to pry Arkansas from the SEC (which I think would be likely given their Southwest Conference past), and consider Colorado State, UTEP, Houston, maybe Tulsa.
braves70
April 30th, 2010
2:24 am
I plotted out four 16 team conferences:
SEC: current (12), additions (4): Texas, Texas A&M, Florida State, and Clemson
Big 10: current (11) additions (5): Missouri,Nebraska,Notre Dame,Pittsburgh, and Rutgers.
Pac 10: current (10) additions (6): Oklahoma,Oklahoma State,Colorado,BYU,Utah,UNLV or Boise State
ACC/Big East merger: ACC (10): Miami, Georgia Tech,Duke,NC State, North Carolina,Wake Forrest,Virginia,VA Tech,Maryland,BC and Big East (6): Syracuse,Connecticut,West Virginia,Cincinnati,Louisville,South Florida
You also would have other conferences which would not be part of the 64 team playoff system like: a revival of the old Southwest Conference with TX Tech, Baylor, SMU, TCU, Houston, Rice, UTEP, Tulsa, Kansas, Kansas State, Tulane, LA Tech.
The Big 12 would cease to exist and a special Catholic league could be setup for Basketball only schools: St. John’s, Seton Hall, Providence, Georgetown, Villanova, LaSalle,DePaul,Marquette,Xavier,Dayton,St. Louis,Duquesne.
B-Nasty
April 30th, 2010
3:55 am
Here’s my dream teams to get crushed under SEC competition.
Texas (loses around 4 wins a year)
Oklahoma ( also, loses around 4 wins a year)
Clemson ( loses around 6 wins a year)
University of Virginia ( loses almost all in conference wins)
What do you guys think about that?
TommyJack
April 30th, 2010
6:59 am
Texas would be a coup.
Maddog
April 30th, 2010
7:10 am
In addition to adding teams, why not consider dropping Arkansas. They have absolutely NO television market and it’s a long, long drive. Losing the hogs would allow the SEC to gain another true southern team.
James T. Kirk
April 30th, 2010
8:02 am
The last thing the SEC would want to happen is to have ACC teams join and take over the conference, which would happen if any did decide to leave the most competitive conference in the world and join that joke of a conference.
Seriously Exaggerated Conference
NashDawg
April 30th, 2010
8:28 am
TCU…Horned Frogs
shat
April 30th, 2010
9:20 am
Oklahoma isn’t a TV Market but Auburn is?
dawgs01
April 30th, 2010
9:37 am
james t kirk stop smoking crack
J T Guy
April 30th, 2010
9:44 am
UT, TA&M, OU, OkState. Texas gets their three biggest draws from their current conference. TA&M gets to go where UT goes. OU gets to get as big a piece of the pie as UT and still gets to recruit from Texas and OkState gets to go where OU goes.
Move Bamma and Auburn to the east and only have revolving games (unless LSU gripes Too much) between devisions because Ole Miss and Miss St will still have each other and Arkansas won’t really care so long as they have UT and TA&M back.
So, you play 7 divisional games, 2 revolving games against the other side and 3 non-conference games (12 a year of course).
The furthest UT or OU would have to drive would be Mss St. yearly and only one away game to the east besides that
It would be like the NFL only on Saturdays!
Delbert D.
April 30th, 2010
10:08 am
Getting the traditional rivalries in-conference frees up an out-of-conference game for 6 teams: Ga./Ga. Tech, Clemson/SC, Fla/FSU
how2fish
April 30th, 2010
10:28 am
James T. Kirk…the ACC champs are already in the SEC ..and don’t forget it!
Otto
April 30th, 2010
10:31 am
Dallas, OU could happen. I put them in the big 10 if they grab 3 teams, OU, Nebraska, and Mizzou.
However OU gave up the Nebraska yearly matchup when they joined the Big12. Recruiting Texas is the key for OU’s success. If Texas goes Big12, OU may as well. However I hope the SEC would only take 2 and that would be Tx, and Tx A&M due to politics as said.
Oklahoma is a major media grab, not becuase of the OKC TV market but because OU is one of the elite programs. OU will turn TV sets on coast to coast.
I am the dog
April 30th, 2010
10:58 am
Texas makes more cash than any SEC team….why would they travel 12 hours min to GA to play. You are a lost ball in high weeds. Better pick Tenn Tech and La Tech. Ga loses enough with out a Texas size butt whooping added on every year.
shannon
April 30th, 2010
11:21 am
Texas and Oklahoma to the WEST for a new TV market, name recognition.
Screw FSU-no added market.
Miami (huge south florida population to add to TV), and Va Tech (huge market). Miami would have more fans as the competition woulg go up, as well as more money pumped into their program to build better facilities.
shannon
April 30th, 2010
11:27 am
SEC WEST:
Texas
Bama
Ole Miss
Miss State
SEC North
Oklahoma
Arkansas
KY
Tennessee
SEC South
Miami
Florida
LSU
Auburn
SEC East
Va Tech
UGA
SC
Vandy
Play an SEC semi-final game in two rotating arenas around the SEC
Play the SEC Titile game in Atlanta.
Who cares if we ever win national title again??? Winning the SEC would be a big enough deal.
To hell with the rest of the nation
RxDawg
April 30th, 2010
11:31 am
Just curious, why would UVA not be a “good fit”. It’s a southern state. It has good history. The only thing I’d see as odd is that the SEC would skip the state of NC and go to Virginia. Which is why (if this silly 16 team thing has to happen) I think NC, Duke, Va Tech, and UVA would be great additions.
dawgfanatic24-7
April 30th, 2010
12:03 pm
The s-e-c needs to think about national championships. If we load our conference with all the best teams then many good teams will have 2 losses.Even the s-e-c champion. Then these teams in weaker conferences (that don’t even have a conference championship game) will go undefeated and play in the biggest game of the year. Not smart if you ask me considering how tough our conference already is.
ScoutDawg
April 30th, 2010
12:05 pm
I wish someone would take Kim Z’s glass Krack pipe away from her, him, or she-it. Nothing from “its’ mouth” is logical or reasonable. On the other hand sometimes after a long day of work that shiznit is somewhat amusing.
ScoutDawg
April 30th, 2010
12:20 pm
If the big 10, notice the lowercaps, goes to 16 then I say add 2 and only 2 teams. The SEC will then have the cachet of saying we don’t need your weak 16 teams and still will win 7 out of the next 10 National Championships. For the two exta teams I say fight hard, with the SEC’s BILLIONS of tv dollars to get VT/Clempson for the east, and Oklahoma for the west. Texas is a Diva who wouldn’t like to get violated by a random, weaker for the year SEC team, as happens to someone every year; ask Florida. I like the idea of Clempson, as that always was a fun rivalry for UGA- even though comatose kim,z says they are scary for us, yeah right. However, I think for the east VT would be a hell of an addition, constantly solid, well coached team.
ScoutDawg
April 30th, 2010
12:23 pm
I think a 2 loss SEC team from a super conference like that will still get the nod to a BCS champ game over a lot of 1 loss weak conference teams.
ButlerDawg
April 30th, 2010
12:31 pm
Bill,
Change your sig picture. You are scaring the children!
Ed
April 30th, 2010
1:04 pm
If the SEC had a chance to grab Texas AND Texas A&M (which was a national power in the 90s) back in ‘92 and didn’t, then it is run by a bunch of idiots. Think how much more colorful and exciting the already great SEC would be with a little Texas flavor added to the mix. By now rivalries would have formed between Texas, A&M and SEC teams. That’s a headscratcher.
Ed
April 30th, 2010
1:08 pm
I have to wonder what decades or century-old rivalries would teams like Texas and Texas A&M have to give up to move to the SEC, though. Oklahoma? TTU? On the flip side, the SEC teams would have to give up yearly rivalries as well. There are only so many games in a season. Georgia already lost Clemson around the time the SEC expanded – would Tech be next?
If expansion helps eliminate these meaningless scrimmages against directional schools and I-AA teams, I’m all for it.
Lunch links: Injuries at Texas, Texas Tech | The Fan 690
April 30th, 2010
1:34 pm
[...] the SEC wants to expand, it needs Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma to become members, writes Bill King of the Atlanta [...]
Herbie
April 30th, 2010
1:45 pm
Big 10 expansion into the Big XII will take Nebraska first before anyone else. Remember, Big 10 expansion is all about football, ratings, and relevancy–the only likely expansion target that can provide all that for the Big 10 is Nebraska. Nebraska is the 4th most valuable football property (only behind Penn State, Notre Dame, and Texas per Forbes), gets better average TV ratings than all other teams being mentioned (including Notre Dame), and depending on who you use, Nebraska ranks ahead of Missouri in academics.
So talk of Nebraska sticking around the Big XII when they can go to an easier conference, be treated as an equal partner, double television revenue overnight, and get out of the craptacular Big XII television contract is not going to happen. And Nebraska won’t be going to the SEC any time either–while the SEC would love to have the program to increase its television portfolio and revenues, it just doesn’t make geographical sense.
Also, no team in their right mind will leave the SEC, including Arkansas. TV money is too great, and no school wants to deal with the headcases in Austin that have their slimy hands into anything that happens in the Big XII, including the lack of a Big XII network.
OU and/or aTm would be a good fit for the SEC, would boost ratings…but Texas has a habit of being a homewrecker. They helped kill the SWC (though T. Tech were the ones that ratted on the other schools for a lighter penalty…), they’re killing the Big XII right now (which is why it’s a question of when and not if Nebraska accepts a Big 10 invite), and they’ll bring their backroom shenanigans wherever they go.
If anything, let Texas inflict themselves on the Pac-10–let the SEC take OU and aTm and get stronger as a result.
Rodney Holloway
April 30th, 2010
1:48 pm
I just don’t think the SEC should be adding academiclly weaker schools like Texas. There is already a perception problem.
South Georgia UGA Hick
April 30th, 2010
2:20 pm
I think UGA should drop out of the SEC and get
in the Big Ten. Haven’t been beaten by a big team
in a bowl in years. Would be ranked ahead of
Ohio STate in the BCS annually and play for
more national championships.
ryan
April 30th, 2010
2:54 pm
Texas won’t go without Texas A&M. It’s been shown before. And OU won’t go without OSU. So if they want the state of Texas market they’d need to take all 4 of these teams because I doubt Texas wants to leave OU either.
ryan
April 30th, 2010
2:58 pm
Texas A&M used to be long time rivals with LSU and Arkansas. So they’d fit great. But like I said, without taking all 4 Big 12 teams, OU OSU UT and A&M, the SEC won’t get one.
DJones
April 30th, 2010
3:01 pm
So Rodney…Texas is now an academically weeker school? How do you figure?
DJones
April 30th, 2010
3:02 pm
Weaker…my bad
a playoff is imminent.
April 30th, 2010
3:25 pm
i am in favor of expansion because it will then create its own playoff system.
U
April 30th, 2010
3:34 pm
Enter your comments here
Texas Horns
April 30th, 2010
3:35 pm
Texas in the SEC? UT would be winning that title almost every year. But, Texas will not move—too much money in the Big 12.
TXDawg
April 30th, 2010
4:16 pm
Man it would make my day if Texas joined the SEC but the next best team to pick out of Texas would be TCU (not A&M). With Arkansas removed maybe the SEC could entice Vandy to leave too and the conference could look something like this:
SEC East – UGA, UF, UT, SC, KY, FSU, Clem, Miami
SEC West – AL, AU, LSU, UT, TCU, MS, MS St, TX A&M
As for the Red River Shoot-Out Texas and OU can still be played like UGA and GA Tech is played even though they are in different conferences. The tradition doesn’t have to die.
Texas and TCU would definitely bolster the Dallas (North Texas) TV market for the SEC.
GT Fan
April 30th, 2010
4:35 pm
Not surprising that a UGA homer wouldn’t want GT in the SEC. Probably because all the idiot UGA fans see the writing on the wall that GT is a team on the rise and UGA is a team on the decline. Richt has no control over his program and is finally doing what he should have done 5 years ago to players who have disciplinary problems. Too little, too late in my opinion. I don’t believe Tech will win 7 in a row against UGA but I also don’t believe we will see UGA win 7 in a row any time soon either. It would be great to have both teams in the SEC east which would make the rivalry mean so much more each year.
Where have you gone Bill Stanfill?
April 30th, 2010
4:41 pm
I am not in favor of expanding the conference at all! However, if it does happen I say add Clem’s boy and Allbarn to the east side and FSU, UT & A&M to the west. Giving 8 per side and have 4 per “sub-division.” This would be only if the others went to 16 teams as well with similar formats. Now the playoffs could take the top 2 seeds from each division, or four per conference similar to the high school playoffs. Then we could get some true champions. Also this would give more interaction between all conferences not just geographic neighbors. (i.e. SEC vs ACC & Big LEast) My biggest caveat would be that the NCAA tells Notre Lame to join a conference for football or go Ivy. No Free Passes!!!
Camden Mark
April 30th, 2010
4:51 pm
It aint broke so don’t fix it.If they add teams I would probably grumble the least over V Tech and Clemson being they are kind of SECish at heart anyway.
Nothing but steers and queens (R Lee Ermey) in Texas (edited for the weenies at ajc) and we allready have plenty of cows and don’t want anymore of the other.
Chicagomaroon
April 30th, 2010
5:28 pm
Virginia Tech is currently thrilled to be in a very competitive football league and a FAR superior basketball conference. I don’t think there is any chance in convincing Virginia Tech to join the SEC, especially because of the hazing and ridicule that we Hokie fans have been unduly subjected to on the part of traditional SEC powers like the University of Tennesse. Most Virginia Tech fans I know have a hatred of the SEC as a conference in general because they feel the attitude of the conference (mostly fans) is snooty and inclusive. I’d have to agree. I feel like although there is more money, publicity, and better football in the SEC (as it is always either the top or near the top in football) to be gained, going to the SEC is not a logical move for a school that embraces the underdog role and doesn’t want to join the SEC “fraternity” of sorts that has been telling jokes at their expense for years now. Also, for those of you who think SEC and ACC football are black and white, just look at the previous years in the NFL Draft. Although the SEC has done very well, the ACC is not that far behind. We have just as deep of a league as the SEC as evidenced by our extremely high number of bowl bids, but there is no elite team in the ACC year in and year out, just very good teams. The top 4 in the SEC are always stronger than the top 4 in the ACC, and therein lies the real difference.
Old South
April 30th, 2010
8:40 pm
FSU, Miami, Texas would be great additions with maybe Virginia Tech or Oklahoma.
The last thing we need is dregs like Oklahoma State or Texas A&M? Why would we want to add the 4th and 5th best programs in the South Division of the Big XII? Whats next, adding Iowa State and Kansas State too?
If Texas or Oklahoma have to bring their doormat little brothers with them then we don’t need either of them.
Purple and Gold
April 30th, 2010
8:45 pm
We could invite East Carolina and Central Florida to go along with Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. I mean, hell if we are going to add weaklings we might as well go all out.
Or while we’re at it lets just raid the Big 12 of Baylor, Iowa State, A&M and Oklahoma State. It’s obvious they’ve all been a tremendous benefit the their conference that is about to implode.
37-21
April 30th, 2010
8:56 pm
This would be one bad ass conference:
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vandy
Florida State
Miami
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
LSU
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
Texas
Texas Tech
Pros: Four additions that both add noticeable overall strength
Huge pickup of all major Texas TV markets
Addition of some great offensive teams (something we were perceived to lack the last few years)
Cons: We already have most of the Florida markets, so FSU and Miami won’t deliver that many TV sets that we don’t have
Texas and Texas Tech may not be excited about moving to a league that would add some L’s to their records
Texas Tech is a small market team (although they are ratings winners on TV, so not sure this is a big deal)
Another perspective
April 30th, 2010
9:54 pm
UGA doesn’t want someone like Texas or OU even if they are in the west. UGA does all they can to schedule 2nd tier bcs conference teams like the following: Colorado which has had 4 losing seasons in last 5 years, Arizona State when’s the last time these guys won anything, Oklahoma State which has never won its division and I don’t think even finished top 25 last year.
Georgia wants winnable, easy games against so so bcs conference teams like the teams mentioned above but they don’t want anything to do with the heavyweight teams from other conferences.
Think you’ll ever see Georgia schedule Texas or OU from the big 12, Ohio State, Michigan in a good year, or Penn State from the big 10, or perennial ACC power Virginia Tech, or USC in the pac 10. Nope. They’ll just keep playing the average teams rather than the big boys. What a crock!
Camden Mark
April 30th, 2010
10:06 pm
A P we could always go the florida route and play the likes of Charelston Southern, Citedal ,Troy and such.
Works good for them
I will admit our sched this year is pretty weak
Oh Those Silly Southerners And Thier Arrogance | Big 12 Journal
April 30th, 2010
10:22 pm
[...] insist on playing Randolph and Mortimer Duke while thumbing their noses at Billy Ray Valentine. [AJC] Category : [...]
Belvedere
May 1st, 2010
3:27 am
UNC isn’t going anywhere without Duke and NC State. Virginia and Va. Tech aren’t going anywhere unless they are packaged. Texas, A&M, and Texas Tech are pretty well hitched together, just as Oklahoma and Okie State are. West Virginia and Louisville have marginal regional appeal, and Clemson, Florida State, and Miami are already in SEC-saturated areas. There is no solution that is a home run here. However, when it comes down to apples and bananas, Clemson and FSU fit, and Texas and A&M fit. Just calling the shots before they fall, but I see Notre Dame spurning the Big (11)ten, Missouri accepting their invite, Colorado leaving for the Pac 10, Utah and BYU being added to the Pac 10, and TCU and SMU joining the Big XII. We’ll have five 12-team superconferences and a few also-rans. The SEC and ACC as we know will be the same, and all this speculation will be like a cow’s opinion, a moo point.
Jason
May 1st, 2010
6:06 am
so if Texas and Oklahoma went to the SEC,then I think we can pretty skip the the nat. champ game and go ahead and put the winner of the sec the Nat. Champs or at least start some sort of 32 team play off bracket
Hook em horns
Jason
May 1st, 2010
6:27 am
bama barley beat an injured texas
SCTally1
May 1st, 2010
8:36 am
I am all for the SEC taking Clemson in. They have a great fan following and have an impressive history with a National Championship. South Carolina is a small state with little national appeal and we do not need their 2 schools. Lets get rid of the COOTS. They bring nothing to the conference but arrogance and mediocrity.
Tomasina
May 1st, 2010
9:11 am
Texas would never even consider joining a conference like the SEC with its high player arrest record, including UGA, where it’s gotten to be a rite of passage to be locked up for DUI, public drunkenness, underage drinking, driving without a license, or assaulting women.
Not in a million years would a grand school like Texas allow itself to be associated with a party/joke of a school like UGA.
Dawg'em out!
May 1st, 2010
11:13 am
horns won join the sec, they dont want to be a avg team. thats why they’ll say in the big12 and be the elite team in that conf.
Hmmmmmmmm!
May 1st, 2010
11:13 am
If Gray had the talents of Hines Ward he would already be playing WR.
What a silly, self centered comment. Not concerned about what’s in it for Gray,
but what about us Dawgs? What will we do?
Rikki Tikki Tava
May 1st, 2010
11:53 am
Bama CRUSHED UF…The Texas puddings that wimped out ‘casue they were getting hit so hard, got hurt DURING the game. That’s what happens in the SEC.
aggie2010
May 1st, 2010
12:55 pm
i understand that A&M might not be the most attractive with football in the past decade, although i believe its improving, but you cannot deny that as a sports school it still will bring in money. A&M has been ranked among the top 15 sports programs in the directors cup annually. Being the only big 12 school to win a game in the NCAA tournament for the past 5 years, golf national championship, mens and womens track national championships, along with highly competitve athletes in many other areas… i think we go under the radar as a good school to have in a conference, but thats just my opinion.
SaudiHorn
May 1st, 2010
2:17 pm
Texas has had a standing offer from both the Big 10/11 and the Pac 10 since the mid 1990’s. Nothing has changed. If the Big XII falls apart then yes, they will look for a new conference. But to be honest Nebraska could easily be replaced (biggest television market is Omaha) and so could Colorado (they don’t deliver the Denver television market now). But, if they both leave and so does Missouri and then the SEC puts an attractive offer out to OU then yes, Texas will move, and I promise you the SEC, Big 10 and Pac 10 would be thrilled to have them. Texas doesn’t have to make the first move, it will have options then, it has options now. I like the SEC idea but I really believe that Texas/OU/TxTech/TxA&M/Colorado and Utah are all headed to a new division in the Pac 10. They will be added to Arizona and Arizona State and the other 8 teams will be in the other division. Just my thoughts….
Tdawg
May 1st, 2010
8:11 pm
Don’t want Texas or Oklahoma even though they both have a great history. Georgia Tech and Clemson has to be two teams. I would think that Florida State would also be a good fit. Why not offer North Carolina, great basketball history also and that would give us the state of North Carolina if we could pry then away from the ACC. If not then I would pick Miami over the rest. North Carolina, Clemson to the east and Fla. State, Ga Tech to the west. Miami would be seated in the east if Carolina opted not to join.
Camden Mark
May 2nd, 2010
11:10 am
BYU Utah TCU and AFA already form the nucleus of the up and coming MWC,3rd or 4th best in the nation.They are far better than the PAC 10 now as indicated in the head to head record,so why in the hell would they want to go join a 2nd rate con like that.
Chris
May 2nd, 2010
2:15 pm
Geography shouldnt be a factor in adding TX teams, they have to travel either the 15 hrs to IA St or 17 hrs to Boulder to play colorado. So it doesnt matter if they travel to Knoxville or Boulder, its about the same distance. Adding UT and/or OU to any conference would make it the premier conference in the nation, and adding them to the sec would ensure that the conference wins the NC every year. Adding A&M/ OSU would just hedge the conferences bets in case of a down year from any of the other 6 powerhouses in the conference. Not to mention adding UT/A&M would include the Houston/ Dallas TV market and some of the best traditions in college football. If the Big 12 braks up like it probably will the sec would be stupid not to pick up OU, UT and A&M.
wardenerd
May 2nd, 2010
5:49 pm
Texas will not leave the protection of Texas officials and come to the SEC. The SWC and BIG 8 were notorious for favoring the front runner hoping for a national title and Texas allowed only one non Texas school into the SWC and everyone knows how many times they got screwed. Ever see an Arkansas official work a Texas-Arkansas game….me thinks not.
wardenerd
May 2nd, 2010
5:51 pm
Wait a minute all you dog fans talk bad about Tech( weak team, empty stadium, able to read and write) and now you want them in the SEC? What beating up on Ky, Vandy and Miss State isn’t good enough for you Dog Fans?
Bevo’s Daily Roundup – May 3, 2010 | goutlonghorns.com
May 3rd, 2010
4:05 am
[...] the SEC wants to expand, they need to hook the Horns. And the Aggies. And, unfortunately, the Land [...]
GaDawg
May 3rd, 2010
9:08 am
I agree with you Bill on hookin’ the horns as long as A&M doesn’t have to be a package deal. I think that Va. Tech would be a good pick up to broaden the footprint in the NE market. What do you think?
GaDawg
May 3rd, 2010
9:48 am
GT Fan
April 30th, 2010
4:35 pm
Tech made the decision to drop out of the SEC to become an independent, like Notre Dame, back in the 1960’s. You can thank Coach Bobby Dodd for that. It was a bad decision for Georgia Tech. The way things stand now, UGA has its share of the Atlanta TV market which means that Tech would not have anything, worthwhile, to contribute to an expanding SEC.
Hey Bill, who do you think would provide the best expansion footprint Clemson, or Virginia Tech?
FWIW
May 3rd, 2010
12:13 pm
First:
Any talk of Texas leaving the Big 12 for the SEC is simply “crazy talk” from a fool. TX isnt gonna play second fiddle to ANYONE, when it comes to THEIR money and controlling THEIR OWN DESTINY. TX & OK DICTATE how Big 12 money is allocated. OK & TX OWN the “cash register” in the BIg 12. No way in Hell TX joins the SEC, nor The Big 10 or Pac 10.
So forget TX.
Second:
As someone has blogged recently, a 16 conference (any conference) opens up the option of having a “divisional playoff” scenario within each conference. Dont know the viability of that, but adds a new dimension worth a consideration.
Third:
No way is Florida gonna allow SEC to add FSU,
without DEMANDING that GT be added as well.
Florida is not going to allow THEIR IN-STATE rival (FSU) to be added to SEC, without REQUIRING UGA to add THEIR IN-STATE rival (GT).
Every SEC school…KNOWS…they have a large alumni base
in the Atlanta area that would LOVE to see THEIR team regularly
play in Atlanta. They will want to add GT to the SEC.
So, a 14 team SEC would likely include GT and FSU.
A 16 team SEC would add Clemson for sure,
and either Miami, Louisville, or NCSt(a long shot).
Clemson, VT, Florida State? Why raid the cesspool?
May 3rd, 2010
2:27 pm
Why on earth would the SEC raid the sewers? Oh, shoot I forgot half the SEC teams are worse. LOL.
Tomasina is a goofball
May 3rd, 2010
2:33 pm
Tomasina Tomasina Tomasina, like no Texas player has ever been arrested. Please send some of what you’re smoking, it must be some good stuff.
T3
May 3rd, 2010
4:40 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.”
T3
May 3rd, 2010
4:45 pm
By the way…
FSU and GT are both in the Eastern time zone,
where the SEC “currently” only has 5 teams.
Wont surprise me at all if SEC tries to add both.
James T. Kirk
May 4th, 2010
8:23 am
The ACC will expand before the Seriously Envious Conference, and we will land Texas, Oklahoma, LSU and UF. My sources have creditable evidence this is in the works
LHardingDawg
May 4th, 2010
3:58 pm
“Another Perspective” at 9.54 is an idiot.
Bev0
May 6th, 2010
11:00 am
I don’t think Texas will head for the SEC, though it would obviously be an exciting move for us. I just don’t think the geography of the thing works, and, personally, I don’t like the idea of a 16 team conference. They’re just…cumbersome.
It’s gonna be interestin’, fer sure…
Landon Belanger
May 9th, 2010
6:13 pm
I would absolutely love for Oklahoma and Texas to join the SEC. I am a Sooner Fan and as long as Oklahoma and Texas still have their rivalry, I’ll be more than glad for this expansion. The conference would do nothing but dominate.
Big 10 expansion - it has begun. - Page 6 - CycloneFanatic
May 10th, 2010
2:48 pm
[...] Otherwise, the Aggies can go to the Pac 10. The Big 12 is done, kaput. ISU is absolutely screwed. If SEC expands, it needs to hook them Horns | UGA: The Junkyard Blawg What is the feasibility of creating a new conference? I know it would eliminate BCS status for [...]
gulfvol
May 10th, 2010
5:40 pm
Texas makes perfect sense –elite team in both football and basketball. brings the dallas, houston, and ausitn tv markets. author is correct in that louisville, west, va, clemson, ga tech bring little to the table in terms of expansion. a better choice than FSU would be North Carolina! elite bb team and brings the raleigh durham chapel hill tv market. what market does fsu bring? fallback option for North Carolina would be Maryland to get the dc market. i dont see the hokies bringing the dc market and uva is not a good fit. so to sum up
1.Texas
2.North Carolina
3.Maryland
4.TCU
TExas and TCU join SEC west and North Carolina and Maryland join the SEC east
sec should boot vandy and replace with Rice.
SoonerInKorea
June 11th, 2010
2:05 am
Hi Dawgs, This is kind of strange, but there are reports all over the place about Oklahoma going to the SEC now. Our former QB and current QBs coach Josh Heupel got a text during his independence bowl hall of honor (lol) dinner, from our RBs coach saying that “we are going to the SEC”, but we have to bring another school with us. I have no Idea who that school would be, but I’d like it to be Texas. I’d still like to have each of those two schools in opposite divisions if that happens though. Anyway, that’s my two cents, and good luck with the 2010 season.