Texas A&M to the SEC will happen; what about Oklahoma?
One of these schools figures to be SEC-bound. The other school might follow. (AP photo)
Let’s go ahead and make the call, Election Night style, and give Texas A&M to the SEC. On Wednesday, Texas governor Rick Perry, a former Aggie yell leader, told the Dallas Morning News, “As far as I know, conversations are being had.” A&M soon released a statement that was in no way a denial, and Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe told the Austin American-Statesman he was taking the reports “very seriously.”
That’s an awful lot of hullabaloo for one August day, but it only underscores the rickety nature of the Big 12, which is technically down to 10 members — Colorado’s in the Pac-12, Nebraska in the Big Ten — and has no place to expand. Indeed, the Big 12 as is might as well be renamed Texas And Everybody Else, seeing as how the tent-pole school has struck its own deal with ESPN to launch the immodestly named Longhorn Network.
If you’re Texas A&M, what’s your motivation to remain in a dying conference where your biggest rival has been handed a massive competitive edge? There was talk two summers ago that the Aggies want badly to bolt for the SEC, which has the advantages of being both a better and more balanced league, but in the end Beebe was able to hold most of his conference together. It’s hard to imagine him doing it again.
An A&M official told the Houston Chronicle the rest of the Big 12 was “tired of Texas.” The rest of the league, you might note, includes Oklahoma. Even though the Dallas Morning News reported that “no other Big 12 team is considering an exit,” it would only make sense for the SEC, assuming it adds a 13th team, to find a 14th just for numerical balance. And Oklahoma, which is ranked No. 1 in the coaches’ preseason football poll, would be the obvious target.
Check the Sooners’ 2011 schedule. Note that Nebraska isn’t on it. That game, which stood for decades as the decider in the old Big Eight, has been lost to realignment. Oklahoma still plays Texas in Dallas and Oklahoma State home-and-home, but who else in the Big 12 stands as a worthy adversary? Kansas? Baylor? Iowa State?
There might be no groundswell for Oklahoma to leave the Big 12 yet, but just wait. When/if Texas A&M departs, would the Sooners want to stay in a nine-team league where its biggest rival has its own network?
No one school owns the SEC. No, not even Alabama. (If Bama did, would Auburn enter the 2011 season as the reigning BCS titlist?) The competition in the SEC is cutthroat, but schools believe that if you work hard enough you can win big. Check that coaches’ poll and you’ll find South Carolina, Arkansas and Mississippi State in the Top 25.
If everybody else in the Big 12 is “tired of Texas,” Oklahoma would surely feel the fatigue more than most. (Let’s note, too, that the Longhorn Network hasn’t even had its premiere.) Oklahoma looked hard at the SEC in the summer of 2010. When/if Texas A&M bolts, the next school to exit could well be riding off in the Sooner Schooner.
By Mark Bradley
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347 comments Add your comment
Cobb Dawg
August 11th, 2011
11:55 am
Geez, why don’t we just make all of college football SEC. I know the Buckeyes wouldn’t mind!
PerimeterCenterJacket
August 11th, 2011
11:57 am
SEC picks up TAMU and OK, then I could see the ACC trying to beat the Big East to teams like ECU, UCF or Southern Miss.
If the SEC goes to 16 then I think the ACC will be part of a raid in which the SEC takes FSU and VT while the ACC tries to haul in half the Big East.
Mike
August 11th, 2011
11:59 am
Mark, I agree that A&M is headed for the SEC. This is a win-win for both parties. A&M gets to tell Texas recruits that they will play in the toughest and best league in American. The SEC will gain a foothold into the Texas TV market, another school with a serious football tradition, and a school that already has an old rival in Arkansas and would be a natural rival to LSU. A&M wants badly out from under Texas’ shadow. If Arkansas and USC can pan out for the SEC, A&M most certainly will.
I do, however, disagree with OU bolting for the SEC. They were one of the teams that had enough of the Big 12 championship game…too much competition. They will ride out the Big 12 because its their ticket to the BCS. The only place I see them going is if the PAC-16 is resurrected.
Who then would be the 14th SEC school? I think it will be Va Tech. Lets face it…the ACC expansion has been a bust, and the ACC championship even worse. Va Tech is still a top 10-15 program, and the SEC will get a leg into the DC area TV market.
Josh Green
August 11th, 2011
11:59 am
The SEC doesn’t need a mid south team!! This is the SOUTH EASTERN CONFERENCE. Arkansas is pushing it being in this conference. Leave the SEC as is!! We don’t need any other schools in it. If this happens the SEC won’t be the same…I hope this doesn’t happen!! It will in no way benefit the existing SEC members. GO DAWGS!!
PerimeterCenterJacket
August 11th, 2011
11:59 am
If the bottom drops out of the Big 12 then I think Texas calls up SMU, Rice and La Tech to cobble together parts of the old SWAC and expand into SEC territory (swamplands).
ChangeNeeded
August 11th, 2011
12:05 pm
Im not sure getting Va Tech would be that easy either. They were only invited to the ACC because some big wigs in VA pushed hard for it, to pair them up with UVA. I don’t think they would be able to easily leave without UVA going with them.
Mike
August 11th, 2011
12:09 pm
@joemoedee – I agree that power conferences are the way to go. The playoff isnt going to happen. The best we can hope for is 4-5 super conferences and a plus-one format.
I see the Big 12 and Big East being torn apart and the MWC moving in as the 5th conference.
PAC-16 gets OU, Texas, Texas Tech, OSU.
SEC get A&M and Va Tech..no need to go beyond 14 here
Big 10 (or 16) gets Missouri, Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Pittsburgh.
ACC (16) gets Louisville, UConn, WVU, Rutgers, and Cincinnati. (replace Va Tech + 4 more)
MWC (16) gets TCU, Kansas, Kansas St., Iowa St., Baylor, and Houston with Nevada, Hawaii, and Fresno St. on the way
top 4 conference winners play in the plus one format. Conference winners outside of the BCS top 6 are ineligible and will lose their chance to at large (in order by BCS ranking).
tomtom
August 11th, 2011
12:11 pm
These schools deserve what they are getting. They knew about the Longhorn Network last year when they decided to stay with that sh*tty conference.
Sam Robards, Dawg Fan
August 11th, 2011
12:13 pm
If things go bonkers and we start expanding, I’d love to have A&M in the SEC. It’s not that far past LSU, distance-wise, and they have a great football culture.
To balance things out, my first choice would be to steal Clemson from the ACC. If that didn’t work out (South Carolina would probably block it), then I’d love to have Oklahoma. Aside from being a Sooner fan (they’re my #3 after my Dawgs [the alma mater] and Tennessee), they’d fit really well with the SEC culture.
As for Texas, when the Big XII collapses (yes, WHEN, not if), Texas’ll probably go independent. Hell, they pretty much act like they are already.
Of course, I could be dead wrong.
Go Dawgs!
Columbus
August 11th, 2011
12:14 pm
Let them both go to the WEAK PAC-10. They need beefing up. They try to think they are something but are not and this would give them their 2 best teams and some respect and a reason to talk trash and have something to back it up. We have too much competition as it is in the SEC. We get Oklahoma and Texas A & M that is too much. Forget an out of conference schedule.
hmmmmmmmmmmm
August 11th, 2011
12:14 pm
well hell just make it 20 schools. FSU,VT, OU, Texas A&M, Miami,OK State, GT, Clemson….4 division of 5 teams each. Winners of each division create an instant playoff/national championship scenario.
ATLol
August 11th, 2011
12:19 pm
Just creat 2 new divisions, one for the ACC – let BC go to the big east and keep the rest – and one for the remants of the Big12, letting Texas go to the PAC13. Then the SEC basically runs college football.
BigTimeTechFan
August 11th, 2011
12:22 pm
NCAA should restucture Football into 4 major conf:
Then have each conf have 4 divisions, with two round playoffs
Then winners play for National title playoff, 4 teams in two round playoff
notice no polls ever facture in.
Conf 1:
Boston College
Clemson
Duke
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Maryland
Miami
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
Cincinnati
Connecticut
Louisville
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Rutgers
South Florida
Syracuse
West Virginia
Conf 2:
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Louisiana State
Mississippi State
Ole Miss
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Baylor
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Missouri
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas
Texas A & M
Texas Tech
TCU
Conf 3
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Wisconsin
Army
Air Force
Navy
Notre Dame
Villanova
Conf 4
Arizona
Arizona State
California
Colorado
Oregon
Oregon State
Stanford
UCLA
USC
Utah
Washington
Washington State
Boise State
BYU
Fresno State
SDSU
SMU
New Mexico
??
Central Florida
Micheal
August 11th, 2011
12:24 pm
@Bill Clinton
A year, nah. what I am hearing is that it is going to be before September 1, so they can started SEC play on 2012 via 2013.
@Columbus
The Pac-12 is talking to OU, OU Lite, TX Tech already, so if TAMU to SEC goes down, then Mr Scott has their number on the speed dial.
dap01
August 11th, 2011
12:25 pm
I say, let’s stay the SEC. The SEC is the best, why change it? Besides, Texas AM might not know how to oversign like Alabama or they might not have the cash of Auburn.
coach13
August 11th, 2011
12:26 pm
Why not send Arkansas to the Big 12 and pick up Clemson?
Frank Lane
August 11th, 2011
12:27 pm
Vandy brings up the SEC grade point average because they practice Grade Point Acceleration as does Duke and the Ivy League schools. This means that they have a very small member of each class that can be given anything lower than an A, on the theory that the student would get an A if he/she did the same work anywhere else. It’s a joke. I have hired 4.0 graduates from Vandy and Duke who could not write a sentence, much less a cohesive paragraph. I no longer will hire a graduate from either school.
Heep Bad Dawg Dude
August 11th, 2011
12:32 pm
Trade Vandy for Clemson
Ron Mexico
August 11th, 2011
12:34 pm
MB,
Oklahoma to the the SEC will not happen. They are attached at the hip to Oklahoma State and the SEC does not have any interest in adding both Oklahoma schools along with A&M. Expansion is all about adding TV markets. Missouri would likely be the next target for the SEC from the Big 12 if A&M officially makes the move.
Vince Lombardi
August 11th, 2011
12:39 pm
Oklahoma is 100% tied to Oklahoma State; can’t take just one. Already been talks of those two heading to the Pac 10.
Va Tech is 100% tied to UVA; can’t take just one. Besides, everybody in Virginia and North Carolina actually LOVE the ACC. As hard as that is for some of you to understand, it’s the truth. They do NOT care about the SEC up there. The SEC hype does not extend into North Carolina and Virginia. The ACC is their baby; they won’t leave it.
Only teams looking for a new conference are Missiouri, West Virginia, Kansas, Kansas State and Ga Tech.
RxDawg
August 11th, 2011
12:47 pm
A&M is going to happen.
Oklahoma is not. They will insist Ok St. comes with them and the state of Oklahoma just doesn’t bring any TV sets.
The SEC will try to grab Va Tech, or NC State.
After that, who knows?
5150 UOAD
August 11th, 2011
12:49 pm
Just think how happy Neil BOORTZ would be? He see his school play games closer to him in Georgia or Florida.
Chris
August 11th, 2011
12:49 pm
Old Dawg, you do realize that the SEC plays other sports besides football irght? Vanderbilt is on of the only things keeping SEC basketball from being a laughing stock. Not to mention it’s one of the premier baseball programs in the country. It also improves the conferences GPA’s and Graduation Rates. Vandy offers a lot more to the SEC than just a cupcake football win every year.
Freddie Freeman
August 11th, 2011
12:49 pm
Don’t need them or want them!!
Chris
August 11th, 2011
12:50 pm
Sorry, lots of typos in that post. I was trying to speed through it while at work.
5150 UOAD
August 11th, 2011
12:53 pm
RxDawg
you are taking the wrong MEDS if you think NCSU is going to the SEC.
It would be easier for the SEC to get A&M and lose VANDY to the ACC. The ACC then adds East Carolina. ACC gets the football type you SEC people think we deserve, but we get Basketball that should be in the ACC. Plus VANDY as an Educational Institution better fits the ACC than to moron schools in the SEC. The ACC would just increase Vandy’s standing in the AAU.
dale in newnan
August 11th, 2011
12:57 pm
I think that if this should start to fall, you will see Missouri after T A&M to bring in the St. Louis market and that will also be an attempt to lure the OK schools. However I believe they are headed to the Pac-12. They will logically view a super conference as one thing, but a super conference with the severe competiveness as the SEC as another. Vir & V Tech could be a possibility. personally I would love Clemson, but money is money.
SEC expands
August 11th, 2011
12:58 pm
Clemson would be the best 14th team to balance out east and west if A&M joins. Great rivalary with the dogs. You would have to reduce the east vs. west games per year from 3 to 2 with 1 annual rival(Auburn) and the rest on a home/away rotation.
dale in newnan
August 11th, 2011
12:59 pm
Vince I forgot about West Va, that is a definate possibility. The Big East is toast in football.
Coach Cool
August 11th, 2011
1:01 pm
NO school… I REPEAT… NO SCHOOL is going to voluntarily LEAVE the SEC.
Too much coin.
Anyone suggesting as much needs to get out of the heat and get some bed-rest.
Texas Governor confirms A&M considering SEC - Page 6 - HawkeyeNation Forum
August 11th, 2011
1:03 pm
[...] Re: Texas Governor confirms A&M considering SEC Here is another interesting artical. Yes I realize it's just a blog and one man's opinion, but I agree with him. Texas A&M to the SEC will happen, but what about Oklahoma? | Mark Bradley [...]
5150 UOAD
August 11th, 2011
1:04 pm
The SEC could have Clemson if the ACC gets Vandy. as a Tech fan I wouldn’t mind unless Clemson will be too scared to keep playing Tech as an OOC game. If Clemson goes SEC tech could have 2 permanent SEC OCC games every year that would be great.
5150 UOAD
August 11th, 2011
1:07 pm
Coach Cool Vandy makes its money in Basketball and baseball. the ACC is a fine money fit for them. Being a member of the ACC will also get them more Money in GRANTS. You do know these are Institutions of higher learning not minor league football for the NFL.
Jason
August 11th, 2011
1:10 pm
A sixteen team SEC could lead to a four division conference with four teams in each. The end of the season would be a two game playoff to determine the champion. It could be the start of the slow road to D1A playoff system.
bigstack
August 11th, 2011
1:14 pm
If Oklahoma and A&M join up then Missouri and Texas would likely join The Big 10. Texas may even go the independent route. If the SEC expands I would love Clemson and Florida State but why would they leave a conference where they actually have a shot to go to one where they won’t? Maybe the SEC stays at 14 and Auburn plus Alabama moves to the East. Maybe they switch things up and go the North -South route and Oklahoma ends up in a division with Kentucky, Vandy, Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia and Alabama. The South could be A&M, Auburn, LSU ,Ole Miss, Mississippi State. South Carolina and Florida. Who knows what becomes of schools like Kansas? Would they go to the Big 10? Could Notre Dame and BYU be talked into joining the Big 12 and put an end to all this talk of teams leaving the Big 12? Why didn’t the Big 12 snatch up TCU and Boise State?
Texas A&M to the SEC will happen; what about Oklahoma?
August 11th, 2011
1:14 pm
[...] Texas A&M bolts, the next school to exit could well be riding off in the Sooner Schooner. Texas A&M to the SEC will happen, but what about Oklahoma? | Mark Bradley Download The FREE GIQ Toolbar Follow GamblingIQ on Twitter @GamblingIQ Follow GamblingIQ on [...]
rally
August 11th, 2011
1:18 pm
Speaking as a life-long Nashvillian, let me assure you that there is no way Vanderbilt will ever leave the SEC voluntarily. The dollars they earn keep the athletic programs afloat. The SEC is king in Nashville and we often host the Conference basketball tournament as well as have an SEC affiliated Bowl Game. Vandy packs its stands in Football with all of you fans from other teams coming to Nashville to watch your team play and your dollars work here just fine. When that big old conference pie gets cut, Vandy gets the same juicy slice as Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, LSU, etc.
beekiller
August 11th, 2011
1:18 pm
Am I the only one who cares about tradition and geography. South Eastern Conference means the south east part of the country. What next, Oregon to the SEC?
Paul N Destin
August 11th, 2011
1:20 pm
Vandy aint sheet…keep that in mind. They take the money and do nothing. Home stadium of 35k and the visiting teams have to fill that. Vandy GTFO
Mike
August 11th, 2011
1:20 pm
@Vince – I dont think Va Tech is 100% tied to UVA like OSU and OU are tied. OU and OSU have already made that public with the PAC-16 discussions. There has been no true discussion there to see where Va Tech stands. UVA required that Va Tech be added when the ACC expanded, but thats about it.
I cant speak to the ACC hysteria up in Va and North Carolina, but I suspect it has as much to do with Basketball as Football.
It all depends on how content Va Tech (a predominantly football school) and their fan base are with the state of the ACC which has basically regressed back to being a basketball conference. Is it OK for them to keep winning a down conference (like in the Big East) only to be over matched in bowl games or big non-conference games?
Paul in NH (formerly RDU)
August 11th, 2011
1:20 pm
Isn’t bringing in A&M to go after the Texas market kind of like bringing in Northwestern to go after the Illinois market, or Pittsburgh to go after the PA market?
Buck
August 11th, 2011
1:22 pm
Can someone explain to me why the SEC would want to have A&M?? I’m sure plenty of teams would want to play in the SEC, doesn’t mean they’re worthy of a spot. I can do without the addition of a mediocre Big 12 team thank you very much
rally
August 11th, 2011
1:23 pm
It looks like the SEC will eventually encompass all areas of the old Confederate State of America.
FBBoy
August 11th, 2011
1:23 pm
I’d guess Clemson might seriously consider the SEc in spite of being a charter member of the ACC. They could substitute UGA, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, LSU etc. for the likes of Duke, Wake forest, Maryland, NC state, etc. Seems like a no-brainer for me.
Mike
August 11th, 2011
1:26 pm
I dont think it would be best for the SEC to pick up more than one Big 12 school. The conference has all the power and prestige it needs from its current programs. In order to keep things relatively intact, they should grab one western addition (A&M) and one eastern addition (Va Tech or Miami are the likely TV market targets, Ga Tech and Clemson would be back up plans, FSU is too close to UF for that to fly).
This keeps teams from having to swap divisions and rearrange rivalries. I would suggest going to a 9 game conference slate (6 division games + 1 other divisional rival + 2 rotating from other division). Current cross division rivalries would stand with the two new comers being cross division rivals like USC and Arkansas became. PAC 10 has been playing a 9 game slate for decades…it works well to preserve all the rivalries.
rally
August 11th, 2011
1:28 pm
As a native Nashvillian, let me assure you that there is no way Vanderbilt will leave the SEC. They get the same big slice of conference pie that all of the others do. Nashville is staunch SEC country with a SEC affiliated bowl game and numerous SEC basketball tournaments. Besides, in FB, all of you folks from other teams fill the stands and your dollars still work in Nashville.
RxDawg
August 11th, 2011
1:33 pm
5150, NC State probably isn’t going to be the top of the list. But don’t think it’s a never gona happen kind of thing. First of all, scrap any ideas you have about football and basketball. This is about one thing and one thing only. $$$$’s. Big $’s too. The SEC will want to expand to gain TV markets (which is why the SEC isn’t very interested in the Oklahoma’s). aTm brings all kinds of TV’s. That’s a mutual relationship. Next would be Missouri who was snubed by the Big 10. But for balance sake, I’m sure the SEC would rather take Va Tech, NC state, maybe UVA or Maryland. But, those schools are happily in the ACC right now so I’m not sure if everyone involved wants to shake things up that much. So, considering that aTm, Missouri, and the Oklahoma’s might not be that far fetched since they are good programs and will already be looking for homes. This of course would shift Bama and Auburn over to the EAst.
Mike
August 11th, 2011
1:33 pm
@Buck and Paul – A&M has a deep and long standing football tradition and gives the SEC a foothold into the rich Texas TV market and recruiting grounds. They are already long time rivals to Arkansas and would be a natural rival to LSU and possibly the Miss schools. A&M won the big 12 in its 3rd year before hitting some down years after their long time coach R.C. Slocum left.
papadawg
August 11th, 2011
1:35 pm
This is the Southeastern Conference now so what would we call it with all the Southwestern Conference teams. Leave them alone
USCGMCK
August 11th, 2011
1:37 pm
UGA blocks GA TECH
USC blocks CLEMSON
Next?