The wild scramble begins: Texas A&M is leaving the Big 12
And the Aggies come marching into the SEC. Who'll be joining them? (AP photo)
The mad shuffle has begun. Texas A&M has told the Big 12 not to leave the light on for any Aggies anymore, and if you’re counting you’ll note that the Big 12 has been reduced to a Puny 9. That’s the way of this zero-sum game: Your loss is somebody else’s gain.
Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin said in a statement Wednesday: “We are seeking to generate greater visibility nationwide for Texas A&M and our championship-caliber student-athletes, as well as secure the necessary and stable financial resources to support our athletic and academic programs.” And if that doesn’t sound like, “Hellooooo, SEC!” … well, my name’s not Rockey Felker.
It’s all but certain the SEC will seek to balance the Aggies’ arrival by enfranchising a 14th team, but these endeavors can assume a momentum unforeseen. (Back in 2003, who’d have thought the ACC would wind up with Boston College and not Syracuse?) The SEC might decide to expand to 16, which brings us to the overarching point:
Any school the SEC adds must come from somewhere.
Geographically, the prime poaching ground would seem the ACC. It’s believed the SEC isn’t interested in adding teams in states where it already has outposts — meaning: no Georgia Tech, no Florida State, no Clemson — so that would, by process of elimination, leave Virginia Tech, North Carolina, N.C. State and Maryland as targets. But would the latter three choose to break an alliance of more than a half-century’s standing? Would Carolina, which is big on basketball, want to leave its old pal Duke?
The ACC must be on its guard. The league has forged a nice fat football contract with ESPN, but everyone realizes that, regarding the sport that pays the freight for most every athletic department, the SEC is the place where the biggest money flows and the brightest lights shine. If you’re serious about college football, the SEC is the place to be.
When it added Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College, the ACC sent the message that it was getting serious about the sport. Alas, that plan hasn’t found fruition. So what, knowing the SEC will surely seek to pounce, can the basketball league do?
Larry Williams, who covers Clemson for Tiger Illustrated, made an intriguing proposal a couple of weeks ago:
Everyone is wondering whether the ACC will be proactive to secure its place amid the anticipated conference realignment Armageddon, and we tend to frame it all in football terms. But what if the ACC’s audacious move consisted of raiding the Big East of some of its basketball jewels (Connecticut? Syracuse? Louisville? Pitt?) and supplanting the Big East as the nation’s premier basketball aggregation?
That would be one way to go. But the other BCS leagues will try to strengthen themselves in the months ahead, and it’s just as likely the Big East and the Big Ten will take a run at ACC schools. (And the Pac-12, having already scarfed up Colorado, might well try to pick the carcass of the Puny 9.)
This is, in sum, going to get messy. High-minded academic institutions will be scrambling to find the best fit — i.e., the most money — and conferences will be down on bended knee to try to lure/keep these high-minded institutions lest their league fall to the level of Conference USA, and pretty soon we’re going to end up with Southern Cal in the Atlantic Coast Conference. (Don’t laugh. Know who’s joining the Big East next season? Texas Christian.)
As bad as all this figures to be, it might also be good. College sports have become the place where cognitive dissonance runs riot. We wax poetic about the color and pageantry of these stirring tableaus, but when you cut through the color and pageantry you’ll find these games aren’t games at all. They’re performances staged by massive businesses. Shocking revelation: Businesses run on money.
As much as college sports attempt to tug at our heartstrings, it’s the purse strings that count. Texas A&M got miffed that Texas is making too much money with its Longhorn Network, and the Aggies want to go where they can get rich, too. And so it begins. When it ends, the map of college athletics will have been redrawn.
By Mark Bradley
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259 comments Add your comment
ACC12-SEC12 Booster
August 31st, 2011
9:48 pm
Jeff
August 31st, 2011
9:39 pm
“I think adding FSU and GT solves the B1G recruiting problems. GT is a great school and can improve athletically, and FSU is a great athletic school and can improve academically.”
Florida State has already improved greatly on the academic side by being in the ACC, other than that I don’t think that a school which already has sun, surf and some of the hottest co-eds on the planet would want to travel north anymore than it has to already in the ACC.
I just don’t think that FSU vs Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, etc, would be a good fit in conference play.
“Do you think GT would be interested?”
Not really…I think that GT is even less interested in being in the Big Ten than they are or were being in the SEC.
Jeff
August 31st, 2011
9:50 pm
I graduated from ND in 99. That year, the B1G actually invited us without our applying. Campus was overwhelmingly against it. I was one of the only few who were open to joining the B1G.
On a side note, I actually would rather ND join a revamped Big 12 as follows:
current 9 Big 12 members + ND + BYU + PITT
Never gonna happen though.
Jeff
August 31st, 2011
9:52 pm
To clarify, I would only want ND to join the Big 12 if everyone split the revenue like in the SEC and B1G. Again, I don’t see it happening.
ACC12-SEC12 Booster
August 31st, 2011
9:57 pm
GTfan
August 31st, 2011
9:37 pm
“Side note, I wish the ACC would have left out BC, only b/c of location.”
I thought that Boston College was kind of an odd choice for the ACC, a conference of schools based in South Atlantic states to bring in and I still have my doubts as the next nearest conference school in the ACC is Maryland over 400 MILES to the south. But for now it looks like all is well in the relationship between Boston College and the ACC as BC seems to be relatively happy in the conference, despite seemingly being a better geographical, cultural and social fit in the Big East.
ACC12-SEC12 Booster
August 31st, 2011
10:06 pm
Jeff: Notre Dame has too much prestige to have to join that sinking ship that is currently the Big-12.
Besides, Notre Dame’s relationships and affiliations are almost all with Big East and Big Ten teams, save for USC, Navy and Army in football.
ND has nothing in common with the Big-12 teams and wouldn’t need to sully itself by rolling in the hay with the likes of Texas,
ND doesn’t even need a bush-league conference like the Big-12 when it got it’s independence in football and a VERY beneficial relationship with the Big East (and the adoring attention of the New York media market and establishment) in all other sports.
ND has got it “made in the shade” right now, they don’t need to screw that up by joining the Big Ten, or even worse yet, a sinking ship like what’s left of the Big-12.
Gen Neyland
August 31st, 2011
10:12 pm
The SEC’s business plan seems to be forging our conference into the formation of the nations first rough draft of a super conference. Time will tell and the future looks, er, rich… Maybe this is what my great-great granpda had in mind when he said the south shall rise again.
ACC12-SEC12 Booster
August 31st, 2011
10:20 pm
Jeff
August 31st, 2011
9:50 pm
“I graduated from ND in 99. That year, the B1G actually invited us without our applying. Campus was overwhelmingly against it. I was one of the only few who were open to joining the B1G.”
LOL! The Big Ten pretty much has an open invitation for ND to join EVERY year without ND applying.
Anytime that ND would be ready to join the Big Ten all that ND would have to do is say the word and they’d be an official member of the Big Ten in an instant, but notice that ND has never accepted the invite because of all of the attention and relationships that ND has in the NEW YORK media market.
The Chicago establishment considers ND to be its own, but ND considers itself to be apart of the NYC establishment first and foremost, an arrangement which has and continues to be VERY beneficial to the Notre Dame brand.
If ND joins the Big Ten, then much of their luster in the NYC market comes off and ND knows it.
ND knows in which part of the country its bread is buttered.
GTfan
August 31st, 2011
10:35 pm
ACC12-SEC12 Booster – I didn’t know NYC watched college football
. My wife’s family from Long Island thinks its weird that after I graduated I still attend college games, lol
Delbert D.
August 31st, 2011
10:42 pm
The good thing about flying up to play Boston College is that Boston has a major airport. It is a longer flight than Maryland, but it’s air time rather than de-planing and a 1 hour bus trip to someplace.
Delbert D.
August 31st, 2011
10:45 pm
GTfan – Long Island (at least out in the sandy beach part) is a different culture from the Bronx, Manhattan and Northern NJ.
WBW
August 31st, 2011
11:18 pm
This shouldnt be happening. The NCAA should be able to maintain some regional integrity. BC should go back to the Big East and the ACC should pick up ECU. A&M belongs in Texas. TCU belongs in Texas. The Big East needs to stay up there. The ACC needs to stay down here. The SEC needs to stay way down here. Texas needs to stay out there. Crazy.
DamntheButcher
August 31st, 2011
11:39 pm
I have always thought that Louisville would be a good addition to the SEC just for the basketball. As the football program improves that is icing on the cake.
ACC12-SEC12 Booster
August 31st, 2011
11:45 pm
GTfan
August 31st, 2011
10:35 pm
ND’s relationships in NYC and the Northeast aren’t necessarily just about football, but are also about ACADEMICS and, because ND is a Catholic school, RELIGION.
With you and your wife’s family on Long Island, it just seems to be a case of culture shock, in that they don’t get why you still go to college games after you graduated (DUH! It’s a pastime here in the South) and people in the South don’t necessarily understand why anyone would want to be affiliated with a college or university for any reason besides football, though on a side note, Notre Dame has frequently scheduled football games in New York City through the years.
Hilltopper
August 31st, 2011
11:56 pm
Try this. Say good-bye to the Big East, Big 12, Independents , and WAC. New Conferences (1) existing Big 10 plus TX,MO,ND, and SYR. (2) ACC minus VT plus UCONN, Rut, WV, Pitt, and So. FL. (3) Conf. USA plus Kan, KSU, TXT, and Bay (4) MAC existing plus Cin, Lou, and Io.St (5) Mtn West AF, SDS, CSU,WY, NM,UTS,Ida, SJS,NMS,Tul,TCU, UNLV,Fres St, (6)SEC plus VT, TAM,OK,OKS. (7) SunBelt existing plus La Tech, Army, Navy (8) PAC 12 plus Boise, BYU, Nev, HAW. Eight conferences set up for a playoff. 16 nteam conference play 7 divisional opponents and 2 from other division and 2 non conference games. Teams that become “Big Time” in the future such as GSU, App. St , JMU would fill in the SunBelt. Others out west to fill where needed.
MM
September 1st, 2011
12:02 am
Red McCoombs who is to Texas what Bobby Louder is to Auburn is in favor of Texas moving to the Pac-10 if the Big 12 folds. One thing you can say about Texas A&M is least they man up and don’t run off to play in a weaker conference.
Columbus
September 1st, 2011
3:06 am
Money. Too much money that is. It is going to ruin college football just like it has ruined all of Washington DC. Soon it will be our states and then cities on the same level. The love of money. The aspirations of attaining all you can get. The Alpha males that get enough power to influence Washingtom and Congress, that are greedy and overly-driven to get theirs and the hell with the bottom 99% of Americans are ruining this country and the 99% are letting them. We let them change the banking industry and run amok in Washington and on Wall St., get big like they wanted, they got all the money and then went crazy with it and along the way stopped every attempt to regulate them. They big banks have 5,000 lobbyist alone. 5 for EVERY MEMBER OF CONGRESS! Regulation? Never! So they lose all of OUR money and what do they do then? They get MORE of our money to bail them out so they can keep getting bonuses and vacations and 50 million dollar salaries, while we are unemployed, homes in foreclosure, no college money, no retirement and this was the effect not only here but across the world because we let WALL ST get too much power. If we let them do this with college football, it will not ruin the country, but it will ruin college football. Exclusive TV contracts, donations from corporations used for additional publicity, additional means to recruit, I mean where will it end? We have tv contracts and advertising on billboards. COmmercial wil be next and infomercials during recruiting season, laws getting passed in Congress and State houses. We have BECAME A CAPITALIST nation. We have let our votes mean nothing and elect the same people over and over and they know how to make us do it. MONEY. WALL ST has figured out how to run WASHINGTON AND WE HAVE A WALL ST GOVERNMENT. If we do not vote them ALL out in 2012 we wont have to worry about college football in 10 years because only the top 1% will be able to go to college and the rest of us will not be able to afford cable because do you think that the top 1% will stop being greedy all of a sudden? Do you know our incomes have dropped or remained steady for the last 30 years while the top 1% has raked in all of the increase over that time and then when they lose it all they influence Congress, Rrepublicans and Dems BOTH by scaring them and Americans that to not give the, trillions IMMEDIATELY would be disastrous? No it would be terrific to get rid of them actually. Congress said no when Americans flooded their offices and told them to vote no. Then it was less than 2 weeks later, after the banks were stunned that for ONCE in the last 15 years they did not get what they wanted, called all the people in power that they knew who had influence over certain members of Congress and the White House, got strings pulled came back and now Democrats joined the party and said we MUST do this. Yeah a Goldman Sacs government. They got theirs. Why? Paulson was on staff. Man I could go on and on. Watch Inside Job narrarated by Matt Damon. Watch Capitalism: A Love Story. Corporate greed. It is now taking over College football and if the love of money is always the over-riding motivational factor for decision-making, and the pursuit of it, their will be a HUGE price to pay. Soon there will be 2 conferences and too many teams, cheating will be ramant and the players will be paid huge amounts of money. They should be now, but it will never happen for as long as possible, just like the BCS bowls holding on for as long as they can by bribing people so they can keep taking all the profits from the games while the teams lose money to even go there, they want ALL the money for as long as they can keep it and with ALL the money football brings in, why are tuitions increasing like crazy? Man is the NCAA gettign it all? I mean with TV money, ticket sales, merchandising profits, donors, money coming in from EVERY which way and tuitions are skyrocketing and for what when you get out? There are no jobs! How you going to pay back $100,000 of student loans? You know somebody to call? Who will call somebody in Washington and get a bailout for yourself? I lean Republican morally, but I have came to realize that both parties have good and bad. Democrats wanting to distribute wealth is actually better for America but Republicans say each for their own and I always agreed with that until lately. Republicans say that because the truth is, they want it ALL for themselves. not specifically republicans but the top 1%. Wall ST. The ywant it all and that is why they have been getting it over the last 30 years. They hold onto it and make more and get more powerful and get regulations done away with and whatever changes they need in laws to get MORE and MORE and we get LESS and LESS. They dangle the “American Dream” out there as a carrot and the truth is we have little chance of doing that. It is rare. The exception. Greed. So Republicans and Democrats are in this together really. Dont believe me? Well look at the bailout, how Democrats were all smiles and ready to bailout Wall ST when 2 weeks earlier they were TOTALLY against it. They did a quick vote, got it done and u knwo what? LOL NO REGULATIONS on how the money was spent! So they spent it creaing jobs and loaning money? Nah, they partied with hookers and drugs and vacations and bonuses and champagne. Democrats were bought. When Obama started to look good in the polls when running for president. Wall St. banks, seen this and started crapping on themselves, so what did they do? Yep, threw 1 million dollars his way for this campaign. Obama pledged to clean up Wall St and when it came time to do that, he did NOTHING. Wall ST government. Dont matter the party. Wall St knows just how to get both parties to do what they want. They squeeze them, they buy them. We have to vote all of them out in Congress nationwide, especially Dodd, Gramm, ALL the committee chairmen, all that have been in office more than one term, and then and only then can we get something done and be a great generation for doing so. Term limits, balanced budget, campaign reform, Wall St regulated, banks regulated, tax reform, jobs BACK in America(another Wall ST. idea) We have many more overseas than we have from overseas creating jobs here. So many things that need to be done, than can NEVER get done with WALL ST having lobbyist, money and influence. Never. They will bland the other party and introduce legislation that has no chance and if you come into Congress and do not play ball with the corrupt ones, they will blackball you. Man its crazy. My America. Let us UNITE and be a GREAT generation and VOTE EVERYONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA OUT IN 2012. We can do our part. If they voted AGAINST the WALL ST bailout they can stay in office. If not vote them out for someone new, dont care what party, just someone new. if we can spread the word and get most of the people in other states to do the same, we can be that GREAT GENERATION, that SAVED AMERICA from DESTRUCTION BY CORPORATE GREED. We have the POWER BUT WE DO NOT USE IT WISELY AND WE ARE THE ONLY THING THEY ARE SCARED OF. WHAT IF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE USED THEIR VOTE? THEIR POWER IN THEIR VOTE? If we dont we fail as a generation. Our beloved College football might be next. Look where it is headed? Just like the banks. Bigger and better and stronger? I think not. Not for the majority of states and universities, not in the long run and that does not work for too long. There will be a revolt against the NCAA and against the powerful conferences by the little guys. The MANY little guys and it will all crash down. Capitalism gone wild. Does not work. We need a balance of Capitalism and Socialism and Democracy. With EQUAL power for everybody! Equal access, equal oppurtunities and if you think we have EQUAL oppurtunity and access you are blind. Did you get a bailout? Can you get the entire political party to see your way in a week or 2 after they just vehemently said NO? Do you ahve your congressman’s cell number on speed dial and 24 hour a day access? You get special treatment and financing from Countrywide and the others? Goldman Sacs? Bank of America? BCS? Chase? Merrill Lynch? Me neither. Me neither. College football must be EQUAL to all because it will crash without a strong foundation of balance and equal access and exposure. Cinferences are mimicing the banks and corporations. Getting bigger, chasing the dollar, some schools too. (Texas) Where is the voice of reason in America. In the NCAA? How big is big enough? How much money is enough? Leave some to go around. It is better to give than receive. better for everybody. Especially now. The 99% are in need and unhappy and are going to revolt. But the thing is they have the power but dont use it. it is not like we live in Iran or Syria. WE HAVE THE VOTE! REVOLT WITH YOUR VOTE. Revolt with your voice! Hear that BCS? NCAA? Greedy conferences. 12 teams is fine as it is. You know start a SEC II or something. Heck who needs a bowl game? Take the top 2 teams from each conference and have playoffs. Oh we cant get that neither. Just like Wall St controls congress in several ways, the BCS controls University presidents. See if we COULD vote university presidents outm we could get new ones who would give us playoffs, or we vote them out and get in another one until it gets DONE. Same thing in Congress but we dont UNITE FOR AMERICA. For our KIDS, our RETIREMENT, FOR THE SAKE OF EVERYTHING. The BCS bribes university presidents and we dont flood our representatives in the State house and demand ethical behaviour. We just complain. It is time to act America. Are we going to be a GREAT GENERATION? Or the WORST GENERATION? Time will tell if we are lazy and/or brain-washed by drinking their Kool-Aid. We are the ONLY STOPGAP THIS COUNTRY HAS OR IT WILL BE DESTROYED BY GREED AND BY WALL ST. What are you going to do? I will be patriotic and vote in new people in EVERY public office EVERY year for the rest of my life UNTIL term limits are passed. EVERY JUDGE will be voted out also. EVERY OFFICE! What are you going to do?
Nation + world: Texas A&M sets July 2012 deadline to exit Big 12 – Detroit Free Press | Sports Latest News Wall
September 1st, 2011
3:17 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Texas A&M move would affect Big 12 television contract – Kansas City Star | Daily Entertainment News
September 1st, 2011
3:43 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Nation & world: Texas A&M sets July 2012 deadline to exit Big 12 – Detroit Free Press | Sports Latest News Wall
September 1st, 2011
4:24 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
59bulldawg
September 1st, 2011
4:40 am
Personally I would welcome A&M and VA Tech. But I think the biggest fight will be over which current SEC team, if any, will have to move over to the SEC East.
Nation & world: Texas A&M sets July 2012 deadline to exit Big 12 – Detroit Free Press | Price Per Head Blog
September 1st, 2011
5:13 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Kennesaw Dawg
September 1st, 2011
5:46 am
Wish we could have gotten A & M’s Defensive Coordinator!
Nation & world: Texas A&M sets July 2012 deadline to exit Big 12 – Detroit Free Press | Acessando Net
September 1st, 2011
6:27 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Texas A&M Is Heading To The SEC (Probably) » Popular Fidelity » Unusual Stuff
September 1st, 2011
6:32 am
[...] and it appears that Texas A&M will be kicking off the next round of realignments, as Texas A&M has filed to leave the Big 12 and appears headed to the Southeastern Conference. Will this kick off a team moving frenzy akin to last season’s Pac 12 and Big Ten [...]
Nation & world: Texas A&M sets July 2012 deadline to exit Big 12 – Detroit Free Press | Live Newsline
September 1st, 2011
6:42 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Aggies set date to leave Big 12 – Tulsa World | Price Per Head Blog
September 1st, 2011
7:14 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
GTPUG
September 1st, 2011
7:29 am
I believe the SEC will go after another Texas school after A&M agrees to move in – - that school being TCU – - it makes since – I read a article yesterday about the SEC has ties with the Cotton bowl – the SEC has always loved the state of Texas – - with the addition of A&M they get the Houston market and if the TCU moves happens they get into the Dallas market – - this is huge dollars – - players being recruited can now stay in Texas to play in the SEC
Just thoughts form a Tech fan
THWG!!!!!!!!!
Reality
September 1st, 2011
7:46 am
I find it very sad that AJC writers continue to promote the total myth that any ACC team would leave the conference. Even ESPN did an extensive analysis on possible teams willing to leave their conference, and THEY said that NO TEAM in the ACC could be lured away, period.
However, the AJC continues to spout this nonsense, seemingly to stir the pot with the SEC idiot fans.
Dream all you want, guys. You may lust after ACC teams, but you will not get even one.
Rick
September 1st, 2011
7:47 am
Read the Rival’s Orangebloods article. It breaks down much of this (who the Big 12 wants, who the SEC wants, what the Pac 12 might do, and how it impacts others- including ND), and Orangebloods has a pretty good record of getting the story right.
mega conference = no more tax writeoffs
September 1st, 2011
8:11 am
I don’t have a big dog in the fight, but it sure seems to me that once we start shuffling conferences for ever bigger dollar payouts, we have lost any sort of academic or charitable pursuits. The conferences are welcome to do that in our society, but why do we allow a charitable deduction for it to go on. To me the formation of the megaconferences should be the final nail in the coffin of an idea that college football is worthy of government deductions for contributions. I wonder if the athletic associations might find more academic priorities if that were included in the debate.
Boise v ga
September 1st, 2011
8:18 am
Hmm let’s see
Boise has 2 first team all americans one on the o line the other on defense. ga has one…the kicker…lmao
who is a better qb? kellen or aaron? Hmm tough one.
Who went 6-7 last year and couldn’t score a td against cf?
And the stupid fan base continues to believe. So much delusion from that fan base. It’s really scary.
Footballer
September 1st, 2011
8:35 am
A&M has never been better than a second tier team in the Big 12. What good does it do for the SEC to add them? They’ll be the Vanderbilt of the West without the high GPA’s.
John Klein: Future is uncertain for Big 12 – Tulsa World | االله.net
September 1st, 2011
8:54 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Aggies set date to leave Big 12 – Tulsa World | االله.net
September 1st, 2011
8:54 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
RedGADawg
September 1st, 2011
9:01 am
A&M to SEC only if they bring Oklahoma and either Alabama or Auburn joins east, not to any ACC university, how would an ACC football bottom dweller add revenue. UNC has most appeal from additional revenue, do not think they would leave a great basketball conference.
Chris
September 1st, 2011
9:06 am
To bad about the new market thing. As a Georiga fan, going to see my team play in Clemson was always an awesome atmosphere and great time. Ironically, fate has it that South Carolina is in the SEC when Clemson has the college town, tailgating atmosphere, stadium , etc. that is the very definition of an SEC Saturday. Oh well, I guess the powers that be know what’s good for the conference.
Joshua Barlowe
September 1st, 2011
9:09 am
Mark, it’s quite a stretch to say “the brightest lights shine” in the SEC.
I mean, really – they have some of the most questionable “student” athletes in the universe. If you can fog a mirror, you’re in.
GeorgiaDuck
September 1st, 2011
9:09 am
Tech left the SEC in 1964. It wasn’t about Dooley, Shug, Charlie Mac or Florida. It was about Bear Bryant and the dirty play in an Alabama-Tech game in 1963. http://cecilbuffington.com/catalog_40.html
MikeP
September 1st, 2011
9:38 am
Bring A & M, Oklahoma and Okie State into the SEC West. Move Auburn to the SEC East and add Virginia Tech to the East. 16 teams, all good to go!
UGADawg16
September 1st, 2011
9:43 am
MB – you crack me up. Your comments after are my favorite part!
Don Green
September 1st, 2011
10:16 am
I agree that when all of the dust settles there will four, sixteen or more team superconferences. And the football landscape will look nothing like it does today. It will then lead to a true playoff system.
The next dominoes to keep an eye on are Texas, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame. I think Oklhoma wants to go to the PAC with Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. I think Texas might be willing to do that as a fall back position.
But first I think the Longhorns are going to see if they can create a new conference involving Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma, and BYU as a core and pick off some Big East and ACC teams to fill in some gaps.
If that is not succesful, I expect Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State to go to the PAC.
I would think Missouri would be a likely candidate for the SEC, although I think their first choice might be the Big 10. And then of course the SEC would most likely add two teams from the East out of the ACC or Big East to fill their 16 team conference.
Its going to be interesting to watch. There will be no weak conferences when this is all done.
Mark Bradley
September 1st, 2011
10:16 am
Thanks, UGADawg16. Sometimes I even amuse myself.
BigTimeTechFan
September 1st, 2011
10:43 am
FIRST?
BigTimeTechFan
September 1st, 2011
10:50 am
Nobody in ACC will go to SEC, they are tight group right now.
Va Tech will not leave UVA, plus Va Tech’d dream for years was to play in ACC.
No Tobacco road team is leaving, they are the core of ACC
SEC should go after TCU to add rival for A&M move one team from West to the east.
They get Dallas market which is huge for recruiting
or Big 12 should get TCU to replace A&M and
Delbert D.
September 1st, 2011
11:03 am
Texas moving to the PAC-12 doesn’t seem likely, since they didn’t make the move last year. Some other factors were involved, including Baylor not being welcome by the left-coast value system. Furthermore, the Texas network would be mostly redundant except for the high school games, since ESPN and FOX with their $2.7 billion contract with the PAC-12 and the PAC-12 network (owned by the conference) guarantees that all football, basketball and virtually all other sports in the conference will be televised, every game.
Chris
September 1st, 2011
11:58 am
Most of the Atlantic Coast Conference schools are bound up by their academic pedigree. When will the other conferences see that the ACC teams is going to place their academic pedigree above all else. It is the BCS Ivy. They are going to stay where they are at. There is no other place they want to be at. Please get the message.
Nation + world: Texas A&M sets July 2012 deadline to exit Big 12 – Detroit Free Press | iPaged
September 2nd, 2011
12:03 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Tech Forever
September 2nd, 2011
12:19 am
You are all…..including YOU BRADLEY…..have missed one HUGE point. The Big 10 has already made two informal inquiries to Georgia Tech (1992 and 2010) to gauge their interest. So how much more attractive is GT to the SEC if it means keeping the Yankees out of Atlanta?
Tech Forever
September 2nd, 2011
12:24 am
Other things: Spurrier has already given Clemson his public vote of acceptance. UVA and VT are tied together by Virginia legislation enacted in order to get VT into the ACC…..one cannot leave without the other. And UNC, Duke, and Wake will never leave each other…..WAY to incestuous on Tobacco Road. N.C. State might be a viable option for the SEC but there will be HUGE pressure from Alums to stay with UNC.
That leaves Clemson, GT, and FSU as the only real viable options west of the Mississippi. I can see Florida voting FOR FSU if they can get an expansion clause written locking Miami, UCF, and South Florida out for ever and ever. Its a similar stance they took in ‘91/’92 when FSU was deciding between the SEC and ACC.
Tech Forever
September 2nd, 2011
12:26 am
As for my feelings as an oldtime Tech fan. I’ve said it 100 times……I’d rather lose every game in football in the SEC than win the ACC Championship.