The SEC needs Missouri more for image than for football
Former Mizzou man Sean Weatherspoon, now a Falcon. (AP photo)
Missouri’s curators voted Tuesday to ponder the school’s Big 12 exit. Put simply, Missouri’s curators voted — unanimously, FYI — to bail on the Big 12. At issue now is what the school would bring to its new home, which is apt to be the SEC.
Here were pause to note that some folks see Missouri as a better fit in the Big Ten — the Tigers already have a heated basketball rivalry with Illinois — but the Big Ten hasn’t been overt in its ardor to expand. The Big Ten might be happy as is. The SEC needs a 14th member to offset Texas A&M.
The SEC also needs Missouri for another reason: This whole round of conference-hopping has given big-time college sports the look of me-first-and-everybody-else-last Wall Street, and that’s not the look you want in the year 2011. (It’s reality, but it’s still an unseemly image for institutions of supposed higher learning.) Missouri plays pretty good football and good basketball, but that’s not its greatest lure for the SEC.
Missouri is a state school in a state — heck, a region — where the SEC doesn’t have an outpost, and it would also deliver the St. Louis and the Kansas City television markets. (That’s an upgrade over A&M, which delivers the less-prestigious College Station market.) Those are nice things to have, but they’re not essential. Of greater importance: The SEC views Missouri as another vehicle in its quest to spruce up its academic image, which could use sprucing.
If it adds Missouri, the SEC will count four schools among the high-minded Association of American Universities. That’s double from a month ago. Texas A&M is an AAU member, and so are Florida and Vanderbilt. Both the Aggies and the Tigers play good enough football that they won’t sully the SEC’s brand, and the SEC doesn’t need an Oklahoma or a Texas to burnish its standing as the best football league. (Check the latest Associated Press poll: SEC teams are ranked first, second, 10th, 15th, 17th and 18th.)
The SEC has been measured in its approach to School No. 14. It didn’t fall over itself when Texas and Oklahoma were making eyes at the Pac-12. It didn’t so much pursue Texas A&M as it allowed itself to be pursued. Adding a 13th member just sort of happened. Adding a 14th will be a considered choice.
Adding Missouri would do more for the SEC’s image off the field than on, and that’s a consideration a lot of us missed when this whole round of choosing-up got going. The SEC is often regarded as the root of all collegiate evil, but this is one time when the league ruled by football is trying not to act as if football is the only thing that matters.
By landing Syracuse and Pittsburgh, the ACC all but destroyed the Big East. The SEC doesn’t need to destroy anything to ensure its survival; it’s the biggest conference today, and it’ll be the biggest 20 years from now. Mike Slive, the SEC’s commissioner, didn’t always carry water for King Football. He was the AD at Cornell and assistant AD at Dartmouth; he was also commissioner of the Great Midwest and Conference USA.
Slive is 71. He’s at an age where thoughts of legacy loom largest. (Indeed, at the SEC Media Days in Birmingham this summer the hot rumor, quickly refuted, was that Slive would announce his retirement.) He has presided over a decade of massive SEC growth, and now he wants to make sure that growth won’t be regarded, in the cold eye of history, as rampant pillaging.
When Mike Slive leaves this conference, he wants to be able to say, “We tried to do it the right way.” Others will quibble over the definition of “right,” but if the SEC pairs Missouri with Texas A&M it will be harder to make the case that the biggest league was utterly craven in its desires. Those are two good schools. They’ll broaden the base without rendering the league top-heavy. They’ll make the SEC not just bigger but better.
And that’s the key. As fascinating as the notion of the SEC with Texas and/or Oklahoma would have been, it would also have given rise to the charge of overkill. At some point the best league has to realize, “We’re good enough.” Slive and his associates have come to that quiet conclusion. If Missouri is indeed No. 14, the SEC will have done something the SEC doesn’t often do: It will have made a subtle splash.
By Mark Bradley
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506 comments Add your comment
Delbert D.
October 5th, 2011
6:09 pm
Voice of reason – I’d say a real measure of academic worth is how much money the academic side of the house brings in. In the latest data available on line, the 61 AAU member universities received 57% of $15.7 billion in federal research grants.
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
6:09 pm
Speaking of PR… Missouri didn’t exactly endear themselves to SEC fans by announcing today that they would still prefer to join the Big-10, but that the SEC is their last and only remaining option.
How many of you think that you’d “get lucky” if you greeted your date in that manner when you arrived to pick her up?
Horace
October 5th, 2011
6:16 pm
Expert – it’s alright, the SEC wouldn’t have returned Missouri’s calls if it weren’t for Texas A&M joining the conference. I don’t see SEC fans getting too excited about adding Missouri, either. This is a marriage of convenience on all sides.
Wishbone Offense
October 5th, 2011
6:20 pm
The sporting news ranked the best sports cities from 1 to 271…
UGA(Athens) comes in at # 78…below Manhattan Kansas and above Knoxville Tenn.
74. Manhattan, Kan.
75. Tallahassee, Fla.
76. Austin, Texas
77. Iowa City, Iowa
78. Athens, Ga.
79. Knoxville, Tenn.
80. State College, Pa.
81. Clemson, S.C.
82. Reno, Nev.
83. Columbia, S.C.
84. Tulsa, Okla.
85. Waco, Texas
86. Lawrence, Kan.
Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/sport/story/2011-10-04/best-sports-cities-the-list-from-1-to-271#ixzz1ZwrWh900
Delbert D.
October 5th, 2011
6:29 pm
Huh. 51 through 73 are all college-only towns.
Pete
October 5th, 2011
6:33 pm
I believe you in the SEC do need our flagship educational institution since none of you seem to know enough US history 101. First of all the Confederate Battle Flag, carried 13 stars, one for each successional states, 11, and 2 one for Kentucky, and one for, you guessed it MISSOURI. We started fighting the Civil War before anybody knew there would be one! We have a lifetime record against Alabama football of 2-1. How many of you have a winning record against Alabama? ( I know the answer). We have a winning record against the SEC across the board, most recently a bowl win against South Carolina, when they melted down, and an absolute ass kicking of Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. That being said, I feel like if we are invited, and join, it’s a bit of an arranged marriage. I don’t dispute we would have probably prefered the BIG-10, but arranged marriages work everyday, we would have to adjust to each other, but probably from much more commonality than you think.
R.C.
October 5th, 2011
6:36 pm
Missouri is a perfect fit for SEC. Natural rivals with Ark.,LSU, ole miss, Miss st. auburn, alabana and others. Would love to see Missouri and Clemson added. Then SEC would have four sets of Tigers. Who could argue with that. Know way could Missouri or the SEC lose in this deal.
confused
October 5th, 2011
6:40 pm
Um unless he is joking, this is perhaps the dumbest thing that I have seen from a “legit” writer during this whole mess: “Missouri is a state school in a state — heck, a region — where the SEC doesn’t have an outpost, and it would also deliver the St. Louis and the Kansas City television markets. (That’s an upgrade over A&M, which delivers the less-prestigious College Station market.)”
I don’t think the Columbia TV market is very good either (100k people) but I can assure you that Dallas and Houston are a little bit more important than St. Louis and KC in the ratings game.
Just so you SEC people know, there are 25 million people in Texas and there are Aggie fans everywhere. They are obnoxious and their cheerleaders are guys. Plus they are perennial under achievers. As this season has already attested to.
Mark, in case you were wondering, there are more people in Houston Metro than in all of Missouri.
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
6:47 pm
@confused
It was, indeed, intended as a joke.
Willie!T
October 5th, 2011
6:59 pm
Ok, we get it, people think it’s “funny”
Missouri is not in the “Southeast” geography; “they’ll have to change the name of the conference” yadda yadda…
Well the “BigTen” was 11 & now is 12. The Big12 was 12 now is 10 and is headed toward 9…8..???
A name is a brand, and the “SEC” is a very strong brand in athletics.
I agree that adding Mizzou boost the academics of the SEC. Sure, people outside the footprint of the SEC snicker at the use of the terms “academics” and “SEC” in the same statement. As with many topics, the topic of academics is relative. Most universities in the SEC are not research-centric yet each has academic strengths that in some ways make up for it. Tennessee has one of the top business undergraduate programs in the nation as well as one of the top MBA programs. Auburn is one of the top universities for both Engineering and Agriculture.
Some choose to dwell on weaknesses, others of us choose to consider strengths.
Texas A&M Leaving Big 12 - Page 1083 - CycloneFanatic
October 5th, 2011
7:18 pm
[...] [...]
Delbert D.
October 5th, 2011
7:25 pm
I’ve worked with a lot of UT guys in engineering along with several Auburn ex-Navy engineering grads. Good fellows.
IL Jacket
October 5th, 2011
7:25 pm
Much more interesting discussion than usual for an AJC blog. Personally appreciated the history on Missouri, but really can’t believe that it has any bearing on the question before us- whether Missouri joins the SEC. I must say that all of this drama about adding a 14th team does not reflect well on Mike Slive. I think Jim Delaney has gotten the best
of him. Bided his time and landed a storied program to round out to 12 and have a championship game. For a long time they were 11 and made that work, so this rush to get an even number certainly seems like desparation by the SEC. I know Missouri feels ill used by the BigTen, but to rush into a second choice doesn’t appear wise either.
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
7:38 pm
@IL Jacket
It’s easier to deal with an odd number of teams when you don’t have a playoff or divisions. The SEC can (and will, if necessary) operate with 13, but it will be an inconvenience. I don’t know why you say that this so-called “drama” reflects poorly on Mike Slive. I didn’t realize that Mike and Jim were engaged in a wrestling match? Perhaps your view of the situation is clouded by SEC PE?
Baldknobber
October 5th, 2011
8:13 pm
All you yay-hoos railing about “yankees” need to brush up on your history. The First Missouri Brigade was the go-to outfit for Pemberton, Johnston, and Hood. Not that it matters today, but really, learn your history.
GeoffDawg
October 5th, 2011
8:14 pm
It’s been a rare privilege to witness a flame war over Missouri’s secessionist activities in the 1860’s. You don’t get that on a college football blog everyday. Bravo.
Delbert D.
October 5th, 2011
8:15 pm
The Southeast thing is easier to visualize by taking a blank map of the U.S. with state borders shown, and putting a dot on map where each university is located. The cluster of those dots looks like it’s Southeast.
Delbert D.
October 5th, 2011
8:16 pm
GeoffDawg – Maybe a university student has been inspired to do a paper on the topic.
beanster
October 5th, 2011
8:21 pm
I would love to add MU so that I could visit one of my favorite restaurants in America — Lambert’s Cafe, in Sikeston, MO. Home of the “Throwed Rolls”. Now tell me that ain’t Southern!
ATL
October 5th, 2011
8:44 pm
Missouri borders arkasnas, tenn and keantucky, 3 sec states. It was a confederate state and a slave state, so it may not be the southeast but culturally it makes sence infact one of the largest battles of the cival war occurred on the campus of Missouri, and the central part of the state is known as little dixie along the missouri river which is where cloumbia is. The campus is also in Boone county thier ant anything more southern then the name Boone. Infact the band still plays the dixieland song at home football games. The state also grows both tabaco and cotton so it sounds more southern the atlanta for real.
wreckmaniac
October 5th, 2011
9:07 pm
There is no reason for any North Carolina school to have any interest in the SEC. North Carolina is the home of the ACC which has shown that it will dominate any expansion contest. I’m sure the ACC is ready to pounce on another major aquisition the second the SEC or the Big Whatever thinks its ready to make a move. The ACC dominates the eastern seaboard which is the nation’s biggest market. In fact, this contest is already over. The SEC should continue to pursue small town teams in small population states as that is it’s tradition.
wreckmaniac
October 5th, 2011
9:12 pm
The SEC should add Wyoming.
Wayne stuck in AL
October 5th, 2011
9:15 pm
“(That’s an upgrade over A&M, which delivers the less-prestigious College Station market.)”
Really? College Station sits in a triangle that offers FOUR of the top 50 TV markets in the U.S. (D-FW, Houston, Austin and San Antonio).
“Missouri plays pretty good football and good basketball…”
Mizzou football hasn’t been relevant since Al Onofrio in the 70’s, and they currently offer very little else. Other than academics, I fail to see what else they bring. Using the SEC’s own parameters (not bringing in a 2nd team from a state), I’d rather bring in UNC (but then, they’d have to bring in Dook) or Maryland (the D.C.-Baltimore TV markets are bigger and more relevant than meth-country Missouri).
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
9:19 pm
@beanster
RE: Lambert’s Cafe
Been there, done that! My wife and I happened in just looking for supper one evening. We had no idea what we were getting into.
They also have a Lambert’s in the Branson area now.
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
9:22 pm
@wreckmaniac
There’s nothing in NC that would interest the SEC. The ACC can poach their way to 64 schools and they will still be the fifth best football conference in the nation.
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
9:26 pm
RIP Steve Jobs
1955 – 2011
GR82BAG8R
October 5th, 2011
9:49 pm
Expert Opinion, don’t let your anti-ACC bias cloud your judgement. If UNC asked to joing the SEC, the vote would be unanimous – - YES.
GR82BAG8R
October 5th, 2011
9:55 pm
As far as television markets, it’s not the size of the city or the market that matters, but the size of the school, stadium, and alumni base – - i.e. average game attendance. If Clems(paw)n were to join the SEC, it would be a big addition with its 80K stadium. To say that the SEC already has the South Carolina market implies that the only viewers in South Carolina are Gamecock fans. Adding Clems(paw)n significantly increases the viewers in South Carolina.
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
9:55 pm
I have no anti-ACC bias. Why, pray tell, would the SEC want UNC?
GR82BAG8R
October 5th, 2011
9:58 pm
14th team….lets the division rivals stay where they are. Provides another patsy for UGA, Florida, Tennessee, USCe to pad their conference records. Makes the SEC more competitive in basketball.
What’s not to like?
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
10:02 pm
I’ll admit that UNC is about as relevant as is Mizzou regarding football, but it would not present a good image for the SEC to become involved with a school that has so recently been sanctioned by the NCAA. Were it not for that, accepting UNC would provide greater geographical balance than Missouri offers. There would then be no need for Auburn to change divisions. As for basketball — who cares?
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
10:04 pm
At any rate, the ACC has placed some pretty heavy handcuffs on their members to discourage them from bolting.
Delbert D.
October 5th, 2011
10:06 pm
GR82BAG8R – Missouri to the SEC East. Makes sense, because 2 of the states it is attached to are Kentucky and Tennessee. Also, the Missouri sort of looks like Georgia non the map.
GR82BAG8R
October 5th, 2011
10:06 pm
Sanctions???? Let’s not use that as a reason not to admit a school. Most schools in the SEC have had our own scandals with the NCAA, so let’s be careful in our glass houses.
GR82BAG8R
October 5th, 2011
10:08 pm
Delbert, it makes it easier, and why not? Missouri is not in the Southeast, so why bother with putting them in the SEC West?
Delbert D.
October 5th, 2011
10:08 pm
Boy, I typed that too fast.
GR82BAG8R
October 5th, 2011
10:10 pm
Expert, I agree there. I still say the ACC jumped the gun with admitting Syracuse and Pitt so quickly. They fully expected the PAC-12 to expand, the SEC to expand more than the Automatic Teller Machines, and the SEC to try and peel off some big-stadium ACC schools. When the PAC-12 said they were not expanding, the ACC said OOPS.
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
10:11 pm
RE: Sanctions????
Of course the SEC has seen their share of NCAA trouble, but that is different from accepting a new member that is currently under a cloud.
You know what they say… You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
10:14 pm
Heh!
Automatic Teller Machines
I had to think about that for a minute.
Delbert D.
October 5th, 2011
10:15 pm
GR82BAG8R – Good for Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Tennessee for travel. Yes it would be okay for Arkansas if they had Missouri in the West. Can’t please everybody, and not playing Missouri every year shouldn’t bother Arkansas, since they don’t play them anyway. All the rich folks from Georgia and Florida can fly or make a 4-5 day vacation out of it in their RVs. Too bad, South Carolina; but y’all have had worse problems, right?
GR82BAG8R
October 5th, 2011
10:16 pm
Unless UNC is in danger of the death penalty, NCAA sanctions are a non-issue. The school has a decent sized alumni base and will bring more viewers to the SEC.
Delbert D.
October 5th, 2011
10:19 pm
Expert Opinion – I thought my mental agility was pretty good, but the Automatic Teller Machines has me stumped. Now, Edward Teller machines I know about. They made big booms.
Delbert D.
October 5th, 2011
10:21 pm
From my experience with UNC people, they have a supercilious attitude. The don’t deign, they don’t stoop.
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
10:21 pm
RE: Jumping the gun
I think the ACC tried to cover their hineys on two fronts with that move.
1. They bought into the 64 member “superconference” meme and hoped to assist in the destruction of the Big-12, so that they could become the “fourth superconference”.
2. Failing that, they propped up their basketball gravitas with the schools that they picked off from the Big East. If they had become irrelevant in football, then basketball would have become their only significant television revenue source.
TI 1 ON
October 5th, 2011
10:25 pm
Anyone with knowledge knows MU has an avid fan base in the entire state of MO i.e. fan following from STL to KC to South Mo.
Missouri also has two MLB clubs and two NFL teams and The Blues if your keeping count that does account for MU fans being a bit distracted as to sports loyalty . However make no mistake that when MU plays on sunny fall Sat. afternoons every one is a tiger fan!
MU brings over 4-6 million potential viewers from the region plus nation wide alums
Delbert D.
October 5th, 2011
10:27 pm
Expert Opinion – I thought that the ACC expansion/4 superconferences/destruction of theBig East was equally likely to the Big 12-10-8-4-0 scenario.
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
10:27 pm
@Delbert D.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I assumed that the “Automatic Teller Machines” was a somewhat cryptic reference to TAMU.
JRUGA
October 5th, 2011
10:29 pm
Mizzou a yankee school? Missouri has a star on the CSA flag. Is it a coincidence that 8 states out of the 13 original CSA states made up the SEC, but just in the past month, 9 states are now in the footprint with another being touted as the #14 school? If Mizzou is added to the SEC, what are the chances that 1 Virginia school and 1 North Carolina school would be the next consideration? It would bring all the original states back into the footprint in the SEC which is considered THE southern conference geographically. If Mizzou to SEC doesn’t happen, look for FSU since the original footprint of the South will not be met.
Delbert D.
October 5th, 2011
10:31 pm
That did cross my mind, until I got hung up on Edward Teller. I read “Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb” earlier this year. I’d recommend reading Richard Rhodes other book first, as it covers the earlier part of the Manhattan Project.
Expert Opinion
October 5th, 2011
10:34 pm
The thing is, if the 4 16 team superconference idea was legit, it would have excluded the ACC — unless there was no longer a Big-12 conference. The Big East would have never been included in such a scheme. It would have been the PAC, B1G, SEC and Big-12. If the Big-12 was out of the picture, then a slot opened for the ACC. That’s why the overture by Texas was such big news.
In the long run, the ACC should be glad that they didn’t inherit the cancer in Austin.