Missouri has officially been accepted as a member of the Southeastern Conference. Along with new member Texas A&M, that means the SEC will compete as a 14-team conference starting next season.
Following is the official announcement sent out by the SEC Sunday morning:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (November 6, 2011) – The Southeastern Conference Presidents and Chancellors, acting unanimously, announced today that the University of Missouri will join the Southeastern Conference effective July 1, 2012, with competition to begin in all sports for the 2012-13 academic year.
The addition of Missouri will increase SEC membership to 14 institutions. The additions of Texas A&M, announced on September 25, 2011, and Missouri, are the first expansions for the SEC since September of 1991 when the University of South Carolina joined the league. The University of Arkansas joined the SEC in August of 1991. With the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina, the SEC was the first conference to split into divisions and add a conference championship game in 1992.
“The Presidents and Chancellors of the Southeastern Conference are pleased to welcome the University of Missouri to the SEC,” said Dr. Bernie Machen, President of the SEC Presidents and Chancellors and president of the University of Florida. “The University of Missouri is a prestigious academic institution with a strong athletic tradition and a culture similar to our current institutions.”
“The Southeastern Conference is a highly successful, stable, premier athletic conference that offers exciting opportunities for the University of Missouri,” said Chancellor Brady J. Deaton. “In joining the SEC, MU partners with universities distinguished for their academic programs and their emphasis on student success. The SEC will provide our student-athletes with top flight competition and unparalleled visibility. We came to this decision after careful consideration of the long term best interests of our university. We believe the Southeastern Conference is an outstanding home for the Mizzou Tigers, and we take great pride in our association with this distinguished league.”
Missouri, located in Columbia, will also be the fourth institution in the Southeastern Conference to hold membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities, joining University of Florida, Texas A&M University and Vanderbilt University. Missouri has an enrollment of 33,800 students, which would be the fourth largest institution in the SEC, with Florida, Georgia and Texas A&M having a larger student body. There are more than 260,000 “Mizzou” alumni around the world. The State of Missouri borders three SEC states: Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas, and they bring an existing rivalry with former conference foe Texas A&M.
Missouri athletic teams have excelled recently. Its men’s basketball team has made it to the NCAA Tournament three straight seasons and 24 times overall. The Tiger football team has been to post-season bowl games for six straight years and 28 times overall. The softball team has participated in the College World Series each of the last three seasons. The Tigers have won Big 12 Championships in men’s basketball, soccer and softball.
“I am pleased to officially welcome the University of Missouri to the SEC family on behalf of our presidents, chancellors, athletics directors, students and fans,” said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. “Missouri is an outstanding academic institution with a strong athletic program. We look forward to having the Tigers compete in our league starting in 2012.”
The Tigers sponsor 20 varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, swimming and diving, wrestling, indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country. Women’s sports include basketball, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country and volleyball. Missouri participates in every sport sponsored by the SEC except men’s tennis and the SEC sponsors every sport the Tigers participate in except wrestling.
224 comments Add your comment
BobDawg
November 6th, 2011
5:26 pm
since I’m “first at the top of the page… do i get a prize??? a flask, maybe???
BobDawg
November 6th, 2011
5:27 pm
I had a question earlier…Think we will see some “snow” games now at Mizzou????? Would that be cool or what???
Red & Black
November 6th, 2011
5:27 pm
They only join for next season if WVU can leave the Big East which looks very doubtful right now unless WVU is willing to cough up 20 million to leave early. The counter suit by the Big East is much more likely to win than the lawsuit filed by WVU.
SuperB
November 6th, 2011
5:44 pm
Mizzou needs to get a tennis team!
catlady
November 6th, 2011
5:45 pm
Reminds me of how my dad used to try to convince me that Illinois was a border state during The War.
Sorry, if you have lived in Missouri or Texas you know neither one is “Southern” unless you mean South of Chicago. They are midwestern schools, and don’t belong in a SOUTHEASTERN Conference.
If you can’t get sweet tea there, it is NOT a part of the South.
Contractor
November 6th, 2011
5:48 pm
Not sure what the SEC was trying to accomplish by adding either one of these new teams. Missouri or Texas A&M aren’t even in the Southeast, aren’t even decent football programs, lack in basketball, baseball, and every other sport. What a mistake and way to take away from what was working. The SEC just went from the most elite to the same kind of crap the Big 10 and Pac-12 offers.
Delbert D.
November 6th, 2011
5:51 pm
I wonder if the Big East as a football conference is going to collapse in a bunch of lawsuits. I think Boise and Air Force are better off staying in the Mountain West, and UCF in C-USA, since those 2 conferences are in effect merging into a superconference with the winner of the championship game between the 2 almost certain to get an automatic BCS bid. I think Navy stays independent.
SUMTER SC is the arm pit of the world!
November 6th, 2011
5:52 pm
GT BOB-A-NOB…..Go back to the bug site and envy over someone else, we are tired of your act.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 6th, 2011
5:54 pm
Just waiting on the Golden Domers of Notre Dame to join the ACC.
catlady
November 6th, 2011
5:55 pm
Maybe we should just call it the “What the Hell Conference.”
BobDawg
November 6th, 2011
5:56 pm
While catlady is correct about Sweet tea, I have been to an Aggie game and it was really cool. 12th man and the atmosphere is fun
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 6th, 2011
5:56 pm
Tebow with a TD pass.
SUMTER SC is the arm pit of the world!
November 6th, 2011
5:56 pm
Hey Mizzo……It’s not the Big 10 but it is whats left. Great start to insult your new home. Buckle your chin strap!
BobDawg
November 6th, 2011
6:00 pm
I also believe A & M produces more generals than West Point. See, gator, I’m full of facts also!
Delbert D.
November 6th, 2011
6:01 pm
It’s not 1961 anymore, Tulane and Georgia Tech are no longer members, and S.C. and Arkansas have been added several years ago. TV crosses old boundaries better than fans traveling across state boundaries in terms of dollars. This is all headed toward a playoff and away from the BCS, which will the natural thing to happen in in Div 1 football. The BCS is corrupt, moreso than the NCAA.
Florida and Georgia along with Texas and California have the deepest pool of high school talent in the nation, and the SEC now has a footprint in 3 of those states.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 6th, 2011
6:03 pm
I thought Virginia Tech had the largest corp of cadets at any college.
Delbert D.
November 6th, 2011
6:09 pm
Things are changing. When I was in college (the first attempt, anyway), there were only VMI, VPI, Texas A&M, North Georgia and Penn Military that were classified “Essentially Military Colleges” by the Army. Now TA&M admits females and non-cadets, and Penn Military is Widener University. NGC has a large school of nursing, and in my experience, had female students since at least the mid-60s. I attended 2 of the 6 schools I listed.
Delbert D.
November 6th, 2011
6:13 pm
I left out The Citadel and one other school that I can’t recall off hand. There were 8 back in the ’60s in that US Army classification.
Bye Bye to the dawgs
November 6th, 2011
6:13 pm
Bend over, dawgs. Auburn’s coming to town.
The silly Kool-Aid dreams come crashing down.
Alabama Jack
November 6th, 2011
6:16 pm
Bad move!! SEC doesn’t need these losers!!!!!!!!!!!
dawg nation
November 6th, 2011
6:19 pm
Would have liked to have seen a team from the South East join but oh well! Go Dawgs!!
catlady
November 6th, 2011
6:21 pm
Why was the announcement made by the SEC THIS MORNING? Don’t those boys know their mamas expect them to be in church, not sending out announcements on football on the Lord’s Day? Another indication that the SEC is going to hell.
doug
November 6th, 2011
6:23 pm
i like that mizzou is joining but who moving to east ? auburn?
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 6th, 2011
6:25 pm
doug MIZZOU……..go back and read from the beginning. All that has been covered.
Paddy
November 6th, 2011
6:32 pm
Contractor……you are right Mo & A&M are not in the Southeast. So how do you explain those damn Yankees from Kentucky. I am ok with the two new schools. Just no more Yankees like Kentucky!
Proud of this?
November 6th, 2011
6:37 pm
The athletic history of UGA is full of so many sordid, sleazy incidents – dating back to Vince Dooley and continuing through Mark Richt – that it’s impossible to overlook. The school has come to stand for drunkenness and lawlessness, coddling of illiterate low-class athletes who should never have been admitted to college, and rampant cheating by coaches.
UGA and Mark Richt are an affront and an embarrassment to all decent people in this state.
richmondDawg
November 6th, 2011
6:37 pm
Delbert, I’ve been up in Virginia about 30 years now, and VPI (Va Tech) is a more research oriented school now than a military one. Mostly engineering, the hard sciences, vet school, etc. They also have about every liberal arts program under the sun these days…My sister is actually an alumnus
Bob
November 6th, 2011
6:43 pm
The AAU is the cartel that decides where the HS phenom basketball players are going and which “advisor/guardian” gets the finders’ fee.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 6th, 2011
6:47 pm
Bob the AAU in this story is the American Association of Universities. It has nothing to do with the AAU Sports clubs pimping high school kids.
Bob
November 6th, 2011
6:49 pm
Thanks Still, and order us a couple more Dickels…on my tab!
Uh Oh
November 6th, 2011
6:50 pm
It looked Mangy Mutt Russ may have had a bit of diarrhea yesterday.
Wait, I think it was one of the players I saw.
Delbert D.
November 6th, 2011
6:56 pm
Sagarin Strength-of-schdule ranking through Nov. 5
Top Ten S.O.S.
1- Missouri
2- Texas A&M
3- Kansas
4- Oklahoma St.
5- Arizona
6- Baylor
7- Oklahoma
8- LSU
9- Tennessee
10- Iowa St.
Paddy
November 6th, 2011
6:59 pm
Bob Dawg….I too have been to 1 A&M game. It was electric. SE Conf. fans that decied to travel to College Station will be in for a nice day of college football atmosphere. Don’t know of anything special going on at Columbis, Mo. on game day.
tell me again
November 6th, 2011
7:00 pm
Why are Tech fans on our blog talking about schedule strength? The ACC as a whole is weak year in and year out as proven when UGA and South Carolina trounced the two teams playing for the ACC championship! You guys need to DROP that argument – you don’t have a leg to stand on Bruhahahahaha!
Captain
November 6th, 2011
7:00 pm
GTBob – would gladly take our schedule? Really? Why? You play in the weakest BCS conference, you honestly believe you could “compete” in the Big Boy league? Which of your OOC opponents equals Boise? I believe NM State would compete with Kansas, for that matter which of our opponents wouldn’t beat Kansas, UNC, Maryland, NC State? Ole Miss is the weakest team in the SEC and even they would win in the ACC. If Georgia played your schedule we would be unbeaten, that’s a fact. Go back to your tickle piles.
Still@cool aid bar. You cite the AJC as your reference? That’s a laugher, the same AJC that named the late Richard Jewell as the Olympic Park bomber! That’s rich. Those SAT scores you noted, are Public schools and don’t include the likes of Duke Stanford Vanderbilt Notre Dame among several so don’t took that trombone too hard when you attempt to elevate GTs dismal APR and Grad rates. GT offered virtually every member od the freshman class of football players at Georgia. GT also served probation for playing academically ineligible football players. Included in the current GT freshman football class is a young man who was denied entry into Auburn in the 2009 class, but fish Fry signed him up.
You two boys better worry about Virginia Tech this Thursday, buy a ticket, show up, and good luck.
GT Fan
November 6th, 2011
7:01 pm
SEC East sucks!!!!
Best offense in the SEC East is ranked 60th….that’s awful.
At least GT can beat top 25 ranked opponents. UGA has yet to beat a ranked opponent this year. UGA is an illusion!!!!
chilidawg
November 6th, 2011
7:03 pm
Just add OU & Okie St. and move Bama & Auburn to the SEC east. Tenn/Bama and UGA/Auburn rivalries preserved, travel simplified.
JDawg1785
November 6th, 2011
7:04 pm
OK…
Jan Kemp
November 6th, 2011
7:07 pm
Tech posters should remember that I was a Bulldog as well.
Joe Paterno
November 6th, 2011
7:08 pm
I don’t think Southern schools are up to our standards.
GTBob
November 6th, 2011
7:20 pm
You play in the weakest BCS conference, you honestly believe you could “compete” in the Big Boy league?
Do you honestly consider the garbage that UGA has played to be “big boy” football? The SEC west is better then the ACC. The SEC east is pretty far below. And no, the 2-7 Ole Miss Rebels who couldnt beat BYU or Kentucky would not win the ACC. I will be surprised if they beat Louisiana Tech this weekend.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 6th, 2011
7:21 pm
Captain………..the kids were not cheating. The compliance director decided to stop doing his job. He stopped attending the meetings to learn new rules. He was telling the other officers they players were progressing towards graduation as they should. He was wrong and tech paid for it. The players and coaches didn’t knowingly try to Cheat or get around the rules. Look at it how you wish, but that is an accurate of what took place. Just because tech offered the same players UGA did doesn’t mean they all would have passed the NCAA clearing house.
GTBob
November 6th, 2011
7:23 pm
I stay on these blogs for several hours at a time and hate on wonderful UGA because I do not have any intimate or sexual relationships. Dawgone, those UGA folks look like they are enjoying life.
GTBob
November 6th, 2011
7:25 pm
I wish I were a coach at Penn State.
GTBob
November 6th, 2011
7:27 pm
m4m, Northside Pkwy, Tuesdays anytime after noon
Ronaldus Hyattus
November 6th, 2011
7:31 pm
weaseal –Do you own or work for the SEC? If not, what is this WE thing? Moron.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 6th, 2011
7:33 pm
FAKE………GTBob
November 6th, 2011
7:27 pm
m4m, Northside Pkwy, Tuesdays anytime after noon
What the hell language are you trying to speak in this post? Your UGA degree must be showing. That doesn’t even make a lick of sense.
jackyldo
November 6th, 2011
7:42 pm
Mizzou is closer to Kentucky Vandy Tenn. and Athens than they are to Waco/Austin/ Lubbock or College Station.
Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)
November 6th, 2011
7:43 pm
Still@Koolaid: Stick a sock in it. Just a few days ago Ga. Tech was identified as L A S T in graduating their football players. Guess y’all must be “dumbing down” those 1200, 1300, 1400,etc. SAT athletes Know whut I’m sayin?????????????????????????????????????
bad moon
November 6th, 2011
7:51 pm
Missouri? YYYYYAAAAWWWWNNNNNNNN !!!!!
The only thing that could be more boring would be having GT in your conference.