NCAA Football: The SEC Passes On Texas A&M For Now
by Glenn Logan on Aug 14, 2011 5:30 PM EDT
in College Football
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PrintAccording to our friends over at Burnt Orange Nation, the SEC has apparently decided not to invite the Texas A&M Aggies to join the SEC -- at least, not just yet. The SEC cites the current 12 team alignment as a big reason, seemingly disinclined to mess with something that is working well.
To me, expanding to 14 teams is fraught with risk, but does contain some reward. Inviting Texas A&M would bring another school that is solid in both football and basketball, opens up the Texas (particularly east and central Texas) to recruiting. Another good thing about it is that it would bring two former Southwest Conference foes, the Aggies and the Arkansas Razorbacks, back into a rivalry situation.
One problem is that the SEC would need to bring in at least one other school to make an even number. I am told by several people who carefully watch the situation that Virginia Tech would be excited to get an invitation to the SEC party. The problem with that is that they are a fairly small market team, and also have no natural rivals in the SEC. in fact, both schools have cultural issues with the SEC, although Texas A&M seems to be the more natural fit of the two. To me, being more of a basketball guy, Texas A&M looks like the western version of Auburn.
Lastly, I don't really like the idea of expanding beyond 12 teams. Whenever I look at that mess of a conference called the Big East, I cringe at the idea of thinking the SEC could do 14 or more teams any better than they do, which is to say, badly.
It seems that the SEC feels somewhat the same way in its reluctance to invite the Aggies, who seem ready and willing to come with nothing more than a come-hither look from Mike Slive & Co. Perhaps it's as much because Texas A&M is so willing that has an impact, but more likely it has something to do with the logistics of getting another team in the fold that will work, and for all the talk of the Clemson Tigers, the Florida St. Seminoles or the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, those schools have SEC members who would object strenuously to their inclusion.
So that's what I think. What do you think, dear reader, about the current conference realignment chatter?
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Not sure of the benefits
of expansion. I actually think a ten-team conference is better in that teams can play a double round robin schedule in basketball. The conference championship game in football is all hype, but it brings in the dollars. More teams simply makes a conference more unwieldy, in my view.
I'm glad
and for the same reasons. If the SEC started expanding, I’d have to drop my mockery of the Big East for their ridiculous scheduling, faux champion, and lack of any traditional cohesion. And I treasure my reasons to sneer at the Big East.
by blue kentucky girl on Aug 14, 2011 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Heh.
Yeah, mocking the Big East is an invaluable asset. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Adding two football powerhouses (seems to be who wants in)
Makes me worry about UK football losing air time. IF they can promise me the same amount of UK football on air and two more (more SEC football) in our conference and ESPN reworks the TV contract with more to split then I would be okay with it.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Joker says "Bring it on."
Bravado? Probably. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Seems to me its all about the markets ..... ie money ...
The biggest plus for the fan i think, is that it might move college football closer to a playoff ,,,, Adding a Texas team makes for more viewers and more money … but we cant just add one team … we got to add a pair – so who else?? …. complicated issue
Its got to be FSU
Its the only one that makes real sense. Clemson brings nothing to the party. We could try for WVU, or maybe another Big 12 team, although if it is just bringing in an even number, we will never get a better excuse to bring in UL. But I digress.
The FSU/TAMU combination is the best overall for everyone. We put FSU in the east, TAMU in the west, and balance as well as more exposure are both served.
If Slive is determined to do this, and I believe he is, based on his actions the last few days, then he needs to get down to Tallahassee and get the thing done. Don’t let this thing drag out.
I want to see it happen, just because I think that getting our foot in the door in Texas is a good thing, and locking down Florida even tighter is just a necessity. Besides, it gives Florida a headache to have to deal with, and anything that does that I am all for.
I am now and shall forever be the Cat in The Hat, The Artist Formerly Known As ABC!!!
by Greg Alan Edwards on Aug 14, 2011 7:53 PM EDT reply actions
Some people have been talking Missouri.
I don’t really get that, but that’s what I have heard, for what it’s worth.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Can't see how you believe FSU to be the best option as team #14.
They add no new recruiting grounds nor any new television markets. Why do you believe they are such a great addition? To me, we would want to go after someone on the east coast (Virginia, VaTech or Maryland) to open up new lands for television and recruiting.
I bet their will be some against FSU.
First would be Florida. The addition of FSU would hurt their recruiting since those in-state players would have another way to play in state AND play in the SEC.
Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.
bummer.
I get your point about not wanting to expand beyond 12 teams, but my gut initial reaction to the news that TAMU won’t be invited to join the SEC is, well, bummer.
I was all for it and really hoped it would happen. They have a HUGE fan base and are very loyal fans. I think it would be nothing but a plus for the SEC, money-wise, prestige-wise, exciting games on the docket, a bit more a of diverse geography (I could get to College Station pretty easily what with the family that I have down in Texas) and almost all other.
It would be a plus in all the ways you say.
But it would complicate things a lot going to 14 teams. Seven teams in a conference basically makes your conference schedule all in division except for one game.
I have real problems with that, because at that point, you can arguably say that you should have two conferences, not one.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Glenn,
. Seven teams in a conference basically makes your conference schedule all in division except for one game… I have real problems with that
I think your math is off? Or maybe mine is. Right now it looks like we play 5 teams from the East, 3 from the West, and have 4 “buy” wins. Adding A&M and Florida State would only mean that we either:
- Play 6 teams from the East, 2 from the West (one less than now), and 4 “buy” wins
- Play 6 teams from the East, 3 from the West (same as now), and 3 “buy” wins
I don’t see how either of those is a “real problem”. Seems like it would be good football.
.
"I watch (UK) every night... I am going to support them for the rest of my life. I'm a Wildcat for the rest of my life." -- JWall, 2/8/11
What will doing away with divisions do to that?
Isn’t that about to happen?
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
I thought that was only for basketball
and the conference basketball tournament?
We’re talking about the football schedule, I think.
I would be willing to trade a Central Michigan or Jacksonville State for a home-home against Florida State.
.
"I watch (UK) every night... I am going to support them for the rest of my life. I'm a Wildcat for the rest of my life." -- JWall, 2/8/11
me too.
and, not just for football, even though I think that is what you are specifically talking about?
I would love to see good quality games (conference games, if that is the way it all shakes out) against good quality competition rather than patsies. Again, maybe the patsies are appreciated in football, but his hoops obsessed girl loves a good game when she can get it.
.
…and, not just for football, even though I think that is what you are specifically talking about?
Yeah, I was just talking about football. Central Michigan and Jacksonville St. are on this year’s non-conference football schedule, along with Louisville and Western KY.
I wasn’t even thinking about basketball. I think this expansion is really about football. I don’t think basketball has much, if anything, to do with it.
.
"I watch (UK) every night... I am going to support them for the rest of my life. I'm a Wildcat for the rest of my life." -- JWall, 2/8/11
hmm.
well, I suppose the drive to get TAMU up front might be about the football money that they could help generate, but a new conference addition is a new conference addition and it would obviously affect basketball, and volleyball, and baseball, etc, etc. You can’t just add a team to your conference for one sport after all.
The scrambling for expansions
is ultimately about new markets- meaning new television markets. And new television networks in the future.
You can’t just add a team to your conference for one sport after all.
In terms of new networks and generating actual revenue, that is just about exactly what the SEC would be doing. Aside from the revenue the basketball teams bring in.
Yes, of course adding a school means adding its volleyball and baseball teams to the conference… but what do they have to do with television markets? Those sports are just along for the ride. I doubt much thought has been given to the A&M volleyball team in all of this.
I agree with those who say that conference expansions are going to happen sooner or later, so we (the SEC) may as well go ahead and get the ‘pick of the litter’ while we can.
.
"I watch (UK) every night... I am going to support them for the rest of my life. I'm a Wildcat for the rest of my life." -- JWall, 2/8/11
I didn't realize they could do it only for basketball
Thanks HS
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Well...
don’t quote me on that. That is what I thought I heard, anyway…
I think it was because all of the good basketball teams were stacked in the East and it made the tournament a little funky.
.
"I watch (UK) every night... I am going to support them for the rest of my life. I'm a Wildcat for the rest of my life." -- JWall, 2/8/11
That is what I thought
The reason was, but I guess I assumed it would apply to football as well. You know what they say about when we assume. :-)
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Another scheduling option
is to rotate out one of your division games each year. With bigger divisions it shouldn’t effect rivalries to a great degree since you only miss an “annual” opponent every 6 years.
Obviously you’ll have the occasional year when the top two teams in a division don’t meet but they’ll just have to follow the tie breakers.
Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.
My math was off, for sure.
I don’t think we’ll go to less than four OOC games. I guess I just think that 14 schools is too many, but that’s really a personal preference.
I suppose I don’t have any practical complaint other than what I see in the Big East, which is a mess for basketball and would be a mess for football if they actually played football in that conference.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I like the idea of adding A&M
and also Florida State. Why not move into the Texas market?
I am hoping that the only thing that is really standing in the way is getting Florida State on board. A&M brings the tradition of the Twelfth Man, and Florida State brings the ‘FSU Cowgirls’.
It’s a win-win.
.
"I watch (UK) every night... I am going to support them for the rest of my life. I'm a Wildcat for the rest of my life." -- JWall, 2/8/11
Yeah, but ...
… Florida sure is going to get angry if FSU gets in. Not sure that matters much, but they will, for what it’s worth.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Follow The Money
A couple of things are certain: whichever team(s) admitted will have a better FB program than UK and a not as good BB program. But all that is of little importance, as usual it’s all about increased conference revenue.
Texas A&M a western version Auburn in BB, huh?
"Statistics are no substitute for judgment" — Henry Clay (my namesake)
Not so much in basketball.
More of in culture, really. No doubt they have a better program than Auburn, at least for the moment. That might not last,though.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I am glad they are staying put
Hopefully, common sense will reign and the SEC (and everyone else other than the Big East) will stay at 12. Adding more teams might be good for football, but it completely screws up every single other sport.
Age is always advancing. And I believe it's up to no good. - Harry Dresden
I think 12 is fine.
14 seems like too many to me.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I'm a little bummed.
Because I truly felt adding Texas (and possibly a larger percentage of Florida) to the SEC would give us leverage to launching our own sports network. I cannot back this hunch with a single demographic or Nielsen stat, aside from “Texas seems like a big market.”
Plus I liked the idea of causing chaos in Austin :-)
Proud member of the Big Blue Nation - Let's Go Cats!!!
by jords on Aug 14, 2011 10:02 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
How about the Tarheels
Maybe beef up the basketball side and give us a probable win in football? :-)
Heh.
Do you think they’d want to leave their best buddies, the Duke Blue Devils?
Just askin’ :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Would still like to add TAMU
but now isn’t the right time. They got a little ahead of themselves when their simmering anger at all things with a burnt orange T exploded over the Longhorn Network airing high school games.
I have several Aggie friends that were apoplectic over the high school games issue. You know the Alums outrage was heard in College Station.
Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.
Pre-dawn incoherence on expansion
1. Texas must be laughing at the aggies right now. “Poor little baby, can’t keep up with the big boy so you’re taking your marbles and going elsewhere.”
2. I don’t like change. I’ll deal with it in real life; but, I prefer my sports, monolithic. I don’t want no stinkin’ new teams.
3. What’s in it for Kentucky? That’s all I care about. Adding teams may make it harder for UK football to make a bowl — even the little ones that just serve soup. But, as Mr. Howell wisely said years ago, “Moola, Moola, Moola.”
4. It appears ESPN is complicating matters
hat tip to Thomas Beisner/KSR
5. Have a good day and good luck to the Cats — err, pro’s — tonight. And to Coach Hall. Kick Cal’s butt. no, wait. :)
No matter where you're at, there you are
In re: Beisner's piece;
I fail to see a dilemma, really. Texas A&M can do what it pleases. If ESPN carefully documents the fact that they put conversations with conference members off limits until after it all shakes out, they should be fine.
That might make TAMU a tad uncomfortable, but frankly, that’s just the price of jumping. After the dust settles, ESPN can renegotiate both contracts based on the new alignment. But if A&M is looking for agreements from them beforehand, I’d say that could be seen as actionable.
ESPN does need to be careful, but that’s all I really see there. Am I wrong?
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Aug 15, 2011 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions
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