It appear Texas A&M is headed to SEC (Cooper: school, moving to)

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by UTHORNS96

And I'm sure "t.u." is much more objective?

UT being a financial powerhouse is very recent. They didn't have near the money or the influence when the SWC fell, so blaming UT for the SWC breaking up is revisionist history.

And keep in mind, when the Big 12 formed, ALL schools voted for the same rules. Whoever generates the most money keeps the lion's share.

Nebraska and A&M weren't complaining in 1995, when they were both regularly top 10 teams and Texas and OU were in probably the biggest ruts in program history for each school. What it all comes down to is Texas and OU started getting it done on the field and started generating money, now after a decade of being overshadowed a&m and nebraska wanted to cry foul and take their ball and go home.

Please read more carefully. Nowhere did I blame UT for the demise of the SWC. I think I am much older than you and graduated from college when the SWC existed. It fell for reasons already listed - beginning with the demise of SMU. When Arkansas left, the SWC was done.

The world doesn't sit still. So when the balance changes in a way some members don't like, they move. Nebraska and CU first. Now probably A&M. UT is leading the arms race in college sports, and it isn't good for anyone except UT.

UT can keep earning money, spending it, and underachieving. When Eddie Reese retires, they will have no program except volleyball that regularly finishes in the hunt for a national championship.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by kdogg817

You must not have been keeping up. Texas has its own network on ESPN and is going independent like Norte Dame. No other conference wants Texas because they stand to profit substantially more than the other institutions because of Longhorn Network. OU may go west or to the big ten. The Houston market virtually will belong to the SEC when this becomes official. I hope UT and its network fail. They ruined the SWC and now they have ruined the big 12 due to greed.

UT didn't kill the SWC. The constant rampant cheating, the lack of television eyes, and too many small programs did. Texas and Texas A&M wanted out and they got out. Look for Texas to head west and the LHN become a regional network for the pac 16.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by spursfan

It just seems shortsighted to me when A&M's sports that aren't football are on the rise and have been doing quite well. It's more enjoyable to have rivalries with teams from your own state and not southern schools I don't really care about. Maybe playing second fiddle to UT finally got to be too much to bear for the school's leaders.

A&M football may be on a rise. Admittedly the last season is hardly a trend. Certainly almost all the other sports are strong. And since the SEC is better in all of them, A&M will be among good company. I think A&M and UT will continue to play each other. It is a great rivalry that should continue. But it doesn't matter to me whether it is a conference game or not.

A move to the SEC is a long term decision. A short-sighted decision would be the status quo. Let UT continue to grow in financial strength and all the other teams look comparatively weaker. Now is a great time for the decision.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by TT Dave

Yeah, if A&M thinks they will do well in the SEC they'd better get a reality check real fast. Those SEC teams will pound them into the ground like they've never been pounded...lol. I think A&M might actually go to the SEC this time around. They are furious about UT's Longhorn Network deal and frankly, so are many of the rest of us who are fans of other teams in the Big 12-2.

Other schools have a right to be upset though. I dont think ESPN thought this through. I think if they only allowed UT programming and no HS sports along no intraconference games, the other schools wouldn't care. OU didn't care until the high school thing came up. Now that NCAA ruled against it, OU no longer cares. A&M is leaving because of its perceived shadow against Texas. Nothing more. They are just using this as as a crutch to leave.

[ClarenceBodiker]

You must not have been keeping up. Texas has its own network on ESPN and is going independent like Norte Dame. No other conference wants Texas because they stand to profit substantially more than the other institutions because of Longhorn Network. OU may go west or to the big ten. The Houston market virtually will belong to the SEC when this becomes official. I hope UT and its network fail. They ruined the SWC and now they have ruined the big 12 due to greed.

I'm keeping up just fine with the fact that both Nebraska and A&M have a bunch of weasels running their athletic departments. Texas hasn't broken any rules that everyone, including A&M and Nebraska, didn't agree to at the beginning of the Big 12. Nebraska ran the Big 8 and the Big 12 when it was formed, and left like a petulant child stomping their feet when they weren't the big dogs anymore. The Aggies are hypocrites shouting for equality. They didn't mind inequality when they agreed to stay in the Big 12 for a bigger paycheck than seven other schools. CU is the only school I hold no blame towards. They left only to protect themselves when it seemed immenent that the Big 12 was going to fall apart.

Frankly, Texas could walk into any conference they wanted. Their academics are the best in the conference, their athletic program has been consistently one of the best, and by far the most profitable, of the past decade. Their network may or may not fail, but it won't keep them out of any conferences. If things fall apart, my hope is for the Pac-12.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by ClarenceBodiker

I'm keeping up just fine with the fact that both Nebraska and A&M have a bunch of weasels running their athletic departments. Texas hasn't broken any rules that everyone, including A&M and Nebraska, didn't agree to at the beginning of the Big 12. Nebraska ran the Big 8 and the Big 12 when it was formed, and left like a petulant child stomping their feet when they weren't the big dogs anymore. The Aggies are hypocrites shouting for equality. They didn't mind inequality when they agreed to stay in the Big 12 for a bigger paycheck than seven other schools. CU is the only school I hold no blame towards. They left only to protect themselves when it seemed immenent that the Big 12 was going to fall apart.

Frankly, Texas could walk into any conference they wanted. Their academics are the best in the conference, their athletic program has been consistently one of the best, and by far the most profitable, of the past decade. Their network may or may not fail, but it won't keep them out of any conferences. If things fall apart, my hope is for the Pac-12.

Why does Texas care so much if A&M leaves? All of their fans/alumni are complaining and whining. Let A&M do what they want to do, if they think it is better for them. I always here Longhorn fans say that they are so much better than A&M and all that, yet all of this just because A&M wants out. There have been rumors of them wanting to go to the SEC for decades, and if not now, then probably never. The SEC gets to expand its market into Texas, and hopefully A&M can get more recruits and be good under Mike Sherman.

Let the era of the superconferences begin.

[ClarenceBodiker]

Originally Posted by Trae713

Why does Texas care so much if A&M leaves? All of their fans/alumni are complaining and whining. Let A&M do what they want to do, if they think it is better for them. I always here Longhorn fans say that they are so much better than A&M and all that, yet all of this just because A&M wants out. There have been rumors of them wanting to go to the SEC for decades, and if not now, then probably never. The SEC gets to expand its market into Texas, and hopefully A&M can get more recruits and be good under Mike Sherman.

Let the era of the superconferences begin.

I don't think Texas cares other than the fact that it's another nail in the Big 12 coffin. I'm not a huge fan of A&M -- and by not a huge fan, I mean I mostly despise them -- but Houston, SMU, or another Texas school cannot replace them alone. If they can't get anyone better in addition to that, they might as well nuke the conference and start over.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by ClarenceBodiker

I don't think Texas cares other than the fact that it's another nail in the Big 12 coffin. I'm not a huge fan of A&M -- and by not a huge fan, I mean I mostly despise them -- but Houston, SMU, or another Texas school cannot replace them alone. If they can't get anyone better in addition to that, they might as well nuke the conference and start over.

It's Texas' arrogance that is killing the Big 12. It's part of what killed the old SWC.

[ClarenceBodiker]

Originally Posted by Trae713

It's Texas' arrogance that is killing the Big 12. It's part of what killed the old SWC.

That myth has already been dispelled about four different times in this thread. I'm not going to explain it again to somebody who isn't even old enough to remember the SWC.


Sorry to be rude, but that kind of revisionist history is insulting considering that it was A&M, not Texas, who was the "big dog" at the end of the SWC and had just as much of a say as Texas. Rampant cheating (of which A&M was very involved in), SMU's demise, and Arkansas bailing killed the SWC. There was no Longhorn Network in 1995.

[jazznblues]

Originally Posted by ClarenceBodiker

Frankly, Texas could walk into any conference they wanted. Their academics are the best in the conference, their athletic program has been consistently one of the best, and by far the most profitable, of the past decade. Their network may or may not fail, but it won't keep them out of any conferences. If things fall apart, my hope is for the Pac-12.

Not true at all. Texas didn't join the PAC last year because they wouldn't let UT have its own network. Why do you think it would be different this time around?

UT's academics are better than A&M, but not materially so.

I think you overestimate UT's appeal around the country.