Texas Divided: Dallas Morning News.

GrayTide

Hall of Fame
Nov 15, 2005
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Greenbow, Alabama
TAMU has been a good addition to the SEC; however, it's only claim to fame thus far was knocking off Alabama and finishing 10-2 in its first year as an SEC member. If I was a PTB at TAMU back to back to back 8-5 records is not acceptable period. With the resources they have and the fact they are in the most fertile recruiting state this kind of performance is ridiculous. IMO, if they could hire the right coach TAMU could challenge Alabama every year for SEC West dominance. They have done well in other sports at both the men and women's level. At some point they are going to have to move on from Sumlin.
 

RobK

All-SEC
Aug 27, 2004
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Missouri, as an academic institution, will bounce back. They don't have any real peer-level competition within the state. It may take 5 or 6 years to totally put the mess behind them, and as long as a decade to build the enrollment back, but they've largely cleaned house and are making a lot of the right moves. I live up here, and the excitement around the basketball program after the changes they made, and their recruiting, is palpable. Regardless of whether their football program competes in the top, middle, or lower tier of the SEC, I don't think the university is in a death spiral and I don't think they'll be a drag on the rest of the SEC.
 

CajunCrimson

Moderator (FB,BB) and Vinyl Enthusiast
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Mar 13, 2001
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If the Big 12 had been aggressive and smart....at they time where A&M and Mizzou were being courted - they would have made LSU and Arkansas a "deal they couldn't refuse" -- and thrown them tons of Money --

If they could have scored LSU and Arkansas -- they might have been able to keep the others.

It might not have worked - but it would have been worth a try.
 

KrAzY3

Hall of Fame
Jan 18, 2006
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If they could have scored LSU and Arkansas -- they might have been able to keep the others.

It might not have worked - but it would have been worth a try.
There's simply no way on earth that could have worked. As in literally no scenario imaginable in which that could or would have occurred. Let's forget about the sinking ship, let's pretend that part wasn't real. Let's just talk money.

Oklahoma and Texas want their money. They have been getting paid in the Big 12 (even if the others haven't) and part of their incentive to flirt with the Pac-12 is the promise of more money. Now, how on earth can those guys make what they make, and still cut in Arkansas and LSU to a sum so large that they'd leave the SEC? What do you have to do to the rest of the conference payouts to come up with 40+ million a year? You can't, that's the short answer. It's just not possible. This deal would have to be permanent to, right? They'd have to guarantee LSU and Arkansas more money in perpetuity. Even if LSU and Arkansas would consider that, surely they'd know that would further destabilize the conference. The only way to make that work would be guaranteeing LSU, Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma the same gigantic sum of money. And disproportionate payments is one reason the Big 12 ended up falling apart in the first place. It just would not and could have have worked. Besides that, by the time A&M was ready to leave this was about getting away from Texas, not getting away from the Big 12. Texas and the LNH screwing them over was the last straw.

Now, having said that...
There was a point in time that Arkansas seemed to have some interest in the Big 12. This was well before things went south over there, and I suppose Arkansas wasn't happy with consistently falling behind Auburn/Alabama/LSU. I don't think anything ever went so far as serious discussions though, and I think the Big 12 seems very centered on Oklahoma and Texas, and what serves their interests and not so much in making it the best conference possible.

The one scenario though, the one that actually happened after A&M and Missouri was the possibility of Clemson and FSU. The ACC had just done a very basketball friendly deal and those two were not happy. I'm not sure how realistic that move was, how possible that could have been, but the only school the Big 12 actually seemed really big on adding was the long shot of Notre Dame. Ironically, even if just a partial member Notre Dame ends up in the ACC and FSU and Clemson stay put. Anyway, if the Big 12 didn't do everything in their power to add Clemson and FSU that was a big mistake. That's the one scenario in which they could have tried to compete with ACC money and do that they could to lure those two away. Then again, did Oklahoma and Texas want them around? Their interests as usual probably came ahead of the conference as a whole.
 
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TideEngineer08

TideFans Legend
Jun 9, 2009
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The one scenario though, the one that actually happened after A&M and Missouri was the possibility of Clemson and FSU. The ACC had just done a very basketball friendly deal and those two were not happy. I'm not sure how realistic that move was, how possible that could have been, but the only school the Big 12 actually seemed really big on adding was the long shot of Notre Dame. Ironically, even if just a partial member Notre Dame ends up in the ACC and FSU and Clemson stay put. Anyway, if the Big 12 didn't do everything in their power to add Clemson and FSU that was a big mistake. That's the one scenario in which they could have tried to compete with ACC money and do that they could to lure those two away. Then again, did Oklahoma and Texas want them around? Their interests as usual probably came ahead of the conference as a whole.
The Big 12 got out worked by the ACC at every turn. Not just in your scenario here, but later on the time line, they had a chance to add Louisville and Pittsburgh and failed to get them. Why? Texas didn't want to do that. Your last statement is the crux of the whole matter. They are not interested in building the best conference possible, they are only interested in building themselves up, everyone else be damned.

Arkansas was the first team to get away from the toxicity of Texas. They may have longingly looked the Big 12's way a time or two and saw the short road trips, and all their history with the old SWC teams, but I'm certain they easily put away those feelings with the reality of the financial security the SEC has provided.
 

Redwood Forrest

Hall of Fame
Sep 19, 2003
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Boaz, AL USA
The Dynamic Duo of Texas and Oklahoma flirted with PAC 12, FSU & Clemson, Notre Dame, BYU and then with 14 AAC/MWC teams. Probably also with the Big 10 if the truth were known. Talk about self centered? Yes, because all this flirtation was just for attention and more money with their Fox and ESPN games. They never intended to leave or add any one else. They will keep flirting as long as it works.

Think about that. Look at all those teams and conferences. The Dynamic Duo of Flirtation.
 

Crimson1967

Hall of Fame
Nov 22, 2011
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I could see Arkansas going back at some point, but that ship has sailed now.

I don't think LSU would ever have left.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

RobK

All-SEC
Aug 27, 2004
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Arkansas has always had a somewhat divided fanbase as it relates the question of old Southwest Conference vs. SEC. You've got some that miss the old Southwest Conference and Arkansas' greater football relevance in it...mostly old-timers and a large and moneyed alumni base in the Dallas metroplex and in other parts of Texas. You have others who are either too young to remember those days and love the SEC, or those who grew tired of the rampant cheating of Texas schools and the second-class status they felt they had in the SWC (a problem that would again rear its ugly head with non-Texas Big 12 schools).

Frank Broyles was a visionary AD who had the good sense to take a bird in the hand (opportunity to join the stable SEC) over a bird in the bush (the imploding SWC without a clear view of what would come next). The choice that would face them now with the Big 12 isn't a whole lot different than what they faced back then.
 

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