Bama fans do understand that Mizzou fans stopped thinking Big10 long ago, right?

[CraiginKC]

Welcome to SEC, but be prepared for quite a bit of apathy. Sure, you'll get some folks who are giddy over the addition, but you'll get many who aren't and really couldn't care less (me). Maybe the TV market thought will pan out later, but right now, yeah it's a huge market....but it's generally apathetic towards college football. The numbers prove that out. Rivalries? I guess they'll develop. But right now no one is getting excited about starting a new rivalry with mizzou. Maybe vandy and kentucky are licking their chops at mizzou joining the East so they'll have competition at the bottom, but that's about it. Not saying you'll be at the bottom, but a few programs hope you'll make them look better, because honestly, it's their only hope.

Really, you're coming to the SEC because the winds of change are blowing, the Powers That Be decided against clemson, wvu, fsu. It's not the best idea to bring another powerhouse like oklahoma to the fold, and there are mixed messages as to their desire to even come over.

Soooo.....you've got a tv market that will hopefully swing towards more excitement for big boy football. You've got academics (goes without saying, really...not like we're gonna consider a JuCo for the 14th member), you've got basketball (fair point), probably have decent Olympic sports (), and a top 40 football program.

As long as you run your football program better than ol' sis, kentucky and vandy you should do fine.

I respect your lack of enthusiasm, but if it's enough to get us into the SEC, we'll take it.

 

[Jack Bourbon]

Having lived in St Louis the last two years, I can say with confidence that it is not a football town. College football is not big (Missouri is not even big there). It seems the preponderance of fandom for football comes from big ten fans, of which there are a few, sec fans, Bears fans, and NE NFL fans. I don't think that measuring the market of the state purely by the population tells you too much. I'm a little skeptical about the value Missou brings to the SEC in terms of football.

It's never hard to get a seat at the bar on a Saturday to watch a football game in StL...

 

[crimsonaudio]

Rivalries? I guess they'll develop. But right now no one is getting excited about starting a new rivalry with mizzou.

Worth noting that even after some 20 years, Arky isn't really anyone's rival. USCe isn't really, either.

Maybe MO and the Ags can pretend they're rivals.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Having lived in St Louis the last two years, I can say with confidence that it is not a football town. College football is not big (Missouri is not even big there). It seems the preponderance of fandom for football comes from big ten fans, of which there are a few, sec fans, Bears fans, and NE NFL fans. I don't think that measuring the market of the state purely by the population tells you too much. I'm a little skeptical about the value Missou brings to the SEC in terms of football.

It's never hard to get a seat at the bar on a Saturday to watch a football game in StL...

^^This! I've lived in NFL/NBA cities and the pro sports simply sucked all of the oxygen out of the room. I could find college scores on the last page of the sports section. I've never been impressed with the vast TV audience promises. There need to be reasons other than that...

 

[SavannahDare]

Worth noting that even after some 20 years, Arky isn't really anyone's rival. USCe isn't really, either.

Maybe MO and the Ags can pretend they're rivals.

I admit that I still look at Arkansas and USCe as interlopers.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I admit that I still look at Arkansas and USCe as interlopers.

Those feelings have started to fade a bit with me - more with the Hogs, since we play them every year...

 

[bobmack12champs]

Craig, thanx for posting in such a classy and imformative manner. If commish Slive and the approperate number of presidents vote to extend an offer to Mizzouri,then let me be among the first to welcome you! I certainly enjoyed my camping and traveling through MO.

PS one of the great battlewagons of world war2 was "The Mighty MO"! Queston where is it now?

 

[BamaFlum]

Craig, thanx for posting in such a classy and imformative manner. If commish Slive and the approperate number of presidents vote to extend an offer to Mizzouri,then let me be among the first to welcome you! I certainly enjoyed my camping and traveling through MO.

PS one of the great battlewagons of world war2 was "The Mighty MO"! Queston where is it now?

Hawaii. Anchored near the Arizona.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Those feelings have started to fade a bit with me - more with the Hogs, since we play them every year...

Yah, but it's been twenty years! That's what I mean, MO and ATM fans act like they'll join and they'll be in a game of red rover - our rivalries have taken generations to form and deepen, it's going to take some time...

 

[Tide1986]

I admit that I still look at Arkansas and USCe as interlopers.

I don't think I've ever felt that way. My wife and I have traveled to several Arkansas and South Carolina aways games, which may have helped us feel more like they've been around a while. Edit: I remember one game with Arkansas (1994 or maybe 1996) when the Arkansas announcer was doing a big HOGS spell out with the crowd. Unfortunately, he yelled: "Give me an H, give me an O, give me an S, give me a G, give me an S"...HOSGS. Needless to say, quite a humorous moment for the Bama fans in the stands.

 

[Cr1msoN4life]

I know a lot of people disagree, But I really don't see Missouri being very competitive in the sec(in football), even against the lower tier teams. The reasoning behind this is they have been sub par in a much weaker conference for a long time now(excluding the chase daniels years),what makes people think they will bode well( at all), in the nations premier conference?
That being said, I do feel missouri would be a fine addition to the sec, from an overall athletic, and prestige standpoint.

 

[RollTideMang]

8. We will be so grateful that the SEC accepted us that it will take years before we stop being in awe of how lucky we were to be a part of your conference. Missouri has a complex, you see. We tend to think that bad things always happen to us. We got screwed by the fifth-down play, Tyus Edney's last second shot to keep us out of the Final Four....the list is long and you don't want to hear it. So we're grateful to people when they recognize that it's a good place. I'm sure there are other reasons. Those are the reasons that pop into my head.

As long as you don't go all Gary Patterson on us when you lose games, I'm all about Mizzou joining the SEC.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Yah, but it's been twenty years! That's what I mean, MO and ATM fans act like they'll join and they'll be in a game of red rover - our rivalries have taken generations to form and deepen, it's going to take some time...

Yeah. A lot of conferences are going to have to get used to new opponents. Way the FB world seems to be going...

 

[TideEngineer08]

For fans like me, who really came of age in the early 90s, Arkansas and South Carolina are as SEC as anyone. I understand those that grew up in earlier times wouldn't see that way. But Texas A&M and Missouri will take some getting used to for sure.

 

[G-VilleTider]

I forgot to show who I was responding to above. Sorry.

But I do get it, and hope Mizzou makes it in anyway. And who knows, maybe some day you'll feel as intensely about the Mizzou game as you do about Tennessee.

I got this statistic a few years ago, so I am not sure if it is still the case, but since 1925 Alabama has the most victories of any team with Tennessee coming in at number 2. The UA TN rivalry is forever known as "the third saturday in October" even though it is now not always played on that date. There have been books written on this rivalry. TN's legendary coach Neylend said you never knew exactly how much heart a guy had until after he played against us. The winners in this game get cigars. The list goes on and on. If yall come on in to the SEC, then I will welcome you as new members, but our rivalry with TN can not be replaced or duplicated. I hope this post come off as just informative and not condescending because that is how I intended it (informative that is).

Good Luck with which ever way the winds of change carry you.

 

[CraiginKC]

Having lived in St Louis the last two years, I can say with confidence that it is not a football town. College football is not big (Missouri is not even big there). It seems the preponderance of fandom for football comes from big ten fans, of which there are a few, sec fans, Bears fans, and NE NFL fans. I don't think that measuring the market of the state purely by the population tells you too much. I'm a little skeptical about the value Missou brings to the SEC in terms of football.

It's never hard to get a seat at the bar on a Saturday to watch a football game in StL...

With all do respect, there's a lot more to Missouri than STL. And KC has a lot more intensity for college football. We'll even get KU fans watching games in the hopes we'll lose (hey, it's ratings!).

 

[MizzouTiger]

Thanks Craig for being a great diplomat. We need more of those which brought me here.

All Mizzou fans want is to find a place where more energy is spent worrying about this weeks game than conference "whatever". That's it. We don't spit in the eye of someone we are about to ask for help. We don't jump all over the place. We are one of the oldest XII members. The problem is that the XII is nothing close to what it used to be and getting worse. There was a huge effort by allums and fans to get Tuesdays vote to go the way it did. It surprised everyone involved. MU support statewide has grown exponentially over the last decade and hasn't lost steam. STL and KC markets are ripe for watching our Tigers do battle in the SEC across sports, win or lose. Alabama is reported as one schools who is against accepting MU. We do not want to mess up your rivalries, we have(KU/OU)/had(NU) our own that it is painful to lose. Hopefully this inspires a single booster out there to pick up a phone and ask "why not?" We are losing our minds in this place. Imagine having the last two bowl bids your team earned downgraded by your conference. I honestly think Alabama would declare war.

One caveat to Craig's comments: in all honesty KC has phenom BBQ, rest of MO ehhh...but we will cater in for you guys if you swing towards a yes vote.

 

[TideEngineer08]

Thanks Craig for being a great diplomat. We need more of those which brought me here.

All Mizzou fans want is to find a place where more energy is spent worrying about this weeks game than conference "whatever". That's it. We don't spit in the eye of someone we are about to ask for help. We don't jump all over the place. We are one of the oldest XII members. The problem is that the XII is nothing close to what it used to be and getting worse. There was a huge effort by allums and fans to get Tuesdays vote to go the way it did. It surprised everyone involved. MU support statewide has grown exponentially over the last decade and hasn't lost steam. STL and KC markets are ripe for watching our Tigers do battle in the SEC across sports, win or lose. Alabama is reported as one schools who is against accepting MU. We do not want to mess up your rivalries, we have(KU/OU)/had(NU) our own that it is painful to lose. Hopefully this inspires a single booster out there to pick up a phone and ask "why not?" We are losing our minds in this place. Imagine having the last two bowl bids your team earned downgraded by your conference. I honestly think Alabama would declare war.

One caveat to Craig's comments: in all honesty KC has phenom BBQ, rest of MO ehhh...but we will cater in for you guys if you swing towards a yes vote.

Would Missouri fans be opposed to being put in the SEC's East division?

 

[TheShoe]

We would play Arky 9 times in a row if that's what it took to get us in the door. And KC bbq is nasty.

 

[CullmanTide]

Would Missouri fans be opposed to being put in the SEC's East division?

TE, what do you think about overlapping divisions, taking geography out of the equation? I think it would be the best way to add Missouri AND preserve rivalries. I mentioned this in another thread.