AM to the SEC: Be Careful What You Wish For

Thanks for this SRR. Will the LHN give them a legal out? Also, do you know whether the LHN will have an online package (off-topic, I ask selfishly).

There’s so much smoke around this SEC thing that I got to believe it happens. It’s bad for them all around, in football, non-revenue sports, and academics. But I guess they just might do it anyway.

Unless ESPN gives them a new TV contract, would A&M really be making more money than they are now? Between splitting the same pie 14 ways and having to pay a huge buy out to the big 12 10 9, it seems like it would be at least a decade before they started netting more money.

The morons on the radio this morning were talking about this and saying that while the aggies wouldn’t be in the top 3rd of the SEC, they clearly are head and shoulders above the bottom 3rd. Really? Based on what? Continously losing to Arkansas, who only has a winning record against the bottom 3rd?

strike through fail

I think this probably only works if they do not have to pay a buy-out. Arkansas, interestingly, might be the biggest beneficiary of A&M joining the SEC.

very good piece. i’ve been thinking along these lines, and the only — and i mean only — possible benefit to the ags is the open checkbook to cheat. their only success of note in the past three-quarters of a century or so came as a result of bald-faced cheating. i hold that that is behind a huge component in their desire.

should say also that the ag green light to cheat would not be expected to exalt them in the sec so much as to merely give them a leg up on us. that’s all that really matters to them.

Thank you. Your genuine concern for Texas A&M brings a tear to my Big 8 + 4 – 3 eye.

I chuckle whenever I see the Arkansas example. Arkansas’ great teams of the SWC days were always built on Texas talent, much like OU has done. When Swine left, the schools in Texas rounded the wagons and refused to play Swine for years. Hence, their recruting pool dried up. One look at Arkansas’ roster in 1991 and Arkansas’ roster a few years ago will tell you why their program fell off…it wasn’t the elevation of the competition around them as much as it was the access to the talent to sustain them.

Good News! A&M will continue ot play in Texas, even after joining the SEC. There’s a stadium and everything right there in College Station.

Great points, srr. Aggies either can’t or won’t recognize that joining the SEC is bringing a knife to a gunfight.

AiT —

Um, so now we reintroduce Arkansas to Texas? And that helps A&M how?

It would almost be worth it for the entertainment value.

“We only went 5-7, but we did it against a much tougher schedule than the Sips play.”
“The Sips would only have been 4-8.”
“Wait till we get our pay system in place.”
“We’ll be better next year. We’re turning the corner.”
“Get your licks in while you can, Tide and Tigers(both varieties) and Gators and Razorbacks and Gamecocks and Vols and Bulldogs and Commodores and and and…”

It probably means lesss recruits for A&M since I doubt Arky would win many head to head recruiting battles with UT

I heard Billy Lucci on the radio last night and he kept maintaining that the Ags really weren’t exploring the SEC option because they were upset about the LHN, but it was really motivated by doing what was best for the Ags long-term since the Big 12 wasn’t going to stay together for much longer. Funny thing is that the only school that has openly talked about leaving the Big 12 is the Ags.

Struck me as a spouse who sleeps around and then wants a divorce on grounds of infidelity.

Best part of the Lucci interview is when he said Houston would be a likely replacement for A&M in the Big 12. I am not sure if I was more amused of the stupidity of the idea that any major conference wanting the Cougs or that he indirectly equated the A&M program with Cougar High.

One thought I have had is do we see the legislature step in and stop the Ags is they try to bolt for the SEC. If they go first it would seem that Texas would have grounds to cut whatever deal is best for them and the tether to Tech and Baylor would be gone. Can’t imagine a Big 12 without UT and A&M would stay together long.

Ag_in-TX,

One small flaw. Arkansas was and had been a very good football program for years prior to its move to the $EC. They had something to lose.

Aggie maintaining its current talent level will not help it do anything but repeat the Hogs plight after joining the SEC.

And does Aggie really think that the “You’ll play in the $EC!” would be enough of a recruiting draw to outweigh the understanding that a recruit would never, ever compete for a conference or national title playing in the $EC? Aggie would become Miss St. West.

We should only agree to keep playing them if the game is shown on LHN.

This worries me. There are plenty of Texas HS players who would love to play in their home state, in front of their parents, in the SEC. I think this would be a huge recruiting boost for the aggies.

Austin Ex,

It might be a slight draw for the first couple years, but as it becomes apparent that Aggie = perennial toilet paper for the $EC West, the cologne will no longer mask the stink.

The SEC wants that Aggies because it gives them Texas TV markets and opens up Texas for recruiting. The Aggies are so blinded by wanting to get out of Texas’ shadow that they can’t seem to see that this move really doesn’t help them.

I can’t think of an A&M team in the last decade that would’ve faired better in the SEC. Texas will still get the most of the top tier recruits, but now the rest of the top tier and the second and third tiers will have all the SEC schools to consider instead of considering A&M, Tech, and OSU. SEC coaches will tell them they still get to play a game in Texas and will be on TV in Texas. On the flipside, A&M isn’t going to suddenly walk into Alabama or Baton Rouge or Florida and poach recruits to College Station just by virtue of being in the SEC. They’re diluting their own talent pool out of spite. The SEC is also below the Aggies academically. Their travel schedule seemingly increases although I haven’t worked out the mileage. The money isn’t going to be that much better for 10 years until they renegoiate the contracts.

I’ve never seen a more short sighted move just to get away from a big brother. Truly cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Again, can anyone tell me what this will mean for Texas in the long run? Tech? Baylor? Etc.?

It’s the lowering of admission standards for student-athletes that is most threatening.

Prediction if this happens:
- Aggie initially becomes whipping boy in SEC.
- Longhorn pokes fun.
- Aggie gets mad and starts cheating to SEC standards.
- Aggie becomes respectable team, possibly even good.
- Longhorn gets mad, turns in Aggie to NCAA.
- Aggie goes on probation, starts getting teeth kicked in again.
- Rinse and repeat.

The cycle has largely perpetuated itself for as long as I can remember. We’re in that whole Aggie respectable, Texas bad, “well, oh yeah, I’m going to form my own network and fuck you hard just to show you how funny 5-7 is”, “well, oh yeah, we’re going somewhere cheating is legal” stage of the cycle. I don’t think Aggie is happy about the Will Lyles heat either.

Then again, being a middle tier program in the SEC, often abused and fodder for an annual matchup at the Liberty Bowl with the Conference USA champion might seem less appealing to some high school athletes here.

Austin Ex – even if Aggie started winning a few head-to-head recruiting battles, there’s still plenty of talent for Texas. Just look at all the top stars we couldn’t find room on our 85-man roster to recruit – Christine Michael, Cyrus Gray, Jeff Fuller..As long as we keep winning and can sell Austin and a great university, the recruiting will take care of itself.

should the ags move to the sec, and should they attempt to parlay this move into some sec style recruiting, texas would be right there looking over ag’s shoulder just waiting for the moment to pounce on any shadiness. i cant think of any other sec school that has this type of restraint. to sum, ag is f’ed either way.

Shame on Dan Beebe and the entire conference for letting this happen. Instead of bitching about LHN, which everybody knew was coming since last summer, where was the move to solidify the conference by getting a Big XII network going? Ags are crybabies IMHO, but let them go if that’s what they want. I don’t see how they’re going to be relevant in the SEC when they haven’t been relevant in the Big XII, but whatever.

Check this out:

"Larry Scott texts on Big 12 upheaval: “I’m very busy & fully focused on development of the PAC-12. That’s all I can say on the subject”

That last sentence is about the most blatant non-statement statement I’ve seen.

I think the Big XII should pick up Texas State as the 10th member to take our place. Of course, on one Saturday every fall, the Bobcat fans are going to be terribly confused about who they should be cheering for.

dedfischer speaks the truth… “you know.” :-)

Another question that won’t get answered: I’ve read a few articles that say LHN will eventually get to show high school games, its just a matter of time right now. If the ags go to the SEC and LHN starts showing high school games, how does the recruiting balance out there? I know it is apples to oranges, but just a thought.

We should only agree to keep playing them if the game is shown on LHN.

SavageHenry FTW.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Y’all are a riot.

OOOOhhh Aggies better watch out, look what happened to Arkansas…

Arkansas fell off the map b/c they couldn’t recruit Texas anymore. I guess A&M in the SEC suddenly can’t recruit East Texas or Louisiana or Florida any more?

Gimmie a break, if this is the limits of your ability to analyze the situation it is no wonder your
writing for to a bunch of sycophants on a second rate blog.

Gimmie a break, if this is the limits [sic] of your ability to analyze the situation it is no wonder your [sic]
writing for to [sic] a bunch of sycophants on a second rate blog.

Compelling words indeed.

I’ve read a few articles that say LHN will eventually get to show high school games, its just a matter of time right now.

agy seems to overlook the fact that ESPN can do pretty much whatever the fuck they want to do – it’s their ball, their back yard… they’re already showing HS games, and if they can’t show HS games “on” LHN, they’ll show them on ESPN2 or ESPN3 or ESPN37 or whatever channel they damn well want to… and if they want to run continuous ads pimping the LHN, they’ll do that, too.

Leaving won’t help – all it’ll do ultimately is redefine some parameters of the relationship, and yell-leader in the Governor’s manse or no, agy will still wind up holding the shitty end of the stick. Just imo, but…

“Skeebo” is far too stereotypical of an Ag name for it not to be a troll.

“I don’t think Aggie is happy about the Will Lyles heat either.”

Typical of the Ags. They have their best class in years due to the spot light on Will Lyles keeping the best in their class; Williams, Davis, and Addison from being delivered out of state by Lyles.

Just imagine how much MSU and Vandy would suck if they couldn’t sell SECSECSEC to their recruits. They’d be lucky to ever win a game.

I also hope Aggy is ready to play the street agent game because that’s SEC recruiting 101. Maybe they’ll just hire the middleman as assistants, like they do in basketball.

Hell, Sailor and Scipio are shooting for third-rate, so being called second-rate is really quite the compliment. Thanks!

Here’s a great 2011 offseason review:

http://prevailandride.blogspot.com/2011/08/cfb-offseason-review-in-ms-paint.html

Skeebo said: August 11th, 2011 at 11:08 am
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Y’all are a riot.

I feel the same way that you think that you’re going to start taking recruits from Texas when you finish 7-5 in the SEC every year.

“Arkansas fell off the map b/c they couldn

The most telling part of this potential move is that I can’t find a single non-TAMU partisan who thinks this is a good move for the Aggies. None. Can anyone find a neutral writer anywhere who thinks this will pan out positively for the Aggies long term?

“Arkansas fell off the map b/c they couldn’t recruit Texas anymore. I guess A&M in the SEC suddenly can’t recruit East Texas or Louisiana or Florida any more?”

Love how you aggy don’t understand the ramifications of opening the door wide for the SEC schools to recruit in Texas.

Y’alls love and concern for the A&M athletic programs and the feelings of all Aggies is nothing short of breathtaking.

Please accept my heartfelt thanks to all of you for being so concerned for our well being. I assure you we will find a way to struggle through these difficult times and your thoughts will be of great comfort to us.

1 – a lot of strange things can happen in the next few weeks, so i’ll believe this when the ink is dry.
2 – i don’t see this as that big of a deal. the recruiting angle is getting way overplayed by both sides. aggy will recruit fine if they are good, and will struggle recruiting if they are a doormat. only time will tell which is true.
3 – i would be more than shocked if UT hasn’t been planning on this possibility for quite a while. the silence from bellmont should not be mistaken for inaction.

There gets to be a point where the chest-thumping and finger-pointing gets so depressing to watch…I think I’d rather give LSU and Arky the keys to the state than listen to anymore of this whiny crap. Just go already. Let’s see how long you’ll last in the SEC before you start whining about how unfair it is over there, and pining for the days when you were one of the top three schools in a conference where the road games weren’t all a thousand miles away and other teams actually cared about playing you. Just wait to hear what Auburn fans think of your cheerleaders.

And for the record: can we just stop posting about this already? A&M can’t leave the Big XII unilaterally. We’re bound in legal and financial matrimony (at least until the kids in the house graduate and leave). I don’t see any reason to help the Aggroids pump this up to Nebraska-esque hate proportions.

That didn’t work so well for Nebraska last year, did it? Total choke job. Just sayin’.

I’ve been to 4 SEC stadiums that were louder than Kyle so at least we won’t have to hear them go on about that as much.

“Can anyone find a neutral writer anywhere who thinks this will pan out positively for the Aggies long term?”

Nick Saban only stays a year or two more in Bama and then jumps ship, Chizek gets slapped with a USC type penalty and Spurrier retires. LSU really is the model for Aggie. But that’s how Aggie will improve in the SEC.

And incidentally Dennis Dodds doesn’t know what he’s talking about. The contractual look-ins in TV deals aren’t for the conference, they’re to protect the TV network. Frank the Tank has written a lot about this. If A&M goes to the SEC, CBS and ESPN aren’t forced to pay one dime more.

This is all a smokescreen by the A&M admins, folks. It’s saber-rattling, a display of leverage, whatever you want to call it. But it’s not a plan because plans need to be practical. It’s a negotiation tactic.

Methinks ESPN gives A&M its own sub-network deal in two years to shut ‘em up. And then all this talk goes away because it’s not about feelings or fairness. It’s about money.

would agree with Big Ern. Aggie will have good years and bad years depending on how well they do. But the state of Texas has more than enough talent so that shouldn’t be a problem. However, I also agree that at this point, UT has had to plan on Aggie leaving at some point but probably figured on later after they got the network off the ground. But all of this isn’t going to diminish Texas prospects either on the field or financially. I don’t know the direction of the Big 12 now but again, add BYU and ND and it becomes a great basketball conference as well. Last, if TCU were to replace Aggie—nothing gets lost.

God, on a totally different note, can you imagine the advertising on an All-aggie sports network?

Let ’em go. The farmers leaving the Big 12 and going to the SEC would raise the average IQ of both conferences.

dagga, once the unfair card get played it never goes back into the pocket. we’ll hear ‘unfair’ from them until the end of time for us.

regarding the look-ins, the networks don’t have to pay a dime more, but they would likely see to it that member schools continue to get what they have been getting. that’s if the network wants to. if the network was opposed to the move, all bets are off. but you are right that the verbiage is there to protect the networks and to protect the conferences if the networks wish to.

Promise you’ll leave…please. Your like the little kid that keeps saying "if you don’t gimme blank, I’m gonna hold my breath until you do, I’ll do it, I’m really gonna do it. Just go ahead already. Good f*^&#^ing riddance and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Oh and by the way, only aggies would think a dump of a windmill for a skyline town, shitty stadium, and crappy campus would suddenly be a huge recruiting draw for SEC athletes. Don’t y’all get it? We’re all just laughing at you and your delusions and you’re just too stupid to even realize it.

NCAA just announced no on televising HS football games… no surprise, but will be interesting to see if this is the end of the story.

Re Dagga: “This is all a smokescreen by the A&M admins, folks. It’s saber-rattling, a display of leverage, whatever you want to call it. But it’s not a plan because plans need to be practical. It’s a negotiation tactic.”

Given the timing of this and crecendo of the wailing, it’s pretty clear it’s being driven by the launch date LHN. The only thing they’ve committed to is being deliberate party-shitters in the run-up to August 26th.

All Big Brother/little brother bloviating aside, I can’t see one reason why/how aggy going to SEC could be a good thing for Texas.

I am all ears for anyone to provide me with however many reasons they can come up with why this would be good for us.

I hear a lot of why it could be bad for them, but I don’t hear a lot of why it could be good for us.

I’m sincerely asking.

The only thing that would worry me about A&M going to the SEC is if they take 2 or 3 other teams from the Big12 with them. Whether we stay Big12, go Pac, or independent, I think it’s a wash provided we preserve our regional foes. I believe it’s vital in many ways including recruiting that we maintain our regional integrity by competing against teams like OU/OSU/Tech etc. It’s good for our respective fan bases and the mutual lands we inhabit. Whole is larger than the sum kind of thing.

Aggies alone to SEC would put them squarely on the outside, and they would be driven to understand it. Aggies plus OU/OSU etc. to SEC, bad. Aggies plus Vtech, FSU, or Clemson? Happy Trails Ags!

FWIW, I also believe this story bubbling up all over again a few weeks ago corresponded with OU and A&M squawking together about LHN/HS games. The SEC may have taken notice at OU making the same threat as the Ags and reared its head, but A&M is still convinved the SEC was looking at them alone.

Young Williams – it’s not good for Texas. For the jealous Aggy fanbase, that’s the whole point. For the Aggy admins, that’s their leverage to muscle in of UT’s pile of cash.

A&M is our traditional rival and the second biggest TV draw in the conference.There’s no easy way to replace that.

The only way that the aggots heading to the SEC affects us negatively is that we might lose a few recruits. But that is not quantifiable.

On the plus side, we won’t have to listen to them whining like the little bitches they are. And like somebody noted above, it’s cutting off your nose to spite your face.

The aggies imagine an upsurge in talent, something like this:

Aggie recruiter: So, son, wanna come play for aTm? We play in the SEC!
5-Star Recruit: OMG! I’ve wanted to play for aTm in the SEC ever since before I was born! Sign me up right now!

The reality:
Aggie recruiter: So, son, wanna come play for aTm? We play in the SEC!
5-Star Recruit: Wow! I could play in the SEC for teams like Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, LSU……..

Access to the SEC will be nice for recruits and bring no advantage to aTm whatsoever, because College Station is still College Station.

If AM leaves the Big 12-2, then that puts the B12-2 TV contracts in play to an extent. The SEC also has windows of opportunity for renegotiation of their own TV deal. So this really all boils down to AM evaluating its current situation against the potentials. If reconfigured conferences effectively ends the B12-2 current TV package and substantially boosts a new and improved SEC deal, then it’s a no-brainer for AM as far as TV money goes.

I personally don’t see how an AM move puts all the B12-2 money back into play, with a substantial portion of that moving into a new SEC deal. But you know people are exploring it.

PLEASE…aggy, just please leave now for the $EC – you’ll fit in very well with the KKK redneck fans and pay-for-play schools.

You are whiny little bitches whom most of us will not miss one little bit.

Just get the f*** out, OK? We’re sick of your weird dead collie BS and milkmen cheerleaders (yes homo).

GTFO!

Young Williams – If it’s bad for them it’s good for us. That’s all the reason I need.

Sec would renegotiate that contract to be biggest in the land.

Interesting that someone makes analogy of A&m to a cheating spouse. What is Texas proper analogy given the new details in contract that they lied/ failed to mention during conference negotiations last year?

How many times should a “spouse” get stabbed in the back before they say " f&ck this"…

Presumably, one of A&M’s primary motivations to do this is because they’re pissed we got so much money from ESPN.

Ironically, one unintended consequence of A&M going to the SEC is, you guessed it, more money for us.

Right? I mean, whatever divided by 9 should be more than whatever divided by 10.

Still more money for them in the SEC, blah blah blah, whatever whatever…But thanks for more money, ags!

Methinks ESPN gives A&M its own sub-network deal in two years to shut ‘em up. And then all this talk goes away because it’s not about feelings or fairness. It’s about money.

What do you think about, “The Aggie Network: A wholy owned subsidiary of the LHN”

Question Mark

Let’s say A&M went to the SEC, with intentions of cheating as much as the rest of that conference. What would make them think that Texas would watch it happen idly? We’d still have oversight to all the same recruits, and it would be obvious if pay for play was involved in an aggy lean or commit. I have a feeling the hubris would lead to them getting into the same pickle as Oregon.

@ srr50 – You made some factual errors re: SEC history:

1. The SEC had 13 teams at its formation: the 10 prior to the ’92 expansion, plus Sewanee, Georgia Tech, & Tulane. Sewanee left in ’40, de-emphasizing athletics. GT left in ’64 and later joined the ACC in ’78. Tulane left in ’66 and later joined C-USA in ’95.

2. SC was an independent just prior to joining the SEC in ’92. They were a founding member of the ACC, but left in ’71, although they continued to play many ACC teams.

3. Although Arkie did represent the SEC West in ‘02, they were actually tied w/ Auburn & LSU for 2nd place (they won the tie-breaker of those 2 by virtue of being both). Bama was actually 1st in the West, but they were on probation & therefore couldn’t participate in post-season play.

Ag_in_TX said:

August 11th, 2011 at 10:16 am

I chuckle whenever I see the Arkansas example. Arkansas’ great teams of the SWC days were always built on Texas talent, much like OU has done. When Swine left, the schools in Texas rounded the wagons and refused to play Swine for years.

Wrong, gomer!

SMU continued to play Arkie from ‘92-’99. The series during that period ended in a tie, 4-4. But until Nutt came along, the Pigs were actually 2-4 against the Ponies.

Mind you, this was an SMU not far removed from the Death Penalty.

A similar future is in store for you maroon buffoons should you leave the Big 12-2.

Should read “they won the tie-breaker over those 2 by virtue of beating both.”

We are well rid of those sheep-loving retards. The TV / college football landscape will be completely different in 3-5 years. Aggy is an irrelevancy.

“I chuckle whenever I see the Arkansas example. Arkansas’ great teams of the SWC days were always built on Texas talent, much like OU has done. When Swine left, the schools in Texas rounded the wagons and refused to play Swine for years. Hence, their recruting pool dried up. One look at Arkansas’ roster in 1991 and Arkansas’ roster a few years ago will tell you why their program fell off…it wasn’t the elevation of the competition around them as much as it was the access to the talent to sustain them. "

I chuckle when I see these ignorant statements from Aggy. Arkansas’ great teams were NEVER built on Texas talent. They were built on Arkansas talent with a smattering of kids from Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, etc. Arky has never recovered from the loss of its rivalry games. A&M will suffer the same fate.