Aggies Send Formal Notice

How can we help?

Interesting times have officially begun.

Wow the big Cigar knew this was happening two days ago? Thats some serious fucking inside info right there, everybody has known this shit was going to go down for weeks now. So long gayboys.

Here’s a link:
 
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6895751/texas-officially-notifies-big-12-conference-exploration

I have a shoe box they can put all their MNC trophies in. They are welcome to it.

Fresh meat, better NASCAR fans, WOOP, SEC SEC.

I can help you fill out any necessary paperwork. What can I help with? Let’s get the ball rolling and quit wasting time.

SECrun

I have a feeling this comment section is destined for greatness.

I’m here for emotional support, Jesus Shuttlesworth. Tell us Aggies about how mad you are.

Does Fake Ken Tremendous have access to the notarized letter sent to Mr. Bebbeh?

I am still baffled by how badly Aggies want us to be upset that they’re leaving.

Thank God and Greyhound they are gone

Well Baylor should at least make it an interesting weekend. Anybody know what the Baptists have planned next?

thats funny talk, big boys, because Texas and Baylor are the ones that made this drag out so long with all the legal threats, otherwise this would have been done 2 weeks ago.

Free at last, free at last, praise the lord we are free at last.

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out ags, and don’t mistake us laughing at you for us caring one way or the other.

Best wishes, ags. I’m really looking forward to the, “what the hell are those milkmen doing?” comments from unsuspecting SEC fanbases.

Jag, I’m not mad, I’m pretty happy about it. I think it’s a win-win.

I probably have the legalese wrong, but I would think there are pretty good grounds for Baylor to pursue a Promissory Estoppel claim based on the fact that they had other opportunities that they forwent to stay with the Big XII based on A&M promises, actions, and the new contract…. As a side note, my wife is a more rational Ag and thinks this is a pretty stupid move although she is looking forward to a Thanksgiving where we can be in the same room together rooting against the Domers!

Loftin’s tone suggests a change in attitude where the Legislature and the Big 12 are concerned. Sounds like he’s hoping for some lube before the ass-rape commences.

I just hope we drop the game. Aggies in the SEC enjoying the SEC “recruiting lifestyle”, and bringing it into the state of Texas, while we continue to play them every year, is the worst case scenario.

Later ags, don’t let the door hit you where the last sheep split you

Poor Aggies. They thought we’d post this: http://youtu.be/hbqsFxb64Z0

GTFO.

I just don’t think the SEC recruiting style will take hold in Texas. A&M might try it again, but they would inevitably get caught. It probably does open the door for them to recruit in states that had been closed due to SEC recruiting practices. Does the SEC have different academic requirements for athletes? I always assumed they did….

CARPE LAQVEUM

This is a lot like my first 5 abortions, except we decided to tell everyone about this termination.

two years ago if you’d told me we would be rid of the nebs AND the &‘s, i would have laughed at you and bemoaned that i wouldn’t think it possible.

I’d prefer to just drop the game for all sports. If we do play, our home games should only be on LHN.

Did they paperclip a check to the note or do they need Beebe to provide the routing number?

How can we help them leave?

This is not news; it’s a formality that’s necessary before the SEC will even consider the move. I don’t know why everyone’s writing about it. Slow news day I guess.

Nothing meaningful will happen until the costs to the conference have been assessed and the penalties to A&M have been formulated. At that point, if the sticker shock isn’t too much, A&M will settle it. Once a 14th school has done the same, the SEC will extend invitations. In that order and no other.

There’s a whole lot of steps to take between here and there and today’s statement gives us zero insight into whether those dominos will fall the way Aggy hopes.

We’re not going to play them if they leave. Bank on it.

Having conference realignment happen in a deliberative manner with the opportunity for all parties involved to proceed with some modicum of sanity is all I ever hoped for. I was convinced the Ags were going to fuck it up out of the sheer ineptitude we’ve witnessed over the last month. Loftin making this statement doesn’t change any timelines that I can tell and I still seriously doubt A&M will be playing in the SEC in 2012, which should give us every opportunity to offer a bonus serving of mudhole for the road.

Offer to play A&M.
 
Condition? It’s available only on the LHN.
 
That should be funny.

Scipio, that would be epic. I’m convinced it happens.

Scipio, does this qualify as “win-win synergy”?

JS, me too. I’m waiting for the epic retort from $Bill! It should be priceless…

Well…bye

What are the costs/benefits associated with the decision to not play A&M? Why would choose to play them or not play them?

Sadly I thing dagga is right. This is going to drag on painfully. Prior to today was the Big 12 so seriously unaware that A&M was “exploring other conference options” that Loftin felt they needed to send Dan a letter? I guess they are trying to induce an SEC vote or give the legislature notice to reset it’s hearings?

Just stand up and say your leaving you limp wristed fucks. It’s taken two weeks to write that? Wtf?

So wait, they are gonna pay us to leave? fantastic

Aggy should create the Real Armed Forces Conference

aggy
Army
Navy
Air Force
Coast Guard
The Citadel
Maine Maritime Academy
Virginia Tech (I think they got some military college)

As long as the Ags don’t try to weasel out of paying their full tab (exit penalties), then so be it. Adios mofos.

[King] Theoden: So it begins.

Theoden: So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?

Theoden: Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like wind in the meadow. The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. How did it come to this?

“What are the costs/benefits associated with the decision to not play A&M? Why would choose to play them or not play them?”

Just like many functional organizations, it’s good business sense not to enter into agreements with dysfunctional entities and/or entities that are hostile. One caveat – when you can ensure the upper hand (aka televised on LHN).

A&M is going to pay us millions to cut and run. I fucking love it.

Honestly, the aggroids are moving on to a superior conference. FUCK! This piece of shit conference won’t draw any viewers. I think they got the better end of this deal.

My idea was the same as Scipio’s regarding televising the games, but I also want it to be a 2-for-1 deal.

At what point in your life do you become pretentious enough to start insisting people call you by your first initial and middle name? R. Bowen Loften. I am guessing college, or grad school when you start publishing. I know one guy who did it in grad school. Short guy. Twerp. Hated me for dating the girl he had a crush on. Owned multiple cats.

What will the exit penalty be? I heard $40 mil floated around 2-3 weeks ago. That would be 2 years of rev under the new deal. Now I’m hearing that it may be $20 mil at most and possibly bartered down.

I still don’t see how they make more money. Maybe in 15 years. Basic economics class says making $18 mil a year (SEC contract) instead of $20 mil a year and having to pay $20 mil up front = bad ROI. Maybe the SEC forces TV contracts to be renegotiated?

Also, does this mean that the SEC has found team #14? I wonder how long it will take to find out who it is. Most likely, that team will have similar restrictions as A&M and have to announce soon.

I should say: announce soon in order to avoid penalties for leaving their current conference.

Unless they think they can pick up a worthy independant to be #14? (ND, Air Force, BYU are the only IND that come to mind)

The SEC could go a year playing with 13 teams.

This shit again?

When the going gets tough, agy run away.

Or don’t.

Sulk all you want, but quit all the fucking whinging, or someone’s gonna slap the shit outta you.

Loftin is getting assistance on this from Gordon Gee @ tOSU.

On a positive note, vacation condo sales in Starksville will explode.

Oh, thank god. I thought they’d never leave. Can somebody get the PAC 12 on the horn?

“Thank God and Greyhound you’re gone,” is the best divorce song ever written. Very appropriate here, BEW.

I hope they keep up with some Texas traditions. I would miss their seniors pulling their sabres and trying to skewer the Rice band.

Oh for the love of God. SMU wants to replace them: http://espn.go.com/dallas/ncf/story/_/id/6895752/smu-goes-public-interest-joining-big-12

Newy25 – A&M is gonna pay us millions to cut and run to a conference where they’ll make about the same amount of money and lose more games. I’d be 100% for it…if it didn’t also bring the SEC into Texas recruits’ living rooms. But I’m gradually becoming more willing to make that tradeoff, just out of spite.

ut-06 – in terms of the TV contracts, I’m pretty sure I read that according to the last set of Big XII TV contracts if they give more than a full year’s notice then A&M gives up 50% of one year’s revenue. If they give less than a year’s notice, it’s 80%. And I also read that the new TV contracts have tougher penalties than the old one did. Safe to assume a lower bound of 12-15 mil.

And there’s also the Lege to consider. I don’t think the Lege would have the power or inclination to block the move but I do think they can certainly look at the situation – A&M moving in a financially lateral direction, imposing costs on the other Texas schools above and beyond their exit penalty – and reallocating state funding to make up for that difference.

And incidentally there’s no way that 12-15 mil pays for the full amount of damage A&M leaving the conference would cause, if we don’t pick up ND or BYU to take their place. They’re pretty much on OU’s level when it comes to TV ratings and the TV networks will likely demand a sizable reduction in payouts for a nine-team conference without them. Plus TTU and Baylor would be losing one of their two biggest attendance draws of the year, every year. So for the final costs I think a full sum of 20-40 mil is a pretty good range – on the low end if we can pick up a decent replacement simultaneously, on the high end if we can’t.

Fuzzy – the first initial is nowhere near as pretentiously awkward as the maroon-striped bowtie and slicked-sideways hair. Dude looks like Pee Wee Herman’s grandpa.

It’s all fine and good to say – see you later, and don’t let the door hit you in the rear, and other things like that. It’s also possible that we all end up better financially, win – win so to speak, but, frankly I’m a little surprised by everyone’s reactions. 100+ years of tradition thrown out the window just like that over bruised egos. I’m amused and surprised by the hypocrisy of A&M that prides itself so much on tradition being willing to just throw it away at a moments notice. And, what are they getting for it? It’s questionable that they really will be better off financially. There is more stability there, but it does seem like they are going to be the SEC whipping boy. I don’t see them competing against Alabama, Fla, LSU, Auburn, et al. on a regular basis. I have a hard time believing that they really will be better off, but I’m sure that they have convinced themselves of that. I also think that there certainly is an element of trying to “gig” us.

  I’m also surprised at our reaction. Maybe it’s because we don’t feel like that we can do anything about it and so we are distancing ourselves from them, trying to make the transition less traumatic. I for one will actually miss the rivalry and at times the camaraderie shared between the schools. I was active in organizations at UT that are a part of that tradition, and there were times that we would put away the rivalry and work for common goals. The relationships in the office that are influenced by the rivalry will be changed. I will be left feeling like there is something that is missing a little bit. Yep, I’m sentimental. I think that really a lot of us are, but because we don’t feel like we can do anything we are just left with “sour grapes” the screw em attitude that we’ll be better off without them. Perhaps financially, but what value can you put on history, tradition, and memories in the past and in the future.

ColoradoAg – the SEC won’t. Try to create a two-division, 13-team league where every team plays the same number of conference games. It’s not possible. When winning the league title gets you damn close to the NCG, none of the schools in contention for that title would accept giving their rivals one less conference game to get there.

Doesn’t matter anyway. They can find a 14th tomorrow if they just say “screw it” and cast caution to the winds. I’m just not sure if they want to do it on A&M’s now-now-now timetable. They certainly don’t want to get sued or start a chain reaction that implodes two other conferences. They’ll need assurances on many levels to proceed and it’s reasonable for the SEC (and us) to expect that process to take awhile.

When the aggies leave the Big 12 for the SEC they will raise the average IQ of both conferences.

Nice one Big Al.

MUCH more importantly…

…is LHN going to make a f’in deal with Comcast so I can watch the Rice game or what?

“I’m also surprised at our reaction. Maybe it’s because we don’t feel like that we can do anything about it and so we are distancing ourselves from them, trying to make the transition less traumatic.”

I think a lot of people just really don’t give a shit. Like, say, me.

jc25 – I sure hope so. That’s my provider too.

Patron Saint – in the spirit of SMU, I would like to propose my family as the tenth conference team. Granny Roosta would bring some delicious cookies to the conference meetings. And we will gladly accept $18 mil in TV money and won’t gripe one bit about it. Call me Dan!

The Aggies are leveraging the state of Texas in order to be paid the same amount as Vanderbilt. Awesome.

“Try to create a two-division, 13-team league where every team plays the same number of conference games. It’s not possible. When winning the league title gets you damn close to the NCG, none of the schools in contention for that title would accept giving their rivals one less conference game to get there.”

This. Unless they do away with divisions and let the top 2 teams play for the championship, which I guess they could, the SEC needs a 14th team, which is why everyone other than aggy has always scoffed at the unconditional offer.

And Texas didn’t cause any delays in this process. Texas, and the Big XII, have every right to maximize the return on this unanticipated exit, and they should. It’s business. It’s not sour grapes. A&M saw the writing on the wall, and regrouped, as they should. I’ll get a kick out of it if Baylor throws a wrench in the gears, but frankly, let it play out, get as much money for the conference as you can out of it, and let them go. Then swing for the fences with ND as an annual game, and go get BYU to be the 12th team.

And I’ll tell you what, A&M, get your own network, and we’ll do home and homes with you on each others network. Until then, it’s LHN or nothing.

We should schedule a Home and Home with them for next year, and make sure we get the first game. Televise the game on the LHN. Cancel the return game after. I don’t care about the buy out costs. We have the money.

Over under how many times Aggie can beat Alabama out of 100? I’ll say 2-3 times maybe?

Meh. 100+ years is a long history, and I’ll miss the Thanksgiving Day game- it’s a good excuse to catch up with old friends and a good showcase for Texas high school football, but OU weekend’s a better showcase for Texas high school football.

Never forget, the SEC’s great because of all the great football teams they have, not the other way around. Alabama makes the SEC great, the SEC doesn’t make Alabama great- see Vandy, UK, Arky, Miss. St, Ol’ Miss, and South Carolina.

Ha ha ha, the Chipster posted basically the same shit The Big Cuban said.

We all know that Chip’s the preferred mouthpiece of Bellmont as it concerns realignment.

R. Bowen Loftin

This guy is perfect for aTm.

So the timing is that the aggies must formally state to the Big 12 before this season starts that they will leave the Big 12 before the 2012 season, if the aggies want to pay only 50% of their TV revenue as a penalty. If the aggies don’t formally notify the Big 12 before this season starts, then the aggies pay 80% of their Big 12 TV revenue as a penalty for leaving the Big 12 before the 2012 season.

This letter today is not a formal resignation letter so the aggies have less than 9 days to post that resignation letter if they want to play in the SEC in 2012 and avoid paying an extra 30% in penalties.

The formal letter of resignation by the aggies will start the reorganization chaos. Presumably other schools that want or need to leave their conference will need to give a year’s notice to reduce penalties. Too bad the timing of the aggies’ resignation letter will be extremely inconvenient for everybody else. If UT does not find somebody (or somebodies) to replace the aggies in the Big 12 for 2012, will that endanger the Big 12’s automatic BCS bid?

I’m more than OK with not playing them anymore and think it may be necessary at least in the short run just to solve scheduling difficulties. UT also needs to employ a flock of detectives to detect aggy cheating (because the aggies are not going to win much in the SEC without cheating).

It is doubtful that ND is going to join the Big 12 so it will be interesting to see who does join. Just like to mention that Colorado Springs (home of Air Force) is an awesome town if you like the great outdoors.

Exiled – I think most people really don’t care because the “camaraderie shared between the schools” has been very very limited. I’ve been watching the rivalry since the late 60’s. I really am not going to miss the miscreants at all. Welcome to oblivion of old army (which may be good for the school long term as it can generate a different, better identity….like the old taliban)

Texas doing ANYTHING to keep agricultural in the Big 12??? There’s the delusional post of the day.

What’s with all the psycho-babbling about us “rationalizing” because we can’t do anything about agricultural’s leaving. UT’s not pushing ‘em out the door, but I don’t see any tears being shed over the cult’s move to Dixie. Among other things, it means we no longer have an “aggy problem” with the legislature when UT gets ready to make a move. I’m not rationalizing a thing when I say to the farmers…“well…bye”.

By the way, the aggy letter etches nothing in granite except the fact that they have wandering eyes. The SEC has to invite ‘em, and the vote on that is not a slam dunk yet, and there’s gonna have to be a fourteenth team. Hello Mizzou or NC State. Like the man said, it must be a slow news day.

A&M wont’ write any checks. TV revenue will be withheld, and it will end up costing about the same as Nebraska’s 9 mil. those spineless rules written last summer have holes going both ways.

I agree with Jesus…its likely win-win for both Texas and A&M parties.

A&M gets paid way more than they would in B12.

A&M gets much more exposure in the SEC.

if nobody on this site cares, then why are there continuous articles with 10,000 responses?

Because of the chain reaction it could start and the scattershooting about where Texas ends up.

I really hope you already realized that.

Kafka - I believe the similar deadline for ACC teams if they want to play in a new conference next year was 8/15. I just don’t know how the SEC gets to a 14th team in 2012 without that school also paying massive penalties, which leads me to believe the Aggies don’t make it to the SEC until 2013 unless the SEC wants to have a one-off 13 team one division season, which seems ludicrous and could create all sorts of tie breaker fun.

News flash gag-ies…. you’ll be able to enjoy your turkey & dressing while tuning into the
Fighting Irish vs Longhorns game
TV ratings WILL compete with the NFL on that day.
Play the game every year @ “Jerry World” so the weather won’t be a factor.
Re-Run it on de longhorn network on Friday Saturday Sunday just for good measure …
That game would see more action than a doe with 4 bucks during “rut”

I think the Big Cigar has it pretty much right on except about ND which was thrown in just to show how grand Dodds is thinking. I doubt aggy will pay anything much or that the Lege and BU combined will have any say in this move. I wish aggy well and hope we never play them again. Meanwhile, I cannot help but worry that this whole realignment thing might not work out so well for some of the biggest programs in college football. I hope somehow the Haves keep theirs and the Havenots stay in their places.

People tend to think dualistically.
 
What’s good for A&M must be bad for Texas.
 
What’s good for Texas must be bad for A&M.
 
This could be good for both parties.

I interpret the Big Cigar ND stuff as an indication of the degree to which Dodds and Swarbrick are BFFs and are interested in an end-game in which ND and Texas can create the next landscape together. It doesn’t mean they share the same conference necessarily, but making ND a fixture on our schedule from here to eternity looks like a near certainty.
 
Thanksgiving day or the 2nd week of the season sounds about right.

See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya.

It has seemed for a long time that the rivalry with aggy did a lot more for them than for Texas. Aggy has always run on emotion and they get sky-high for Texas while for us there is more emphasis on the rivalry of the moment (recently OU). Can’t say I’ll miss it much.

It will be funny hearing them sing their song about how much they hate a school they never play.

Replacing aggy with ND would be a huge upgrade. Natural Thanksgiving day game.

The exit fee as currently calculated is $28 million, subject to negotiation. Sending someone a letter saying you are looking around and intend to leave at some undetermoned future date is not the same as a letter stating that, as of a date certain, you will no longer be a member of the conference no matter what.

If Aggy, ends up paying less than the calculated amount, then they will have, by defintion, damaged three Texas schools, two of whom are publicly funded. And only an Aggy would think that having revenues withheld is better than writing a check. They won’t be 2012 revenues, dude!

I am absolutely shocked, I tell you.

Yeah, I think it’s a win-win too, JS…

D-I-V-O-R-C-E…finally.

And Flash, the Lege will have a say. Whether it’s immediate or in the next session, they will have a say.

People tend to think dualistically.

What’s good for A&M must be bad for Texas.

What’s good for Texas must be bad for A&M.

This could be good for both parties.

Bingo.

A&M is leaving for a more stable — and long-term — more lucrative situation. I happen to believe they will find rough sledding initially, but really, they have a strong fan base, nice facilities and are in the heart of a recruiting hotbed. If you don’t think the right coach can’t make them a winner (even in the SEC) then you are not paying attention.

Would you rather coach at Auburn? South Carolina? Arkansas? Tennessee? Kentucky? Mississippi?

We will be just fine. We still have the advantages that made us who we are. I don’t care to play A&M anymore, simply because it makes good business sense not to play them.

As I posted elsewhere, Penn State vs. PIttsburgh was a very big deal for a very long time. When they went into separate conferences they quit playing. That was in 2000. They will pick the series up again in 2016. I could see us playing A&M again after the hotheads on both sides have had lots of time to calm down — or not.

I am of a generation where the A&M Rivalry was a secondary one, at best.

It was third behind OU and Arkansas and was a rivaly in name only Texas dominance in the series for three decades (I believe) made lots of fans like me. Losing to A&M was irritating, and not fun.

Losing to OU was torture, and still is.

TV (and A&M going on probation) deleted the Thanksgiving Day aspect of the contest decades ago, so that tradition is long gone. It will fade away in a relatively short period of time.

 Both sides will move on — and both will survive.

Bring on the Ultra Conference or the PAC… I’m good either way. As for aggy, this is stupendously stupid. Think of the research power they could have had with Texas, Stanford, and Cal… they probably could have eventually had a piece of Los Alamos or Sandia which would dwarf their athletic revenues. Oh well, qu’attendez-vous des hommes qui aiment les moutons… and as my Aunt Betty always said, “those boys are just queer.”

What does Texas do if OU is the 14th team? Think OSU will prevent that from happening?

The Texas brand is diminished with no A&M game. Obviously ND could more than make up for that. So in the end it could very well be a win win.

It’s gonna be extra funny when they shit the bed in their typical style this year and drop 2-3 games they should have won.

And it’s good-bye to A&M….

Not sure why you think the Texas brand is diminished with no A&M game. A&M has been on TV less than Texas Tech for the last several years. The best year in Big 12 South history with four Top 10 caliber teams saw a bunch of nationally hyped games while A&M hung out with Baylor at the bottom of the division.

Not that we would move them there, but an annual game against Texas Tech on Thanksgiving would be just as good for Texas right now as one against A&M.

Tyring to respond to everyone that has commented probably doesn’t make sense, but whoever said that I couldn’t try.

A-Tex Devil

(A) Sour grapes literally referred to the Aesop story where since the fox couldn’t get the grapes and so said they were sour anyway. The comparison was that since we couldn’t stop Aggies, we were all going to say – fine, we didn’t want them anyway.

(B) I never said that we shouldn’t try and get as much money out of them as we could. I believe that we should.

Bevosbackside: – I agree with what you said.

Coolhorn – Not once in my comment did I say anything about actually trying to keep them or make concessions to A&M. Just because I said I would miss them, I think you are making an illogical jump to me saying that we should try and keep them. I didn’t say that nor did I mean to imply it. Also, I did not use the “rationalizing” – that was a term that you used. I think that perhaps a better psychological babble term to use would be adaptive preference adaptation as a result of cognitive dissonance. For some people, I’m sure that the posts above are absolutely true and that some people really don’t care. I also believe that the a lot of people probably do care, thus the fairly strong reactions. The strong reactions are an indication of something, but most likely it’s not an indication of not caring.

All I know is that Aggie game this year is a must win. And I want to hear the Texas section chant SEC SEC SEC.

Saying the Texas brand is diminished with no A&M game is like saying Kate Upton’s chances of matrimony is diminished because YOU got married.

“It is doubtful that ND is going to join the Big 12 so it will be interesting to see who does join. Just like to mention that Colorado Springs (home of Air Force) is an awesome town if you like the great outdoors.”

Agreed. Colorado Springs is a beautiful place. Was there to visit a friend in July and loved the scenery. They have a Rudy’s BBQ there also.

Fried Rice FTW.

Fuck those assholes. This is more than anything else an act of spite to let the SEC into our backyard for recruiting purposes. They are willing to take their lumps to stick it to us. They can go straight to hell and I would be happy to never play them again in anything. As a matter of fact, it will out and out piss me the fuck off if we ever do play them again in my remaining lifetime.

This whole aggy scenario reminds me of the two sisters in the movie “A League of Their Own.” The weaker sister went to another team because she was tired of living in the stronger sister’s shadow.

aggy is simply tired of living in Texas’ shadow so they are going to another league. It will probably work out just fine for aggy, I would imagine. Why wouldn’t it?

Look at the other variables. First, can anyone here sincerely assert that the B12 is a “better” conference than the SEC? By any measure, the SEC is a superior conference with respect to what remains of the B12.

You can say the SEC is full of cheaters, and you’d be right. But aren’t the two schools that have been caught the most times with their fingers in the cookie jar currently members of the B12? Does the B12 really have the high ground when it comes to cheating (or lack thereof)?

Few will argue against the idea that superconferences are a coming thing. Or that the SEC will be one of those conferences. aggy to the SEC does, without question, give aggy stability for as long as college football is played into the future. Can the B12 promise that kind of stability? To Texas? To OU? To any other B12 club?

“Well,” we say, “aggy will rarely win in the SEC, much less win big.” Okay, fine, maybe that is true. But when did aggy ever win big in the SWC or in the B12 under circumstances when that winning didn’t arise without a boost from the boosters? Rarely. So what does aggy really have to lose by joining the SEC even if aggy rarely wins in the SEC? Why not join the superior conference regardless of the W/L argument?

And while aggy may not recruit the SEC much better as a member of the SEC than they do now, I think it is error to say aggy recruiting won’t become better in the SEC. aggy will have the SEC to sell whereas Texas is Texas, and that’s great, Texas sells well, but what recruit is going to be dazzled by potential B12 additions like BYU, Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, TCU, SMU, Houston, Memphis State, and so forth? Especially when compared to LSU, piggy, TN, AL, Auburn, FL, etc.? Furthermore, we don’t know, in fact, that aggy won’t be able recruit the SEC better than they do now. That’s a chance I would be willing to take if I were an aggy.

I personally cannot hold it against aggy for doing what is best for aggy. Nor can I be angry at them. The SEC is, I think, much better for aggy overall than the B12 is today (or could be in the future). Hell, IMO the SEC is better for Texas overall than the B12 is! I am happy that our little brother is the school that may be the school that ignites the final realignment. I mean, we’ve been talking about this kind of realignment since around 1987. It’s 2011. It’s time. Good job aggy.

If aggy leaves, I just hope to god Texas stops with Florence Nightingale syndrome, and makes some moves that are in Texas’ best interest over the course of the next 100 years. Moves that are in the best interest of Texas as an institution, and for the benefit of the greater part of all of our athletic programs. One thing about Loftin: It sure seems like he’s trying to do the right thing by aggy: His language is precise, his procedure is methodical, and his intentions seem inexorable.

Finally, there’s this idea that we won’t ever play aggy again. Maybe we won’t for 10 or 15 years. But someday, when all the superconferences settle out, when the emotions die down, when a younger crop of Texans emerge, Texas and aggy will do their thing again, very likely on a yearly home-and-home. The schools are too close geographically, and have too much water under the bridge for any other result to obtain.

Yes, the schools will someday kiss and make up, it’s going to happen. Just like it did for the girls in “A League of Their Own.”

xoverx…

what. the. fuck.

xoverx…

tl;dr

texas is and will be under immense pressure to add another state of texas school to the big 12 after aggy leaves. u of h folks are making a claim that they should replace aggy. aggy may end of fucking us by giving us u of h as a replacement.

it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.

Notre Dame has 1000% larger chance of joining the conference that UT runs than U of fucking H. We refuse to play them in any sport but we’ll let them become a member of OUR conference? Riiiiiight.

Hey Aggies, remember the going-away party we threw for UNub last season? Throwing you the same…just want you to leave as butthurt as the cornholers did so you can feel justified in leaving.

In bigger news Chris Barnett has left Michigan and FOX recently published an interesting article about Barnett’s relationship with Baron Flenory.

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/Chris-Barnett-took-winding-road-to-Michigan-031211

Additionally Russell Sheppard got suspended for discussing with a teammate who was scheduled to meet and discuss the same matter with the NCAA. That matter of course was Sheppard’s relationship with one Will Lyles.

http://www.chron.com/sports/article/LSU-WR-Shepard-suspended-will-miss-opener-2141417.php

Hmmmm…….was it the deal the Mack and GD cut with GG’s father or something else that had Texas deciding not to offer Shepard.

Agree with those who said A&M is making a good move for itself (as Nebraska did… not so sure about Colorado).

I also think that A&M will be what it was in the Big 12… middle of the pack to occasionally good. They’ll probably win a division at some point — perhaps sooner than later if they have improved recruiting and can do something with it. But their good teams will be much less likely to luck into great — too many hurdles in the SEC for a team to be lucky. Just look at what Scipio estimates Auburn will be coming off a MNC.

Don’t really care whether they stay or go. I do find it just a hair curious that OU — which was not in the same conference with Texas for about 70 years and had a much stronger rivalry — is much more willing to hang with UT than the Aggies are. Could be a self-esteem thing. OU has won when Texas was good, and knows it can do it again. A&M just doesn’t pull that off consistently.

I really hope this does not drag out beyond 2012. Let the Aggies cut and run…seriously. Wish them well but never play them again…in anything. Not out of spite, but because if they truely want to leave, then they leave with nothing. No palimony of recruiting help or financial gain to them by playing them on Thanksgiving. If we can’t get ND to play us on Thanksgiving, then temporarily move the TTU game to Thanksgiving. It’s a better deal for the Red Raiders to play us then anyway and as everyone knows, anything good for TTU is bad for A & M.

And if A & M does send the official notice in time announcing their official departure and it doesn’t work out for them to join the SEC in 2012, what then? Do they fill out their schedule with the likes of UNT, Houston, SMU, Rice, Texas State, UTSA, ULL, ULM and NOT get laughed at by the rest of CFB?

When I read this, “Aggies Send Formal Notice,” I thought of this:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n39/cayote64/funny_bike.jpg

Big night in College Station. Let the sheep screwing begin.

OU is staying with us b/c they’re getting their own network put together

Exiled in Cali, great psych posts. Though you do realize the futility and irony of convincing someone with cognitive dissonance that they are suffering from…cognitive dissonance. I truly believe every high schooler should have to take a class on the brain and psychological phenomenon, but would the world be as fun if people actually thought about what they said?

I relate to what you said, and will miss what the relationship brought to the regional culture. However I do love good football and if this gets us to the Big 10 or PAC, then it was a suitable sacrifice.

xovers – so that means Rosie O’Donnell is Oklahoma, right?

Makes sense to me, but that leaves Baylor as Madonna. Can’t be right.

Also: real life isn’t directed by Penny Marshall. I wouldn’t count on a storybook ending. UT will treat A&M the same way they do Arkansas – with disdain and at a distance. Sentimental rematches will happen eventually but the annual game will be over for good. No reason to keep giving the turncoat-in-suspenders an annual shot at bragging rights when our advantages would be completely insurmountable otherwise.

I listened to Paul Finebaum on Rivals today – he made a rather interesting comment. He said most of the SEC callers (Finebaum is a SEC and Bama homer) don’t want AtM in the SEC. When, in an interview, Finebaum brought this up to the dude that owns Texags (his name escapes me) the dude said the SEC would learn to love them.
(OK, you have laughed long enough now)

Exit fees are 50% for two years notice 80% for 18 mo to one year 90% for between a year and six months and 100% for 6 months or less. The current big 12 contract is available online. Well at least the first ten pages or so.

the SEC would learn to love them.

Well, it could happen. They haven’t been subjected to years of whining and moaning. They’re pretty good on bitching and complaining, but agy whining will be something new for them. Yeah… I can see them loving it, can’t you?

A&M : SEC :: Cousin Eddie : Clark Griswold

Texoz for the win, follwed closely by Dagga for his Rosie/Madge comps. Bronze for snide aside, you will learn to love it.

the exit fee is going to be less than 10m.

I appreciate that many Horns recognize that at this point in time, this is A&M’s best move for monetary and visibility reasons.

Many of you focus on football, but A&M will instantly compete for conference titles in mens’ hoops, Baseball, and all the women’s and Olympic sports. You know, just like they are doing in the B12 right now.

And they will compete and win with the fame and fortune that comes from the SEC with no rival influence on the media or rules.

Given all this success you speak of, what about the B12 rules has limited A&M so severely?

don’t play stupid, Bob.

example…why is Deloss Dodds calling around finding a replacement member? Isn’t that Beebe’s job?

Irrelevant to the question, which remains: How have Big 12 rules held back the Aggies?

If Dodds really is dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on the rules with the intent of holding the Ags down, he’s doing a darn poor job.

Ag,

You do realize that Florida carries considerable weight in the SEC, and, if I understand correctly has it’s own network. They don’t make as much money as Texas, but they weren’t far down the list. Alabama and others draw a little bit of attention, as well.

While I’m at it, do you think Saban is going to roll over on any recruit you want, oh wait a minute, he’s not very good at recruiting, is he? And, insults of insults, how respectful do you think your SEC conference mates will be of the Bonfire 12? How many of their fans even remember the incident?

Does the end of the Texas/Texas A&M game mean no more off-campus bonfire, either? My, we are dispensing with traditions quickly, aren’t we?

Don’t get me wrong, I want you to go to the SEC because I’m absolutely sick of the whining and whimpering and total lack of cooperation for the good of the conference. I hope that you give formal notice that you are leaving, and regardless of the outcome, the notice is irrevocable. You talk about Texas turning their back on you, gimme a break, what are you doing to Tech, another state school in Texas. You are acting just like the spoiled little brother, with no sense of responsibility and a huge chip on the shoulder, running away from home.

I have immediate family and extended family who graduated from A&M. They do not want to see this happen, but obviously the current leadership and some influential alums do. Texas, A&M, and OU could have been a powerful alliance; however, Texas, OU, BYU, and ND will form an even more powerful alliance. Who will be your ally now?

hotdam, didn’t SC just win the CWS for the second year in a row, and Florida didn’t look to shabby, either? Good luck with that conference baseball championship next year.

A lot of “A League of Their Own” references going around about this matter:

http://barkingcarnival.fantake.com/2011/08/11/a-league-of-their-own/