Thoughts On The Breakup

I am for letting the Aggies shoot themselves in the foot. Bring on the Momos!

Nice write up. TAM leaving now isn’t the most preferable thing (which is why we wanted the big12 for a little while longer) but that’s OK. Life’s not perfect. Let em leave and I wouldn’t mind if we never play them again.

Tons of good points in there, TTR. Great read.

My only reservation from total agreement is that I’m not sure Texas really controls the Lege in this one (guides, yes; controls, no), and the Lege is in position to force penalties on A&M far above and beyond the Big 12 payout. Penalties that could keep them from leaving.

I’m guessing the Lege’s main concern will be not only about the UT-A&M turf war but also recouping lost tax revenues caused by losing in-state rivalry games. The Baylor folk have been putting out some scary numbers on that front. Also, the Lege wants to keep TTU in a major conference. If A&M leaves before UT is ready to join another conference, there’s a chance that UT could go indy and leave TTU in the dust; the Lege doesn’t want to see that happen to its shiny new Tier One school. So my guess is that UT would basically need to quietly intervene on the side of the Aggies to keep the Lege at bay. I doubt that’s happening.

I think W.W. Clyde’s probably right, and we want A&M to go to the SEC eventually because that’ll turn our “Tech problem” into a non-problem. But not in 2012. We’re not ready for it.

Very nice Taylor. A factual breakdown of the situation. Most Ags dismiss the Lone Star Network as a sip conspiracy theory, but it could have given money to their depleted coffers. 5 year , 10 year moratorium on on the Texas - TAMU rivalry. Then we’ll see where both universities are at.

If Texas is able to play Notre Dame every year on Thanksgiving, who really gives a s*** other than the Aggies?

Call me crazy but I think the answer if TAMU leaves is to contract the conference. Just OU, TX, OSU, KU, Mizzou, and TT or KSU. Make it a six team conference with all the stipulations that teams have to play top caliber competition. Those six teams have the fan support, national recognition, and resources to compete at a decent level. Yes, Texas anf OU will always dominate the conference in football, but all of the others can compete and pull it together for a few years at a time. Every one of those teams could be a BCS bowl team if things go right. It wouls still be a top notch basketball conference. Baylor and ISU just weigh us down.

Sign a deal with the ACC (or Big East) to play 3 or 4 non-conference games a year. This is a benefit to both conferences since they don’t have to play a championship game and strengthens their schedules. The ACC, I believe, has been to ZERO BCS championships, so they should be champing at the bit for such an arrangement. ESPN would be well pleased, too.

Friend of mine at the capitol said tonight that although the legislature could hold the aggys feet to the fire about academic funding if they leave, it is unlikely since the gov is an aggy and the chair of the senate finance committee is an aggy. They would likely not stand in the way. Plus all the republicans that want to get elected next year don’t want to get on Perry’s bad side if they try to block aggy from going.

I agree that aggy is out the door. Don’t stop them, wish them well, work on our situation…but don’t play them for 4-5 years, to let them know what they are missing…then schedule them only if they agree to play in LHN.

Also, Fuzzy, the ACC actually played in the first 3 BCS championships (all FSU) and won 1 of them.

The article that I read on this in the DMN indicated that the NCAA had contacted both the Big 12 and the SEC following the recent developments. In addition, a representative of A&M indicated that they have never had an SEC offer, and only days before, the SEC voted against further expansion.

I don’t know if it is all smoke, or if there is more to it.

Hook ’em!

While we’re reviewing the history, I pulled out my 2004 “Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.”. in it was an article titled “The Day the Clock Struck XII” by David Barron. The article says that Texas A&M decided to go to the SEC back in 1994, but Bob Bullock himself persuaded them to go along with the Big 12 plan with a promise of fulfilling two requests: approval for funding for what would become Reed Arena and some multimedia networking equipment for their campuses.

In sum, the Aggies have been wanting to go to the SEC for a looong time. The LHN is just a convenient excuse.

I’d rather have A&M inside the Big 12 tent pissing out, than have those dummies outside the tent pissing in.

The Big 12 should use every reasonable carrot and every available stick to persuade A&M to stay in the league. One of those threats to A&M should be for UT to join the SEC and bring OU and Texas Tech with them. That move would neutralize any aggie gains from joining the SEC. Aggies would be no better off than they were before.

If aggies agree not to blow up the Big 12, the league should loan the aggies money to help them straighten out the mess they’ve made of their finances. The loans should have lots of strings attached as aggies have proven they are dishonorable and untrustworthy as well as stupid.

UT’s best move would be to stay with A&M and OU in the Big 12. But if the Aggies insist on leaving the Big 12, UT should offer to join the SEC provided we can bring Tech and OU. The SEC could decide if they want A&M for the 16th slot or not.

If UT joined the SEC, our ideal division would be: Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Kentucky (the border states division). The deep south division could be: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss St, and South Carolina. The border states division would have a population base of about 43 million and the deep south division would have a population base of about 46 million.

The ideal rules would be: all seven conference games with teams in the same division, five non-conference games, and a conference championship game. Teams could schedule games vs teams in the other SEC division, and these games would be considered non-conference games. A seven game conference schedule would allow teams to schedule more home games and easier wins to balance out a difficult SEC schedule.

Ok here’s the deal…
Age leave for $ec… politicians say ut /a&m play t-day thru 2016 & then review potential future contact.
horns do not recruit anyone for beeg 12 as we explore independent option.
In 2016 a decision will be made after reviewing success of LHN & ongoing relationship with BYU & ND…
nuff said
good luck ags. & don’t let the door hit ya backside.

An even better solution would be: Texas and OU join the SEC leaving Tech, A&M, and Okie State in the Big 12. Virginia and North Carolina also join the SEC. SEC Border States division: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina. SEC South division: Florida, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Miss St.

If Texas and OU joined the Big 12, the SEC would be able to claim 9 of the 13 BCS championships. The SEC could instantly upgrade its academic profile by adding Texas, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Aggies, Tech, and Baylor could not be upset with UT because they would stay in a BCS conference. Aggies and Tech should be happy because they might actually win that conference someday.

The population base of SEC country plus Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, and North Carolina would be about 104 million, or about one-third of all the tv sets in America. UT could keep its Longhorn network and be a part of the rich SEC tv contract. Border States division of SEC would be strong on academics with Texas, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, and Virginia.

Plus better travel destinations than the Big 12.

Well done.

“if Texas A&M uses the move as an opportunity to lose its most embarrassing traditions and rituals.”
When pigs can fly. I’d wave the penalty $$$ just to watch the aggie reaction. The ags are lost without the whoop crotch grab. Next thing you’ll suggest entirely deprogamming the cult.

a$m will be better off in a Super Conference no matter how they do on the score board. We will be left in the backwater for awhile, but sooner than later, Dodds will ensure whatever move we make will be a huge step up.

“There will be a lot of pressure on Texas to play TAMU. The Big 12 contract needs that game every other year.”

If Independence is a serious option, we’ll want to keep A&M on the schedule.

There are some hilarious ideas in the comments.

“WE join the SEC and Aggy is left behind”
“6 team conference!”

The Big 12 is a carcass run more by DeLoss than it’s actual commissioner.

Mike Slive
Larry Scott
Jim Delaney
Dan Beebe

Three of these men are smart and good at their jobs. One should have been fired years ago.

“And also tell them we are done playing them for a few years. Tell them playing us in the future is dependent upon their actions. If they fly straight in recruiting, we should play them.”

Sure, this will make sense to the Barking Carnival readership. The rest of the country will think you’re pussies.

The Ags don’t control their destiny, the SEC does. Keeping the Ags here will depend on any and all interested parties working it from the opposite direction. I think that’s already happened. I don’t think A&M will play in the SEC in 2012 or 2013, and in the longer term future, I don’t think they will be the lone seed to the crystal that brings about a new shape to national alignments.

Oh, and TTR. Good piece. I don’t agree with all of it, but well thought out and articulate.

Colorado Ag - The pussy is the school that is running away from us to another conference. Ya’ll should thank your lucky stars if don’t play you; playing us plus an SEC schedule isn’t going to be so good for your record.

You’re right. Leaving Baylor, the Kansas schools, and Iowa State for the best league in the country is a pussy move. Oh, and we’ll be willing to keep Thanksgiving open. Cowards.

For the record, I wish the Big 12 would have worked out. I had grown to love the dysfunction.

Wrong on almost all counts. You can keep fixating on the LHN and discounting A&M’s larger concerns if it makes you feel better about this situation. In contrast, this piece more accurately summarizes the A&M perspective that the LHN—and Texas’ consistent misrepresentations about the LHN—is just the final straw, not the primary cause for leaving the B12:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/809878-sec-realignment-why-it-matters-to-texas-texas-am-baylor-and-espn

(P.S. You don’t have to like BR to nonetheless accept that the piece is a reasonably accurate representation of A&M’s outlook.)

Re TTR - "The risk for Texas A&M is that they don’t get the talent upgrade they need and wallow in the middle of the SEC pack, if not the bottom. While the Ags may earn a small degree of respect for trying to compete against the best, 6-6 is still 6-6.

The Aggies replace 10 senior starters in 2012, including their starting QB, RB, and star WR. That could be a bumpy start."

Getting that talent upgrade would be more likely if A&M were starting in the SEC in 2012. Compare the two scenarios: 1) A&M vies for top 2 place in B12 this year as a springboard to taking on bigger SEC challenges in 2012, versus 2) A&M forced to swallow the reality this year of not knowing what the immediate future holds followed by a likely conference beat down on the field in a rebuilding year in 2013.

Recruits aren’t going to be swayed by wishful bumper stickers alone, and when the Ags fall back to their familiar place next year, the optimal window will have closed.

“You’re right. Leaving Baylor, the Kansas schools, and Iowa State for the best league in the country is a pussy move. "

Funny, all of the things I read on Aggie sites don’t much talk about leaving those schools. They talk about escaping ebil Texas. I know you have to fall back on the above statemen to be able to project the notion of “cowardice” onto UT, but you look silly doing it.

Further, replacing a fleeing A&M on our schedule will not bring national scorn to Texas. The main reason people outside of Texas watch that game is to see the Longhorns (rooting for or against) not to see the Aggies. My guess is that we can find a team with a better national rep to replace you.

You’re breaking the agreement and running away. To sprint out of reach and then turn around and say, “We’ll fight you,” is the face-saving move of the whipped dog.

I’ve never seen any fanbase get more satisfaction from being in a 2-loss three-way tie for a division, not representing the division in the championship game and getting smashed in their bowl.

i think politicians spend too much time on the wrong issues. if they really want to earn their keep they should look into something like that silly business of the length of days. in the winter it gets dark at something like 5pm, and in the summer it’s more like 9. even out the length of days. that would be useful.

by the way, my vision of the annual turkey day bloodfest with notre dame would be at jerryworld or some other neutral site. jerryworld is a long way from lake michigan, but the nd crowd would fill half the stadium every year, and those guys might like a trip to texas every november for recruiting reasons as well as for other reasons. i bet nd would love to make some inroads into the group of kids the ags like to target.

I think if the Aggies make the politics of leaving work, we will find that Texas lands in a real attractive place.

Opportunities like the Big 10 and Pac12 become realistic once we are no longer saddled with TT or Baylor (if Aggie can leave ‘em behind while destroying the Conference, then Texas doesn’t have to be their benefactor anymore).

OU just needs to clean up their OSU baggage and between us we can pick if the Midwest or the West get to be the host of the best conference in NCAA football.

i don’t think either the pac or the b1g is entirely feasible. i have never felt ok about the west coast and no longer yearn to see us align with the b1g. my $2 is on a brand new deal.

From the piece I linked above:

“I believe the move of Texas A&M to the SEC is the University of Texas’ worst nightmare.

In the Big 12, UT is currently almost omnipotent in the conference as indicated by the statement from UT AD Deloss Dodds that his staff “is working on 20 names as a replacement for A&M.” Any rational person would ask themselves why Dodds and not Dan Beebe and the Big 12 were working on a replacement for A&M.

This just proves what has been the prevailing thought in Big 12 country for a long time, that Deloss Dodds and Texas run the conference and not conference commissioner Dan Beebe. UT knows that as long as Texas A&M remains in the Big 12, they will have a say over anything that happens at A&M because of their pull in the conference.

If Texas A&M leaves the conference, it would have a negative effect on the perception of the conference and therefore a negative effect on the Longhorn Network. A pregame breakdown of a game between UT and Houston or UT and Air Force is not going to generate as many viewers as a breakdown of UT versus A&M, and the officials at UT know this.

If A&M leaves the Big 12, the conference’s television contract will become null and void unless A&M can be replaced by another team. It remains to be seen, but a conference with Air Force or Houston would probably not be viewed as having the same value in the future as a conference with A&M in it when the television contract expires and negotiations begin. Texas would prefer to avoid all of these complications and therefore is working to keep A&M in the conference. "

Colorado Ag & Donny,

Do you your AD was smart to decline sharing was could have been “TCFN”, or the Texas College Football Network? Just think of the negotiating position that would have put you in.

Dodds has vision. That is difficult for even our rivals to deny. They may not admit it, but neither do I hear them deny it.

Hook ’em!

Here you go Java. More from the same piece I linked above:

“Put in the simplest terms, moving to the SEC is a game-changer for Texas A&M. Not only would it mean an exponential increase in revenue for A&M, it would mean a separation from UT, who they no longer view as a trustworthy business partner.

While the mainstream media has focused on the Longhorn Network as the source of A&M’s frustration, the truth of the matter is that the leaders at A&M just feel they cannot trust UT. Why would you want to do business with people who say one thing, while they are going behind your back and doing exactly what they swore against. Would you continue in business with a partner that you did not trust?

Bowen Loftin and the rest of the leadership at Texas A&M decided that they did not want to be in this same situation a year from now. The Aggies decided that they would not sit idly by and watch Texas try to strong arm other members of the conference while Dan Beebe ignored the needs of everyone except UT.

The Big 12 was once a great conference. It will never be a great conference again because Dan Beebe has allowed UT to run it into the ground. A&M is looking for a new home and luckily, the best football conference in the country has a place for the 28.2 million television viewers that the Aggies can grant access to.

The Ags view the SEC as their best option for the next 100 years. We will see what the future brings, but I believe that when the 2012 football season kicks off, the kicker for A&M will be striking an Southeastern Conference football."

Donny, there’s a reason people politely refrained from responding to your link to Bleacher Report. I browsed the article and it’s the tired old Nebraska hate for UT married to yours. Texas as evil, bullying and dishonest. Poor NU and A&M, noble sorts tired of the reign of the dark force.

Grow the fuck up.

I remember the late 60’s and early 70’s when we regularly played ND. It wouldn’t be difficult for that to become a full blown rivalry. I also have always enjoyed the games that has pitted UT against Penn State.

Does anyone else think that Penn State and ND are as well respected as A&M?

…excuse me, I had to get off of the floor after an uncontrolled fit of laughter…

Hook ’em!

you got me with that one, too, java. nicely done.

Good one. The sign of a good joke is typically when the teller laughs.

Let’s revisit the whole history, shall we? A few years ago, Texas proposes a Big 12 network, and is voted down 11 – 1. Texas commits money to facilitating and developing it anyway. Texas approaches TAMU (Byrne) about sharing. Byrne basically doesn’t trust any T-sips, going back to when Texas first joined the Big 12 (he was pissed that we told the Big 8 we wanted to limit PQs, and then actually proposed a rule to do so). He was sure we were inflating the potential of the network, so he turns it down.

1. A lot of facts get tossed around fan sites, even BC, that are just shy of the truth. They then take a life of their own, becoming accepted as gospel. I asked this question on another thread on BC, but didn’t receive a reply. Can anyone cite a source(s) from a news article, Big 12/university statement, etc., that states:

a. The vote against a Big 12 network was 11-1 (or whatever), w/ UT being the only Yea vote; &
b. UT offered A&M in on a Lonestar Network, but A&M declined.

As to the former, having not read anything official, I find it hard to believe cash-strapped, little-known schools like Baylor, ISU, etc. would vote against, among other things, 1) another revenue source; & 2) increased exposure for their teams/schools.

I also think it would be very naive or myopic to believe that UT is a benevolent conference member. I remember reading 1 BC contributor state that it would be stupid for UT to have to share a conference network w/ the likes of Baylor, ISU, et al., when UT has much greater draw. That made sense, although it doesn’t do anything to foster good relations w/ our conference brethren (in fact, it does that opposite).

As to the latter, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised A&M/Byrne poo pooing the viability of a 2-school, let alone single school, network. I just want to see something official.

2. I disagree w/ TTR re: the value of BYU vis-a-vis A&M. I think BYU has a much greater national brand than A&M does. Plus, the way the Big 12 allows schools to have their own networks fits in perfectly w/ BYU’s situation.

Finally, a lot of fans poo poo the idea on the basis that BYU wouldn’t want to join a “dying conference.” I disagree - by being an independent, BYU has a REAL TOUGH road to getting a BCS bowl invite, let alone a MNC. If they lose 1, definitely 2 games, they’re regulated to some no name bowl. By joining the Big 12, they get instant access to a BCS bowl invitation.

3. I’m all in favor of cutting A&M out COMPLETELY should they leave. No more FB games. Hell, no cross country duels either. UT can’t let them have their cake & eat it too.

Unlike some proposals I’ve read here on BC, I do NOT favor cutting A&M a bigger slice of the pie or letting them in on the LHN - they don’t deserve any of those. Depriving them of, by far their biggest rival AND what they define themselves against, is the ONLY carrot UT should be dangling in front of them (the Big 12 should be carrying legal sticks).

4. The B1G announced that they were staying put at 12.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2011/08/big-ten-no-plans-expansion-jim-delany/1

I don’t see the SEC expanding unless they’re trying to keep up w/ other conferences (they even said so), w/ the B1G being their biggest competition.

Likewise, the B1G isn’t looking at expansion, unless they have to keep up w/ the competition.

Donny
’truth of the matter is that the leaders at A&M just feel they cannot trust UT. Why would you want to do business with people who say one thing, while they are going behind your back and doing exactly what they swore against. Would you continue in business with a partner that you did not trust?"
Please list specific examples.

By the way, most of this is biased conjecture on what might happen. My preference is ags go to SEC. Either way we win. All this reminds me of conversations with my exwife. Why are divorces SOOOO expensive? Because they’re WORTH IT !

tinhorn, i can see us profit from ag going to sec. not the way we were with g davis and company on the payroll, but if this new bunch pans, doing really well in a more glittery line-up is probably what will happen within a couple of years. however the ag mindwarps want to pitch it, they are nothing like well respected around the country, and when they fizzle in sec country, their recruiting will fizzle, too. and when that happens, sec inroads into texas won’t be the bugger-bear many fear. a&m will just be more insignificant than they have been while texas and cohorts assume a higher stature.

i can see a few years from now people talk about the stupidity of the ag move like people talk about minnesota giving all those draft picks for herschel walker.

If the ags stay things are as they have been. If the ags leave we are free to do what we want, although on a different timeline, but we don’t have to listen to all the whining. Either way, a&m will NEVER define our actions or who we are.

no, the ags don’t define us, but they are like a huge wart on our nose. it’s hard to talk with anybody and them not look at it. will be nice to see it gone, whatever scar it leaves.

“I got vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals.” - Butch Cassidy

ColoradoAg can laugh all he wants. I’ve noticed that most Aggies have difficulty thinking outside of the box.

Texas, OU, Virginia, and North Carolina would add more dollars to SEC tv contracts than any other realistic grouping of schools. These four schools are based in states with a combined population of 46.4 million as of the 2010 census.

Advantages for the SEC:
1) the addition of 46.4 million potential viewers.
2) the addition of recruiting bases in Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia.
3) Texas and OU’s 11 football championships and 1600 football wins. North Carolina’s basketball program.
4) Improving the academic profile of the SEC.

Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia are the best partners for the SEC. Taking these schools would eliminate the only realistic candidates the Big 10 can target in each of these states. The Big 10 would not consider Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, or Texas A&M as stand alone candidiates. The SEC would win the conference wars.

Advantages for Texas:
1) Money. Texas could keep the Longhorn network and share in SEC conference tv dollars.
2) Influence. Texas can influence the SEC more as a member than as an outsider.
3) Freedom. Texas will have solved its Tech problem. A&M, Tech, and Baylor would remain in the Big 12 with access to a BCS bowl every year.

Texas’s academic profile would not be damaged by association with Vanderbilt, Virginia, and North Carolina. The SEC has already established itself as the dominant athletic conference. There’s nothing further to be gained by promoting win-at-any-cost football. But the SEC does have a lot to gain by promoting better academics.

Joetx, these blogs are every bit as credible as anything you can read anywhere in the “real” media. No further vetting is required.

There’s nothing further to be gained by promoting win-at-any-cost football. But the SEC does have a lot to gain by promoting better academics.

Good luck selling that with season tickets.

@ Flash - Sorry, but they’re not 100% accurate. I’ve offered corrections before.

The Governor of Texas is one of the weakest political figures in the state. In fact, the State’s Constitution has been specifically written to make our Governor arguably the weakest of all 50 states after a sordid history of political corruption (See: Ferguson’s)

Rick Perry only has public any political capital to do anything. His actual role in Government is largely ceremonial.

With all of the lawyers on this board I am surprised people still trot out the Perry argument.

6-6 in the SEC is still better than 5-7 in the Big 12-3.

The governorship is much stronger now after the longest serving governor in Texas history and it’s greatest douchbag IMO has made it so.

No math in the world, no rhetorical sophistry will change one eternal truth: A$M is a loser school running away from competing with its longest rival.

Bye losers. Or however it is expressed in sheep language.

You are my favorite writer for this topic.

LOLOLOL neutral Turkey Day game between UT and ND at Jerryworld? Maybe we could mix in a neutral game at Soldier Field or Yankee Stadium?

Don’t let the barn door hit you where the sheep genitalia split you.

Thanks, Nickel, a lot. One more thing- what could keep the Ags from going? Not being able to pay the severance fees to the Big 12 (i.e. foregoing this year’s revenue). The Legislature may not be able to force them to stay, but could direct them to not dip into general university funds to finance it. If they weren’t able to leave the Big 12 in 2011 due to lack of money, after similarily not being able to leave in 2010 due to lack of money, it would be so…Aggie.

My fear is if the ags are allowed to leave the Big 12 than Texas really is the only lifeline for Baylor and TTU.

We may not be afforded the same courtesy.

How are we running away from our main rival if we want to play every year? Plenty of annual rivals aren’t in the same conference.

As for the money being an issue, you get out that trusty list of your top 20 benefactors, spend a couple hours making calls, voila, money is there for something almost everyone wants.

i propose we play the ags until we beat them four times in a row and then never again except in a mandated bowl game.

of course, it won’t be on thanksgiving anymore. since the ags disgraced our rivalry, we hold thanksgiving for the domers.

ColoradoAg,

You’re amazingly off-base on this. You all want to leave the conference and it is clear to everyone why. Running away from us to another conference while stating that you still want to play us does not change that fact.

If it makes you feel better about tucking tail then go ahead and keep telling yourself that. In the end we’re still Texas and we’re going to continue to be. A new conference isn’t ever going to even things out for you.

You’re absolutely right on the on money issue, you have enough donors to cover the cost and they’ll do it gladly. I’m not sure you even have to make that many phone calls.

Taylor -
 
I always enjoy your takes on these things. Thanks.

Newy,

The Governor’s actual constitutional powers and ability to control legislation are indeed minimal. He wields little power beyond ceremonial pomp. However, as much as I hate to say it, this Governor’s power rests in his ability to influence the Republican majority (see: this year’s debate over using the Rainy Day Fund - he ran roughshod over legislators). Especially freshman Republicans do not want to cross Perry because they know he has significant ability to turn their fundraising faucets off and close them out from the party establishment.

If this goes down while he is still in office, I think if he so chooses, he can make an awful lot of legislators look the other way.

Good write-up Taylor.

And Perry appointed every regent of all relevant public schools.

Your revisionist history is nothing close to the Ags side of story. The current embodiment of Lhn is nothing close to what was pitched to Bill Byrne and Texas also offered a shitty cut of revenue. They pitched in a way that was not acceptable so they could turn around and say " we offered you the chance….."

Then there has been the flat lies told by Deloss over the past year. Saying one thing behind closed doors and doing something completely different in actions.

This is a business divorce. Yes Texas is capitaliIng on their market value, but some of is derived from what value A&m brings, without proportional revenue award to A&m.

Thus, it is a much better business deal for A&m to go to the SEC where they can get way better value than ever will in B12.

Thanks, Scipio.

Hot dam, are you serious? I can’t tell. Are you actually arguing that DeLoss Dodds, who has been the AD at Texas for almost 30 years now, who has gotten along well with about 60 different ADs at about 20 different conferencemates, is some kind of nefarious behind-the-scenes manipulator? That he spent the first 28 years as UT AD as some kind of Manchurian Candidate sleeper agent, just so he could reveal himself as an evil architect in his final years?

When the going gets tough, the tough … uh, run away.

Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Breaking thru the defensive Texas group-think about LHN is a tough sell here. But let me try once again to offer an alternative perspective for your consideration:

http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2011/8/22/2376732/parting-shots-longhorn-network-college-football-realignment#storyjump

A Have Not is upset because a Have is making more money than they can? No way!

@ Donny - The author of the link you provided is full of shit sour grapes.

If you take his logic further, it is wrong for the B1G to have the BTN, since it gives each school an extra $22m+ per year.

Along the same lines, it is wrong for X conference to get a better TV contract than Y conference, since it gives the schools of X conference an advantage over those of Y conference.

I find it hypocritical & laughable when fans of schools w/ advantages over other schools cry & whine when some schools have more advantages over their own.

You need to hurry off & find someone else w/ much better arguments than that.

The real game changer here, folks, was that no one in their right minds would have thought that Texas would get $300 million for the rights to LHN. If you think the fine folks in the A&M front office weren’t shitting bricks on that announcement, well… just let that sink in for a moment.

At this point, A&M is going to do that they’re going to do. The SEC has been a long time flirtation, and they might as well make the full plunge after going this far. I’m a little baffled why the SEC would be all over A&M, but they were all over Arkansas when the SWC disbanded… and looked what they’ve done for the conference.

I’m not confident the Big 12 -3 survives this, though. If anything, I sympathize with the other members potentially left behind from the counter moves that are likely to happen. While Texas remains in a very strong position nonetheless, I’m hoping our ties with OU remain intact.

“(P.S. You don’t have to like BR to nonetheless accept that the piece is a reasonably accurate representation of A&M’s outlook.)”

its physically impossible to express the “aggy outlook” and remain reasonable…

i seriously never want to play these idiots again, let them change their fight song and fish camps and go obsess over someone else for the next 100 years…