Houston Chronicle exclusive: Texas, Oklahoma reach out to SEC about joining conference. | Page 22 | The Boneyard

Houston Chronicle exclusive: Texas, Oklahoma reach out to SEC about joining conference.

The OU and UT moves to the SEC have been in the works for months. ESPN has probably been been playing chess for months to determine the disposition of its other assets in the wake of that now-public bombshell. Each of us has institution-centric views which favor our alma maters, but those opinions mean nothing unless they happen to coincide with what ESPN wants, and what it wants has probably been decided already. Stay tuned as events slowly unfold.

Funny you mention that because as callers express their angst or giddiness with the pundits at these moves on ESPNU, it's as if the network and it's influence cease to exist. The fans understanding fluctuates between shallow and nuanced, but never do the show hosts talk about how their network primarily uses it's leverage to influence outcomes.
 
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IMO Alabama will have more competition in recruiting with these additions. How much and how soon is the question, but OU and Texas could get a quick bump.
 
UT fans want to go to the Big Ten. I suppose the Big Ten can squat and wait it out for the next move.

Unless the SEC schools develop into prestigious schools, which is possible, the Big Ten still has the upper hand.
 
maybe it will be better for the Big 12 to let them go a year or so early...
From a headache perspective, sure. But as soon as TX & OK are gone, the fat paychecks get a lot smaller. Monetarily it's better to string it out to 2025 and keep the cash coming.
 
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My two cents:
  • F the Big 12. This is karma for the goat rodeo they put us through a few years ago. I welcome the new P4, but F them too (see below).
  • F the SEC. They are the Augustus Gloop of the NCAA Wonka Factory.
  • F the B1G. They are a bunch of elitist snobs with overrated athletics and academics.
  • F the ACC. Any conference that selects Louisville over UCONN for admission is either too dumb, shortsighted, and/or greedy to be taken seriously as a collegiate conference.
  • Cheers for AD Dave for getting us into the NBE/football independence at the right time.
  • Cheers to RE 2.0 and team for recruiting PLAYERS for the independent football team.
However, I will drop the NBE/independence like an overheated burrito if a P4 conference comes calling.
 
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sorry

I just don't find the National college football scene that interesting if it is only a SEC thing. For your generic Mississippi State, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia scrum, I don't think I care about spending two-four hours of a Autumn afternoon watching. I don't want to hear Penn State fans opine how WVU isn't worthy of their media rights number; NO ... Texas is doing what we all know Texans do. The idea that College Football means everthing - imho - is one of diminishing interest. What matters is rivalry ... what matters with WBB at UCONN is the stories; the games are interesting and the development of student athletes. I don't care how much the Florida State coach makes nor the new SEC deal at ESPN. Find me a office coffee room in LA the week of the USC v UCLA game ... and I will perk up.

It gives me no solace to know 15 Universities are confronting the angst UCONN faced a decade ago. I can be happy - I found - in 10 other sports rather than a SEC day

Maybe ESPN is in tune with you...with so many entertainment options available for viewers...maybe focusing on a smaller 64 team league makes some sense.
 

I would make them stay. They absolutely want this to be settled and just write a check. You can get into those negotiations or you can just say this is the contract. Live with it. Nobody has really been willing to hold the line but the Grant of Rights is a little more complicated. Makes the exit fee just that much higher. If you can force Texas and Oklahoma to hang around for 4 years, who knows what happens.
 
The word from down south is that the college football model will ultimately look more like the NFL structure of conferences and divisions. BTW, I was told that ESPN (DISNEY) is fully engaged in these efforts and has been crouching behind the wizard curtain. The new structure has been unofficially branded as "NFL Saturday". There's talk of an expanded ACC and PAC 16/20 (?), with both coastal conferences forming the "bread of a football sandwich" with the SEC and B1G as the meat filling. All the PAC and ACC Olympic sports would be played within each conference but each year a select rotating group of their football (perhaps basketball) teams would travel cross country to play vs each other. It's now looking like 16 (some say 20) in each of the four conferences. The scramble is on.
I was also told by a Texas buddy that last weekend's quieting of A&M's response was due to a private spanking by the SEC, who essentially told the Aggies that they better not try and screw up the TX/OU move. "This deal alone is worth $75M to each member school--and you can be voted out!"
 
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The word from down south is that the college football model will ultimately look more like the NFL structure of conferences and divisions. BTW, I was told that ESPN (DISNEY) is fully engaged in these efforts and has been crouching behind the wizard curtain. The new structure has been unofficially branded as "NFL Saturday". There's talk of an expanded ACC and PAC 16/20 (?), with both coastal conferences forming the "bread of a football sandwich" with the SEC and B1G as the meat filling. All the PAC and ACC Olympic sports would be played within each conference but each year a select rotating group of their football (perhaps basketball) teams would travel cross country to play vs each other. It's now looking like 16 (some say 20) in each of the four conferences. The scramble is on.
I was also told by a Texas buddy that last weekend's quieting of A&M's response was due to a private spanking by the SEC, who essentially told the Aggies that they better not try and screw up the TX/OU move. "This deal alone is worth $75M to each member school--and you can be voted out!"
I know football drives the bus. If this happens will the NCAA allow SEC basketball to compete in the basketball tourney? Would non SEC teams schedule them in other sports? Does it even matter?
 

UT and A&M make money off oil and gas fields in West Texas?!

......

Oh yes...written into the state constitution 100 years ago.

In 1876, the Texas Constitution set aside land in West Texas to support The University of Texas and Texas A&M systems of higher education. Today, that land – encompassing 2.1 million acres – is leased to oil and gas companies whose wells generate revenue that flows into the PUF. Land also is leased for grazing, wind farms and other revenue-generating activities.

https://www.utsystem.edu/sites/default/files/landing-pages/puf/ut-system-PUF-infographic-2018-10.png
 
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Whoa, don't let those moving goalposts knock you over buddy.

What you said was that UConn Woman's Basket "has no value." Do you now concede that that statement was demonstrably false?

Once we concede (and frankly everyone knows it, even you) that UConn WBB has value then you have believe that any reasonably intelligent decision maker would take that value into account. Now, as I have noted, no one is going to offer Connecticut conference membership because our WBB team, but I guarantee you there is a computation of the value, including potential subscribers, if they are doing an even vaguely competent evaluation.
No value in relation to the issue at hand. that is all.
 
The word from down south is that the college football model will ultimately look more like the NFL structure of conferences and divisions. BTW, I was told that ESPN (DISNEY) is fully engaged in these efforts and has been crouching behind the wizard curtain. The new structure has been unofficially branded as "NFL Saturday". There's talk of an expanded ACC and PAC 16/20 (?), with both coastal conferences forming the "bread of a football sandwich" with the SEC and B1G as the meat filling. All the PAC and ACC Olympic sports would be played within each conference but each year a select rotating group of their football (perhaps basketball) teams would travel cross country to play vs each other. It's now looking like 16 (some say 20) in each of the four conferences. The scramble is on.
I was also told by a Texas buddy that last weekend's quieting of A&M's response was due to a private spanking by the SEC, who essentially told the Aggies that they better not try and screw up the TX/OU move. "This deal alone is worth $75M to each member school--and you can be voted out!"
If this even comes to fruition, are they going to plan to keep current conference members? I can't see why you bring along lower tier schools who have been perennial doormats. Nostalgia clearly plays zero role anymore and hasn't mattered since all of this realignment started. My guess is they will look to make sure they have the teams that draw the most eyeballs. Don't see how you take along a BC when you can get a school with an actual fanbase.
 
Think we’ll end up with 32 teams. A mirror image of the nfl. No Vandy. No Purdue. No Oregon State. No Baylor or Texas Tech. Just the biggest and baddest with the rest relegated to tier 2 like English soccer
 
No value in relation to the issue at hand. that is all.
Well that's not actually true either. You understand the difference between being a factor and a critical factor right?
 
The word from down south is that the college football model will ultimately look more like the NFL structure of conferences and divisions. BTW, I was told that ESPN (DISNEY) is fully engaged in these efforts and has been crouching behind the wizard curtain. The new structure has been unofficially branded as "NFL Saturday". There's talk of an expanded ACC and PAC 16/20 (?), with both coastal conferences forming the "bread of a football sandwich" with the SEC and B1G as the meat filling. All the PAC and ACC Olympic sports would be played within each conference but each year a select rotating group of their football (perhaps basketball) teams would travel cross country to play vs each other. It's now looking like 16 (some say 20) in each of the four conferences. The scramble is on.
I was also told by a Texas buddy that last weekend's quieting of A&M's response was due to a private spanking by the SEC, who essentially told the Aggies that they better not try and screw up the TX/OU move. "This deal alone is worth $75M to each member school--and you can be voted out!"
Aggies board met for 90 minutes regarding this move and no action was taken. Guess being a newbie has no real clout. UT might be an exception since they actually win games. The Longhorns have a winning record against every SEC football team except Vanderbilt.
 
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