Oh...every board has a myth running. This is from the Texas board and they are scoffing as well:
Been sitting on this information for a few months but finally have the balls to post it. I have someone who I will just call a "business associate".
He is very prominent and well known in the Southeast. He is actually based in Atlanta but does a ton of business in Nashville, Miami, Orlando, New Orleans, and Birmingham. One of "those guys" who knows everyone. A Good ole boy so to speak. He has a ton of relationships and has been doing business with the SEC office, their vendors, sponsors, everyone you can think of for over 20 years.
I've been able to forge a working relationship with him over the past two years and for some reason, he has taken to me. He knows I'm a die hard longhorn fan and we banter back and forth. He went to a big time basketball school in another conference and gives me $#@! all the time about Barnes. Real cool guy once you get to know him.
He's heard that some of the items sitting on the new SEC commissioners desk once Slive officially retires will be the continued investment in the SEC network as well as working with CBS. They are also looking to enhance their basketball profile. Apparently, to accomplish these goals the SEC is going to pursue Texas and Kansas.
The SEC network is doing well but they feel they can do a lot better. The Texas market is already one of the most profitable for ESPN for the SEC but if Texas was added, that could probably at least triple the revenue. There is a feeling Charlie Strong is going get Texas back to a powerhouse in the next three or so years. There is a feeling Texas basketball will also be on an uptick. So the thought is to strike while the iron is hot and both CBS and ESPN can cash in on this new upswing from Texas.
CBS: Wants more Tier 1 inventory. If the divisions were structured in a certain way, CBS could add a nationally televised game involving Texas in September (Arky/LSU?), October (OU), and November (Aggy) to their portfolio. The SEC could restructure the divisions and put both Texas and Kansas with aggy, lsu, arky, lsu, ole miss, miss state. This will move Bama and Auburn to the East.
ESPN: They will get more Texas games on their family of networks, including the SEC network and LHN. LHN might absorb into the SEC network one day if this should happen.
KU: Adds an elite basketball reputation to go with UK and Florida. I was told Kansas has a "LHN Light" arrangement with ESPN 3 that is very profitable. The Kansas profile for basketball would be felt from the Texas markets, the Kansas City/St. Louis/Chicago markets, all the way up the Eastern Seaboard.
So apparently the SEC, ESPN, CBS are going to put their heads together and try to convince both schools to make a jump via back channels. it won't play out publicly. They know this will be a longshot because we are very happy in the Big 12, there is some anti-SEC sentiment among both UT and Kansas, and there are some huge political and legal hurdles that include the eventual dismantling of the big 12 as it stands today and the collateral damage that could be done to other state schools for both parties as well as the shakeup of college football. But, they feel the economics would back up such a move.
