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I think you have to look at this this way. NU did what was best for NU. Aggie is trying to do what is best for Aggie. It is in Baylor's best interest to keep the Big 12 together. They are doing what is best for Baylor. I don't think Baylor can forever keep this up, but they working in Baylor's self interest. I don't blame them. I'd rather see Baylor let Aggie go so the rest of the schools can move forward.

The break up of the SWC was a bit before my time, but from what I understand it was a conference that deteriated into scandals and with Arky leaving it pretty much sealed the deal. Arky did well in the SWC, but being the only non Texas school the SEC made more sense. Also having UT, Aggie, TT, SMU, TCU, Baylor, and Houston all in a major conference all from the same state just yells trouble as college football kept growing. There is plenty of blame to passed around. The only other schools I hear blamed on this site is SMU only because of the ESPN 60 show. Aggie bought the car for Erick Dickerson, but SMU picked up the payments. Amazing story. Which is why the Big12 needs to keep Houston and TCU out. TCU has a great setup in the Big East. Leave TCU alone. If the Big 12 expands, go out of the conference. It will lessen the stress on the non Texas schools and expand the geography. I would love to see Boise join. BYU not so excited about and ND is not coming to the Big 12. ND may be interested in a alignment of independent schools or one day join the B1G. No, I don't think the HQ being in Dallas makes a difference. With today's mass media and fast travel contacting Dallas is no different then contacting Los Angeles. Texas didn't win anything. We lost the flagship school of the Big 12 North. NU lost 100 year rivalries with Big 8 schools. Conf realignment isn't a good thing. Traditions that have been around forever dissapear overnight. Never good. Revenue sharing I'll always be 50/50 on. It helps the conference, but then if a school spends millions building their brand they loose money sharing with schools who don't. One day I'm for revenue sharing the next not so much. I haven't really followed Big 12 voting, but it is my understanding everything NU voted against they agreed to in the B1G. I could be wrong. But as I said I believe all schools act in a self serving interest in this day of huge college money. There is no agenda to hold the other schools down. Aggie, NU, OU, Mizzou all make their own decisions. In the late 80's early 90's the Aggie brand was ahead of Texas. Due to coaches not working out at College Station and with the hiring of Mack Brown UT leaped back ahead of Aggie. I can now drive around town and visit a UT coop store 300 miles from Austin. There are no Aggie stores that I know of in Dallas. As a non advertising or business major I would think it would make sense to get the Aggie brand in Dallas. Also if I remember correctly 3-4ish Aggie games were not on TV this past season. From what I've read this is because Aggie powers didn't want to delute the stadium gameday experience. Don't quote me on that. I also would think Aggie would/should have shopped around and put the game on versus or pay per view to help their brand. I believe this is a dropping of the ball by Aggie. Get the games on TV and recuits will be watching. All Texas ATM needs to do is continue winning, get all their games on tv, beat Texas, win the Big 12 and they will move back infront of UT. Also I'm on the record as I've already stated that the LHN is going to be underwhelming. I would rather see it go away. Longhorn Sports center on Fox SW is terrible and I don't see the LHN really doing much more. You can't read Shaggybevo and get a good understanding on how most people feel. It is pretty much site that is dominated by, well I'm not going to say. The one site I enjoyed turned into a pay site. The people I know don't read forums, don't want to go independent, and don't have any hard feelings toward NU. There was an excitment about joining that Pac-12 last year.

Mark my words, not great. Anyone who has been in a conference with Texas would not be happy about them joining a league they are in again. If you are wondering why, talk to Arkansas (or any of the ex-SWC teams Texas left in a still smoldering crater), us, and A&M. Obviously some people might think A&M has a little brother complex so their word is tainted, it's not. I know the big ten members all think "we'll never let Texas run our league." They'll start by asking for special considerations. You know like "hey why don't we go ahead and rotate the conference ccg down to jerry's world once in awhile" or "you know with all these extra games we'll probably need some new referees, the big 12 refs aren't doing anything now that we left, we'll fly them up from dallas." Whatever, they just want something to prove they are better then everyone else so you think, meh what the hell, it is a lot more money and a big recruiting state so what's the harm in employing a couple refs out of dallas? Then they start asking for a little bit more (or in the case of the big 12) get something like a ccg moved, offices moved *I'd put money on trying to get satellite offices down in dallas and/or austin working with ESPN a bit, since "hey we've already built this nice studio"*. Then they start holding the rest of the members hostage. "Indiana you like basketball right? well how would you like to have all the basketball tournements in Indianapolis, just vote with us when it comes time to give jerry's world a chance at more ccgs." They don't work towards ends of anyone but Texas and once they gain just enough favor you'd see them support someone for Conference Commissioner, right out of the mold of Dan Beebe. He might seem well mannered with a lifetime of NCAA experience. What you don't see is he's got the Texas Athletic Director's hand up his ass like a sock puppet. Read some of the tweets coming out of the people covering the big 12 offices over the last 24 hours, specifically tweets like this "@kbohls: Texas AD DeLoss Dodds told me the UT staff 'is working on 20 names' for possible replacements for Texas A&M." They aren't even hiding who actually runs the show anymore. So either Beebe is crying in the fetal position in the corner somewhere or Dodds and the Texas AD has been running the show since the big 12 voted down creating their own network and the commissioner before Beebe bolted. These people don't work towards common goals to better institutions they align with as equals. Nobody is Texas's equal in their eyes and I'd bet ND is exactly the same with double the ego since they are "National." They constantly work angles. Their real game isn't on the field, it's in their Athletic Department, trying to gain as much political power as possible just to let everyone around them know that they are better then you and they are running the show. Eventually when they actually are, they'll start flirting with the SEC or PAC again. While their conference implodes with what proud teams are left looking for somewhere to go without them. Texas's athletic department is a cancer that festers on every league its been a part of. Might take 50 or 100 years in the big ten's case, since they cant make demands like the formation of the big 12 (but they'll try). It will happen though. Ohh and just for fun, once someone gets sick of them and sacks up and leaves, those Dallas refs will make sure you get what Texas thinks you deserve on the football field. Ohh and they are running the AAU committee that votes to kick members out too. So enjoy that last parting shot at your dignity on your way out the door if they can manage it. Along with some disparaging press out of fox sports, Dallas Morning News, the statesman and orange-bloods. Yeah Texas could make 'concessions' and join this conference, maybe even talk ND into it as some sort of prize (it's really a package deal bargaining chip to try and make bigger demands for entrance). If they actually wanted in as an equal, they'd just ditch their network and say "sign me up." They won't do that. ND won't either I'd imagine. NU voted against the Big 8 schools when it voted against renue sharing. There was an 11-1 vote, but NU and UT voted together .The remaining Big 8 schools voted for a conf Champ game because it generated extra revenue. The Big 12 champ game was palyed in KC and the weather was awful. Conf champ games will be palyed in domes. The game should have alternated between Dallas and St. Lous. Dallas can hold 90k while I think ST Louis holds 65k? Still, should have alternated. The Big 12 HQ in Dallas does not benefit UT anymore then the HQ in KC benefited Mizzou. OU is a few miles closer to Dallas then Austin yet it somehow doesn't benefit OU Same with Aggie. UT is not making decisions for Aggie. The Aggie brand falling behind UT is what Aggie didn't do and not anything UT is doing to Aggie. OU does not have their head stuck up UT's arse. OU will do what is best for OU. The 2nd largest Mizzou Alumn is located in Dallas. That is probably the same for OU. If Mizzou, OU, etc find a situation that brings more benefit to their school don't think they won't jump on it. There is no such thing as these schools following UT. They are acting in their own self serving interest. NU never took the old Big 8 schools in consideration when NU decided what NU needed to do. Every school in the Big 12 voted in thier best interest and not the best interest in the Conf. Edit - Removed something things I shouldn't say.

another Texas troll! Why do you keep joining? and LMAO as the A&M Board of Regents meeting the day before Texas' HOR I'm on a Nebraska board as a Horn. I don't expect you to be nice. Here is more info from the DMN. From the Dallas Morning News - "The A&M announcement came a few hours after the Texas House Committee on Higher Education, which controls state university funding, announced hearings regarding college athletics, specifically A&Ms possible move to the SEC." Very important - "controls state university funding" What remains to be seen is how Aggie funding will be impacted. What kind of money is going to be discussed. As I've been saying, Aggie doesn't get to pick up an move and neither does UT. Texas politics are going to play a huge role. TT and Baylor will also have something to say.

People keep bringing up the legislature, but they're not a factor in this for the next two years unless Rick "Adios Mofo" Perry calls a special session. They just ended their last session, and they don't meet again until 2013, after the elections (IIRC). I don't think Perry wants to expend political capital on this, so until he does that makes this a non-factor. Then again, this may be why there's a rush on this--to get the deal approved before a special session can be called for. Yes they are a factor. They would be called back if one of the state's flagship school decides to leave the Big 12. By who? the Aggy yell leader Governor in the middle of launching a presidential campaign? Puh-lease. Care to change your respone? "Texas Rep. Dan Branch said a meeting of the Higher Education Committee of the state's House of Representatives has been scheduled for Tuesday in part "because we are hearing Texas A&M and the SEC are talking more seriously and we are hearing about a possible vote (for invitation) by SEC presidents." Branch said he's heard the SEC vote could be as early as Saturday and members of the committee want to ensure their questions about what is in the best interest of the state of Texas and its students are addressed. "There are millions of dollars at stake," Branch said. "And this could affect students at other schools like Texas, Texas Tech and Baylor." Branch referred to the potential impact of A&M's departure on television contracts.

People keep bringing up the legislature, but they're not a factor in this for the next two years unless Rick "Adios Mofo" Perry calls a special session. They just ended their last session, and they don't meet again until 2013, after the elections (IIRC). I don't think Perry wants to expend political capital on this, so until he does that makes this a non-factor. Then again, this may be why there's a rush on this--to get the deal approved before a special session can be called for. Yes they are a factor. They would be called back if one of the state's flagship school decides to leave the Big 12.

Are there any cable providers lined up for the LHN? And, correct me if I'm wrong, if Aggie can't break from UT and vice-versa, what is all this "We will just go independent blah blah blah" talk? I would think if UT has the right to go independent, Aggie can go to a different conference. What do financial resources have to do with this fight? What money is being spent? Who is receiving any financial benefit from this? I would think that there are plenty of lawyers that would work probono for their respective universities. Ohh, I get it, now. State Legislature bribery funds. Perry knows a lot about that, so don't count Aggie out just yet. The LHN is going to be completely underwhelming. The only thing cool about it is the intensive football, basketball, and to a much lesser extend baseball coverage. I'm not sure why people are crying, we can only offer so many scholerships and it will not give UT any advantage. As long as UT has a good coaching staff and is competitive on the field they will recruit well. If UT doesn't improve from last year and falters for a few years, the LHN isn't going to sell the program to a kid. We have HS games are on TV already, one more channel isn't going to do much. Look how many HS we have in Texas. One school might be on the channel once every 4 years. The NCAA ruled against HS on league or school networks today. Will see how this works out, but this ruling hurts Aggie as they are losing ammo now. Yet this came after strong lobbying by Aggie for the NCAA. People posting on shaggybevo or any other UT site about going independent means squat. In between video games and hitting the bars they are not dictating where UT is headed. We don't have the right to go independent just because we want too, nor do we want too. "What do financial resources have to do with this fight? What money is being spent?" Ha, I hope this was sarcasm. Budget cuts from the state to Aggie will be tossed around as one example. I wish we could break from Aggie, but it doesn't work that way. Edit - I personaly think The LHN is the fight Aggie is picking and they will probably win. Aggie has let UT get way out infront in everything that matters over the past ten years. Texas has been pushing forward thinking ideas for a while which has generated a ton of money for Texas. The LHN (I think it will fail) is the latest example. Aggie is getting heat and they have to show some backbone. In the end Aggis is in the Big 12.

You all need to understand how Texas politics work. Aggie just doesn't get to leave the Big 12 because they decide too. Aggie and Texas are tied together and fool me once, fool me twice, fool me cough cough not a 3rd time. We can't break from Aggie and they can't break from us. State politics will crush the break up if it gets that far. Aggie and UT are playing a chess game right now. Put your money on the people moving the the UT chess pieces over whoever is moving the Aggie chess pieces. State politics, tv rights, big money, legal issues, etc will all come into play. When it is all said and done Aggie will remain in the Big 12. What will be interesting is if Texas will have to make concessions on the new LHN. We'll have to see if Aggie has enough money to support a sustained fight. With Rick Perry announcing he is running for President, God help us, the last thing he is going to want is in-state fighting.