Texas A&M is rattling the SEC sabre again because of ESPN 8: The Bevo

[Husker_x]

Looks like the Texas A&M Regents are going to be discussing all aspects of a possible move and the Bevo Network at their next meeting:

 

Houston Chronicle link

 

The only leverage A&M has is to leave the conference. They can rattle their saber all they want, but until they actually do something Texas isn't going to budge, or hand over any revenues they generate with the Bevo Network / ESPN deal.

 

A&M's situation is pretty much all or nothing, the way I look at it. They either join another conference that'll make them more money and level the economic playing field or they stand pat and remain Texas' bitch.

 

I agree it's all or nothing. They have nothing. They stand to win all if they leave. Texas needs to be left out in the cold. I understand self interest and wanting to promote your school, but good Ghandi. Playing high school games on your own private network in a state you already dominate recruiting wise. Ridiculous.

[95huskers]

Sporting News

 

Sporting News[/i] Wednesday that both Texas A&M and Oklahoma are so concerned about rival Texas gaining a recruiting advantage with the newly-formed Longhorn Network, the two institutions could turn to the SEC if the problems can't be figured out. The core issue: The Longhorn Network will televise live high school football games in the state of Texas, an obvious recruiting advantage for Texas.

 

Read more: http://aol.sportingn...k#ixzz1Sg6DTzMo]

[da skers]

Just further proof that Nebraska is destroying the B12.

[Haspula]

I cant see the sooners going to the sec. They own the big 12 conference in football and the SEC are always in legal trouble after they recruit. A&M can go right ahead, but Oklahoma should stay in the big 12

[redblooded]

I cant see the sooners going to the sec. They own the big 12 conference in football and the SEC are always in legal trouble after they recruit. A&M can go right ahead, but Oklahoma should stay in the big 12

 

If any one of the remaining 'premier' programs leave the big 12 wont exist for them to stay in. Texas isn't likely to stay in that league without A&M. They probably aren't likely to stay for very long even if nothing changes anyways. Oklahoma can't carry a new big 8 with Baylor and Texas Tech replacing Colorado and Nebraska. It wouldn't be financially feasible in this age of TV markets and TV contracts. The old big 8 probably wasn't financially viable long term even with Nebraska and Colorado, which started this whole mess 20 years ago in the first place. Texas needed a league and the big 8 needed population.

 

Edit: Ohh and about the SEC always being in recruiting trouble, lol if that was a joke. If not apparently someone doesn't remember Switzer. Go watch the 30 for 30 on Marcus Dupree to remind yourself that OU can and will deliver double-wides to runningback's parents just as well as any SEC school.

[knapplc]

I agree it's all or nothing. They have nothing. They stand to win all if they leave. Texas needs to be left out in the cold. I understand self interest and wanting to promote your school, but good Ghandi. Playing high school games on your own private network in a state you already dominate recruiting wise. Ridiculous.

 

I agree that it's ridiculous, and I wish Texas could get left out in the cold, but I think they've positioned themselves to be bullet-proof. They have that ESPN contract propping up the Longhorn Network, they have the in-state recruits, they have the rights to televise their games, all of which combines to give them enough income to go independent any time they want.

 

My guess is they'll start squeezing the Big XII - nothing blatant, but enough - so that they get more and more of the pie. If they leave the Big XII is done. No more AQ, meaning Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and A&M all bolt. Heck if any one of those five leave they all bolt. I just don't see a downside for Texas right now. That ESPN deal was huge.

[Micheal]

If one leaves the Big 12 is in trouble if they don't grab another school or two almost instantly. Is it bad that I'm rooting for The Texas 12 to fail? I feel bad for Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State though. Chance are Missouri could join the Big Ten so who knows. Maybe the Mountain West might swoop in and grab a couple? I really enjoy all the conference expansion talk.

[redblooded]

If one leaves the Big 12 is in trouble if they don't grab another school or two almost instantly. Is it bad that I'm rooting for The Texas 12 to fail? I feel bad for Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State though. Chance are Missouri could join the Big Ten so who knows. Maybe the Mountain West might swoop in and grab a couple? I really enjoy all the conference expansion talk.

 

Kansas mostly and maybe Mizzou aren't in any real danger, if super conferences are formed (which they will be if the SEC, PAC, or B1G expands) someone is going to decide a pretty decent all around program in Mizzou and an all-time great basketball program in KU are worthy.

 

ISU, Kansas State, Baylor, and OSU (no matter how much money Pickens wants to throw around before he's dead) and Texas tech would all be in dire straits though.

[redblooded]

You know what, since way too many morons have done it I'll give my own outlandish/moronic(possibly) cfb conference realignment prediction.

 

The SEC gets Texas aTm, Clemson, North Carolina, and the coup de gras Texas. Your own network is fine over there, and it wasn't Texas's idea to televise conference games on their own network in the first place.

 

The B1G TEN spurns their (stupid) supposed Syracuse and Maryland wishers and picks up KU, MIZZOU, OU, and their coupe de gras (because they cant schedule half their games after they goto 9 conference match ups) Notre Dame, who they were after all along.

 

The Pac gets whatever remaining big 12 teams they'll settle with and realizes their part of the country doesn't care about NCAA football anyways, and you cant make deals with Texas. If they were really forward thinking when Texas and the other 4 reneged they'd have sent TCU an invite.

 

But it'd take years for that to happen. There is no one death blow. Plus I am probably WAY wrong, but everyone else is (and has been) that is making those predictions too.

 

Edit: and if that scenario would ever happen it'd be a matter of years before the 4 biggest conferences broke off from the NCAA, created basically an NFL light, consolidated networks, and went to playoffs. That's how the playoff fappers get their wish.

 

Frankly I hope everything stays at 12, and the big 12 is relegated to big east status in football. That's just me.

[redblooded]

I agree it's all or nothing. They have nothing. They stand to win all if they leave. Texas needs to be left out in the cold. I understand self interest and wanting to promote your school, but good Ghandi. Playing high school games on your own private network in a state you already dominate recruiting wise. Ridiculous.

 

I agree that it's ridiculous, and I wish Texas could get left out in the cold, but I think they've positioned themselves to be bullet-proof. They have that ESPN contract propping up the Longhorn Network, they have the in-state recruits, they have the rights to televise their games, all of which combines to give them enough income to go independent any time they want.

 

My guess is they'll start squeezing the Big XII - nothing blatant, but enough - so that they get more and more of the pie. If they leave the Big XII is done. No more AQ, meaning Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and A&M all bolt. Heck if any one of those five leave they all bolt. I just don't see a downside for Texas right now. That ESPN deal was huge.

 

Even if ESPN didn't deem them too big to fail, the Texas politicians/boosters would have. They have more money then they will ever need plus the backing of Texas Oil.

 

The best chance at Texas going down is Mack Brown falling flat on his face because he can't coach. They will never suffer from lack of money. It'll be the same as us with Callahan, finding someone decent as a replacement, and impatience if they aren't working out.

 

The difference is their coaches have quite a few more moneyed egos to satisfy, so their hire lists will be smaller and more expensive.

[VectorVictor]

You know what, since way too many morons have done it I'll give my own outlandish/moronic(possibly) cfb conference realignment prediction.

 

The SEC gets Texas aTm, Clemson, North Carolina, and the coup de gras Texas. Your own network is fine over there, and it wasn't Texas's idea to televise conference games on their own network in the first place.

 

The B1G TEN spurns their (stupid) supposed Syracuse and Maryland wishers and picks up KU, MIZZOU, OU, and their coupe de gras (because they cant schedule half their games after they goto 9 conference match ups) Notre Dame, who they were after all along.

 

The Pac gets whatever remaining big 12 teams they'll settle with and realizes their part of the country doesn't care about NCAA football anyways, and you cant make deals with Texas. If they were really forward thinking when Texas and the other 4 reneged they'd have sent TCU an invite.

 

But it'd take years for that to happen. There is no one death blow. Plus I am probably WAY wrong, but everyone else is (and has been) that is making those predictions too.

 

Edit: and if that scenario would ever happen it'd be a matter of years before the 4 biggest conferences broke off from the NCAA, created basically an NFL light, consolidated networks, and went to playoffs. That's how the playoff fappers get their wish.

 

Frankly I hope everything stays at 12, and the big 12 is relegated to big east status in football. That's just me.

 

Redblooded--the trick for making predictions this go around in realignment is to think less like a conference admin, and more like a cable network admin. When the blogger 'Frank the Tank' looked at the numbers in 2010, he couldn't believe how Nebraska blew away the competition when it came to ratings and viewership. We may be small, but we are mighty and united, and it shows in the TV ratings.

 

I agree that either KU or Mizzou will get a golden ticket to the Big 10 if they go to 14. But not both--too many TV sets that can be picked up out east for the Big 10 to ignore.

 

And of course, as you illustrated, Notre Dame would steal a ticket--likely at the expense of either KU/MU, IMO, as the BTN needs to expand their local footprint.

[Minnesota_husker]

Texas leaves the big 12.. Nebraska goes back and brings Iowa and Wisconsin with them

 

 

[killer cacti]

You know what, since way too many morons have done it I'll give my own outlandish/moronic(possibly) cfb conference realignment prediction.

 

The SEC gets Texas aTm, Clemson, North Carolina, and the coup de gras Texas. Your own network is fine over there, and it wasn't Texas's idea to televise conference games on their own network in the first place.

 

The B1G TEN spurns their (stupid) supposed Syracuse and Maryland wishers and picks up KU, MIZZOU, OU, and their coupe de gras (because they cant schedule half their games after they goto 9 conference match ups) Notre Dame, who they were after all along.

 

The Pac gets whatever remaining big 12 teams they'll settle with and realizes their part of the country doesn't care about NCAA football anyways, and you cant make deals with Texas. If they were really forward thinking when Texas and the other 4 reneged they'd have sent TCU an invite.

 

But it'd take years for that to happen. There is no one death blow. Plus I am probably WAY wrong, but everyone else is (and has been) that is making those predictions too.

 

Edit: and if that scenario would ever happen it'd be a matter of years before the 4 biggest conferences broke off from the NCAA, created basically an NFL light, consolidated networks, and went to playoffs. That's how the playoff fappers get their wish.

 

Frankly I hope everything stays at 12, and the big 12 is relegated to big east status in football. That's just me.

UNC is not leaving the ACC...they pretty much run the conference. Sound familiar?

[redblooded]

You know what, since way too many morons have done it I'll give my own outlandish/moronic(possibly) cfb conference realignment prediction.

 

The SEC gets Texas aTm, Clemson, North Carolina, and the coup de gras Texas. Your own network is fine over there, and it wasn't Texas's idea to televise conference games on their own network in the first place.

 

The B1G TEN spurns their (stupid) supposed Syracuse and Maryland wishers and picks up KU, MIZZOU, OU, and their coupe de gras (because they cant schedule half their games after they goto 9 conference match ups) Notre Dame, who they were after all along.

 

The Pac gets whatever remaining big 12 teams they'll settle with and realizes their part of the country doesn't care about NCAA football anyways, and you cant make deals with Texas. If they were really forward thinking when Texas and the other 4 reneged they'd have sent TCU an invite.

 

But it'd take years for that to happen. There is no one death blow. Plus I am probably WAY wrong, but everyone else is (and has been) that is making those predictions too.

 

Edit: and if that scenario would ever happen it'd be a matter of years before the 4 biggest conferences broke off from the NCAA, created basically an NFL light, consolidated networks, and went to playoffs. That's how the playoff fappers get their wish.

 

Frankly I hope everything stays at 12, and the big 12 is relegated to big east status in football. That's just me.

 

Redblooded--the trick for making predictions this go around in realignment is to think less like a conference admin, and more like a cable network admin. When the blogger 'Frank the Tank' looked at the numbers in 2010, he couldn't believe how Nebraska blew away the competition when it came to ratings and viewership. We may be small, but we are mighty and united, and it shows in the TV ratings.

 

I agree that either KU or Mizzou will get a golden ticket to the Big 10 if they go to 14. But not both--too many TV sets that can be picked up out east for the Big 10 to ignore.

 

And of course, as you illustrated, Notre Dame would steal a ticket--likely at the expense of either KU/MU, IMO, as the BTN needs to expand their local footprint.

 

I did, people keep saying the big east is Notre Dame's fallback and that the big ten will have to raid and destroy that conference to try and get an eastern market and leave ND nowhere to go. My belief is, no, they don't. The big east is already pretty much irrelevant in football, what do you think they'll be if the major conferences go to 16? Notre Dame captures the east coast just as well as any of the horrible teams like Rutgers and Syracuse. It's a pro sports area. The difference is, adding KU, MU, OU, and ND would give a better inventory of games in basketball and football.

[VectorVictor]

CBS Sports Article re: A&M Going to SEC

 

Of note:

 

Specifically, A&M, and others in the Big 12, are concerned that TLN might show high school games. To them, that would be a huge recruiting advantage for a school and program that already enjoys the best of everything. Seven weeks away from the start of the regular season, the NCAA still hasn't ruled.

 

Is that enough for A&M to leave the Big 12 or for the SEC to listen? It's way too early to assume anything but the same problems are emerging in the new Big 12 as did in the old Big 12.

 

It's all meant to drive potential cable subscribers to order TLN. Some Big 12 officials are upset that the network will also include an undetermined conference game. In essence, a Big 12 member will be helping drive viewers to TLN.

 

Uh oh...the honeymoon's over.