Bevo 12-2 Crumbling Already?...New A&M SEC Talk

[huskerpony]

http://kansasstate.scout.com/2/1086147.html

I thought it would last through the next tv contract, but according to this, the SEC is ready to move on A&M and Clemson at any time. Just waiting on A&M to decide, and the latest Bevo Network developments may have set them over the edge. (What did everyone think was going to happen? ESPN didn't pay $300 million to broadcast a few games against Rice.)

Also says there are more scandals coming soon in the SEC. I had heard there is one of Oregon proportions still to drop in the SEC this summer. This says 3-4 more schools are going to get hit.

[go4it]

Expansion will happen again in the next couple of years and it will make the last round seem minor. Texas A&M has decided to get serious about options to move conferences as they see their performance on the field improving and still never be treated as an equal with Texas in Big 12 -2.

While future conference expansion will be interesting to watch I believe the real discussion in the next 3-4 years won’t center on BCS conference or not…. but on NCAA or not…… With all the issues surrounding the hypocrisy of NCAA enforcement and the difficultly of working within NCAA constraints the talk among the football power schools is about leaving the NCAA to do their own thing.

[ponyte]

How interesting. One could see a scenario where A$M leaves as does OU. Now, UT needs a few filler teams for its TV contracts and invites SMU and Rice to the Big XII-IV. And once, the teams UT tried to get rid of by destroying the SWC become its life line. UT may end up being too incorrigible to be in a decent conference. SMU is on the rise and gaining a little national attention. Not A$M audiences yet but an adequate substitute for UT in the short haul. Rice just allows them to schedule another home TV game with a patsy.

[ponyscott]

How interesting. One could see a scenario where A$M leaves as does OU. Now, UT needs a few filler teams for its TV contracts and invites SMU and Rice to the Big XII-IV. And once, the teams UT tried to get rid of by destroying the SWC become its life line. UT may end up being too incorrigible to be in a decent conference. SMU is on the rise and gaining a little national attention. Not A$M audiences yet but an adequate substitute for UT in the short haul. Rice just allows them to schedule another home TV game with a patsy.

Really Ponyte?....I think its just a matter of timing before UT goes independent anyway. Why would they need to split anything with anyone when they can profit big time and keep ALL the chips? The associated schools like A & M and OU (think Nebraska)just don't like to be back seat to UT in anything, so they will leave to bigger conferences where they may perceive themselves as being more equal with others in their new revamped conference, such as a Master SEC with bigger future TV revenues for all. And why would in the world would UT want SMU, Rice and the like in a conference with them?...It doesn't make sense.

[EastStang]

Yeah, but they'll have to figure out a place to park their other sports. CUSA? Ask ND how easy it is to get a bid to March Madness without a conference tie-in. As I've said often, it depends on what the suits at ESPN want UT to do. UT is now theirs. I suspect that ESPN would want UT in some football conference like the Big XII. If A&M or OU leave, they'll just back fill. It could get interesting in that they might ask TCU to kill the BE football rankings.

[ponyte]

Who else will UT get to fill the void of a departed A$M and OU? Not limiting the possibilities to Rice and SMU (UH or TCU could be potentials) but who will leave a solid conference to become UT's cellmate punk? UT will need a conference as they don’t have the ND national appeal or a built in military academy audience. Other conferences will be working hard to improve their ratings and a UT independent could find solid competition hard to come by. Will the SEC and PAC X+II supply enough good competition to keep UT’s ratings high? Perhaps. Doubt the Big East or ACC help out and the Big X+II will not be interested in helping UT compete against their network. Just a possibility that UTs long term plan limits their competition for ratings and they are forced to accept previously unacceptable schools into their conference.

It's total speculation, not a prediction.

[Pony Ride]

Yeah, but they'll have to figure out a place to park their other sports. CUSA? Ask ND how easy it is to get a bid to March Madness without a conference tie-in. As I've said often, it depends on what the suits at ESPN want UT to do. UT is now theirs. I suspect that ESPN would want UT in some football conference like the Big XII. If A&M or OU leave, they'll just back fill. It could get interesting in that they might ask TCU to kill the BE football rankings.

ND is in the Big East for all sports but football.

[Water Pony]

What is particularly interesting in the story is the reference to Clemson, who is a solid, long term ACC member. By adding the Aggies and the Tigers, the SEC gains while weakening two other conferences. In addition to entering Texas, they ensure SC and Clemson rivalry will become even more appealing. Although OU would be a better FB choice, I suspect bigwigs in OK will not let the Sooners leave OK State behind.

The article seems to reduce the likely prospects for an immediate move, but by 2012 this deal will remain on the table.

[ponyscott]

Who else will UT get to fill the void of a departed A$M and OU? Not limiting the possibilities to Rice and SMU (UH or TCU could be potentials) but who will leave a solid conference to become UT's cellmate punk? UT will need a conference as they don’t have the ND national appeal or a built in military academy audience. Other conferences will be working hard to improve their ratings and a UT independent could find solid competition hard to come by. Will the SEC and PAC X+II supply enough good competition to keep UT’s ratings high? Perhaps. Doubt the Big East or ACC help out and the Big X+II will not be interested in helping UT compete against their network. Just a possibility that UTs long term plan limits their competition for ratings and they are forced to accept previously unacceptable schools into their conference.

It's total speculation, not a prediction.

Oh I know Ponyte....I am doing the same and speculation. WTH do we know anyway?

[huskerpony]

What is particularly interesting in the story is the reference to Clemson, who is a solid, long term ACC member. By adding the Aggies and the Tigers, the SEC gains while weakening two other conferences. In addition to entering Texas, they ensure SC and Clemson rivalry will become even more appealing. Although OU would be a better FB choice, I suspect bigwigs in OK will not let the Sooners leave OK State behind.

The article seems to reduce the likely prospects for an immediate move, but by 2012 this deal will remain on the table.

There was a story last week--on the Big 12 website (a bs Dan Bebe is a hero story)--that actually said OU was set to go SEC with A&M when everything was blowing up last summer. The Clemson addition makes a lot of sense. They have a crazy traveling fan base. But it does either close the door on OU, or the OU component is there to raise it to 16 later--leaving a spot open if they have to bring OSU with them (or a spot for another florida school or someone like virginia tech.)

[smuuth]

Hopefully, quality non-conf opponents will hold the longhorns feet to the fire and demand bigger paydays...say 5-10 million for a game in Austin. Why? How long are the UT faithful going to go along with victories over Rice, Southland or WAC teams? If I am a fan I want to get my moneys worth for my $100 ticket, Parking fees, inconvenience and my $5,000 donation to the Longhorn foundation for the right to by my overpriced ticket to sit up next to where the blimp is hovering. At least I can still see the game on the big-screen tv in the south endzone! Oh wait...I could have stayed at home and watched the game on tv and had a beter experience and saved a lot of money....maybe enough to send my kid to SMU, Rice or Baylor!

[Water Pony]

Some skepticism, but not rejection:

http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2011/7/15 ... ealignment

[Charleston Pony]

Clemson and A&M would be great fits for the SEC; both schools dominate the towns they reside in. Now, if the SEC could only get rid of Vandy and replace them with Florida State

14 members works pretty well because there are more "division" games, but still room for the SEC's "permanent opponents" to protect long time rivalries like Alabama-Tenn and Auburn-Georgia.

And the rich get richer

[CalallenStang]

Clemson and A&M would be great fits for the SEC; both schools dominate the towns they reside in. Now, if the SEC could only get rid of Vandy and replace them with Florida State

That will never happen. Vandy is the only private school in the SEC. Having a private school as a member allows a conference to operate without being subject to FOIA requests.

[EastStang]

If true it puts the ACC in an interesting spot. Do they grab Syracuse out of the BE as they originally wanted to do when they were forced to take VT? My guess, they raid Syracuse and leave the BE having to make some more moves to save itself, and since Syracuse is big in hoops it really sticks a knife in the BE. Now the BE has to add another team or four to fill out its football roster. Do they suck it up and go all in for Texas by adding UH, SMU, and Rice? Or do they hedge their bets and take UH and ECU and call it a day? And what does the UT conference do? This year's hoops and football will mean a lot. Hopefully, Doh will get this very young team to be very scary by the end of the year and JJ gets us either the championship or in that game again. A win over the Frogs would be very nice for that resume in both sports. Talk about dominoes falling. Wow.