The Texas A&M to the SEC rumors have been rampant for weeks. Message boards, Twitter and generic Internet reports have had it as a done deal, that the Aggies are gone, and the SEC will expand to 14 or even 16 teams and the Big 12 will die. Many of the reports have been erroneous, irresponsible and just flat out incorrect.
It's hard to sort through all of these so-called experts to figure out what the truth really is.
In simplest terms, A&M is simpling exploring its options. Many among the Aggie faithful are simply fed up with Texas' power in the Big 12, not to mention the elephant in the room that is the Longhorn Network.
College football is a huge business; essentially it is a professional sport at the highest level. Texas made the best deal it could. A&M is simply looking to do the same.
The guess here is A&M will do its due diligence from a legal perspective and seek entry into the SEC, a much more stable conference than the Big 12. A&M would hopefully continue to play Texas every year, and the rivalry would only be more intriguing in separate conferences. It works very well for Florida and Florida State, Clemson and South Carolina and Georgia-Georgia Tech.
The SEC is the best conference in college football. A&M will struggle to compete at first, but the potential rivalries with LSU, Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas would be much more interesting than Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
They key for the SEC would be to add a quality 14th team. Speculation from that end is that the conference will not expand to states where it already has teams.
A team like Virginia Tech might make a lot of sense on the other side of the conference. Missouri might be a possibility as well, which would do further damage to the Big 12.
The move would obviously benefit A&M, but the SEC would be helped as well. They have a slim toehold in Southeast Texas now thanks to LSU, but adding A&M would open doors to the Dallas and Houston markets that don't exist right now. That's more TVs and more money. And more chance to pick up recruits in one of the top three recruiting states in the country. The SEC already has Florida to recruit from; adding Texas would only strengthen the nation's strongest conference.
So it makes a lot of sense from everyone's perspective.
But it also doesn't necessarily mean the death of the Big 12. Texas wants to keep a conference affiliaton, and the key to a Big 12 survival would be Oklahoma. If the Longhorns and OU stay together, that is two traditional powerhouses that can carry a conference. Texas/OU at the top is as strong as any other conference. Oklahoma State has emerged as a national power as well. Those programs only figure to get stronger.
It would be incumbent on schools like Texas Tech and Missouri to raise their game.
The Big 12 won't be as strong without A&M, but it will have its advantages. An undefeated Texas or OU is almost assured of a trip to the national title game every year. Their path there will be much easier. Texas and OU don't really need A&M. And A&M doesn't really need those schools, either.
There has been much speculation on who the Big 12 would target. Notre Dame (no way, they have had better options); BYU (unlikely, they appear set on independence); Air Force (not an awful idea) and Houston. Louisville has been mentioned as well, but they seem unlikely to leave the Big East unless the ACC or SEC comes calling.
Air Force has a national following and would get the Big 12 back in the Colorado market. But Houston might make the most sense.
UH has facilities issues and is working to rebuild both Robertson Stadium and Hofheinz Pavilion. But if the Cougars agreed to play home games at Reliant Stadium, that would end the need for a Robertson renovation and would make the school much more viable. UH has a large but apathetic following that might become energized with a move to a BCS conference.
Most importantly, a combination of Texas and UH would be a greater presence in the Houston TV market than A&M. Texas plus OU would be bigger in Dallas. So while the SEC would gain a foothold, the Big 12 will still be the dominant conference in the state's major markets.
Make no mistake, the Big 12 isn't better with UH than it is with A&M. But it would still be viable, and could continue to grow down the road. It would still be better than the Big East, and much stronger at the top than the ACC.
So an A&M move to the SEC could actually work out well for everyone. Yes, the Aggies and Longhorns have been together for a century. But sometimes, a divorce works out for all involved.
That appears to be the case here and it is looking more and more likely to happen.
Comments