Memo to the University of Texas: Nobody wants you in their conference. Your ego is too big, and your greed is larger than the state in which you reside.
Everyone knows it.
And it is killing college football.
And it is hurting Texas football with schools like Baylor and Texas Tech left twisting in the wind.
The University of Colorado president is no fan of a return to playing its former Big XII rivals. According to the Denver Post, “We’ll see what Texas does with their (Longhorn) network. Texas likes things Texas’s way,” University of Colorado President Bruce Benson said. (Source)
In other words, anyone else take Texas.
Please.
This isn’t right. The University of Texas and its Longhorns are college football royalty. It is one of the best programs because it has some of the best fans and some of the best and brightest minds in all of college football. It is one of the best universities in this nation.
However, hubris has infected the Longhorns.
As Billy Liucci said on Paul Finebaum’s radio program, “Texas underestimated A&M and overestimated their own program.” (Source).
Now Oklahoma is threatening to chart its own course with Coach Bob Stoops talking about an end to the traditional shootout with Texas.
According to ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter via Twitter, “Stoops doesn’t rule out possibility of OU-Tex series stopping ‘life changes’” (Source)
The Sooners could head to the Pac-12.
Will they be free from their Longhorn overlords?
Probably not.
If Oklahoma had any backbone, the school would follow Texas A&M to the SEC.
Oklahoma has more in common culturally with the SEC than with the West Coast. This includes fan passion for football.
And the cheating.
Oklahoma would fit right into the nation’s best football league.
However, Oklahoma’s leadership wants none of that. Oklahoma’s leadership should pick a course either the Pac-12 or SEC that would shout its independence from Texas. However, it is doubtful the administration has the courage to do so.
Other schools around the Big 12 know the conference’s days are numbered. The Chancellor of the University of Kansas released a statement Tuesday that sounded like a lament for the conference.
“It’s obviously disappointing that it has come to this point. Keeping the Big 12 strong and competitive remains our top preference, but no matter what happens we’re going to continue to work in the best interests of the University of Kansas. That’s our number one priority and it’s what we’ve been focused on throughout the process as we’ve looked at all our options when it comes to conference realignment,” University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said. (source)
It might be too soon to write the Big 12 obituary. It could linger on life support for a few weeks or years longer. The official voice of the Texas athletic department, Chip Brown of Orangebloods.com is reporting of a great pause in conference expansion and realignment. According to Brown, college football’s major players could use this pause initiated by Baylor’s threats of a lawsuit over Texas A&M’s entry into the SEC. The major powers could use this pause to carefully chart the future course of college football. (Source)
Slow down now? Why?
When Texas wants to do something, it moves at a rapid pace. Just check out the creation of the Longhorn Network for proof.
Now events have spun out of Texas’ control. Other schools and conferences are in charge.
Texas is desperate to slow things down. Otherwise, Texas’ serfs in the Big 12, including Oklahoma, might bolt to freedom.
As Blair Kerkhoff of KansasCity.com said, “No other major power, not Florida, Ohio State, Michigan, anybody, acts on its arrogance as destructively as Texas.” (Source)
There is a menace in college football. It is Texas.
Why should anyone pause to let the menace regain control of conference expansion and realignment?
37 thoughts on “SEC Expansion: There is a menace in college football and it is Texas”
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Don’t you go talkin bout my home state thata way. You got any trees in yer backyard?
you idiot they’re talkin bout the Longhorns not the state
So let me understand. ESPN approaches College X and says, “Your brand is worth $300 million. Can we set up a network to show your 3rd Tier games?” College X, under your line of thinking and every other “writer” out there who hasn’t thought this through, should say, “No thanks. I’m more concerned about the long-term ramifications of college football.” Really?
But what about the disproportionate revenue sharing in the Big 12? Texas is a menace because it demands a disproportionate share of the revenue, right? Again, if having Texas in the conference was a bad thing for the others financially, they wouldn’t agree to that revenue sharing deal. To give an example, if Baylor gets $10 million a year as part of the Big 12, but Texas gets $20 million, should Baylor be mad about it or should it be logical like most and say, “But if I were in Conference USA, I might only get $7 million a year.” Texas demands more because it can. The others in the conference make out better financially because of Texas.
The hulabaloo from Baylor over A&M’s departure isn’t about A&M leaving; it’s about the possibility that Texas might leave if the Big 12 falls apart. Truth be told, the world would be more enjoyable with A&M on its own planet.
No one asked them to turn down the deal when it was first initiated. But at some point, when multiple schools in the conference raise questions about the solvency of this network in the landscape of the conference, Texas should have had the humility and cooperativeness to say “you’re right, we are creating an unfair recruiting advantage that also brings disparity between us and our conference partners”.
Instead, Texas turned it up a notch. They wanted a SECOND conference game. They’ve taken every opportunity to look like the greedy SOB’s they are and not back down from this deal whatsoever.
Well guess what, you get your deal, and the conference splits up. Good luck marketing that deal to conferences that will have no part of it. Enjoy your time in the ACC, sir.
hammer head nail
The thing that gets lost most in this whole “Longhorn Network is causing the end of college football” shenanigans is that not only did A&M have a chance to BE A PART of the network when approached about it 5 years ago, they also VOTED FOR ITS APPROVAL in order to keep the Big 12 together in the spring. Now that the LHN has come to fruition, A&M is butt-hurt that they ended up getting left out and trying to pout its way into a mediocre existence in any conference that doesn’t have Texas in it. Yet somehow all of this continues to be Texas’ fault?
thats bc it is all ut fault, they’re power hungry if it was up to the them conference would be called bevo conference or something stupid like that
LMAO…A&M agreed to a 24/7 Longhorn Sports Network…not a conference television network, not a high school television network. Texas’ greed started wanting more and A&M realized that it would never stop. As far as partnering with t.u.? Dodds offered Byrne a 70/30 split of revenue…Byrne said no. Whorns fans are just pissed their stuck with a crappy network nobody is watching or wants to watch and A&M got uppity and is doing what it wants instead of falling in line like t.u. demands of their conference mates…
You must be delusional. Texas has some of the *worst* fans, not the best.
wouldnt have said it better… went to the the thanksgiving game this year in austin, some stupid bitch started yelling at a 8 year old kid just bc he said the longhorns suck this year. you tell me how you have best fans in nation just bunch stupid redneck fans if you ask me
“When Texas wants to do something, it moves at a rapid pace. Just check out the creation of the Longhorn Network for proof.” This is factually incorrect. “Texas is desperate to slow things down. Otherwise, Texas’ serfs in the Big 12, including Oklahoma, might bolt to freedom.” This is factually incorrect. If you are going to make an argument it should be based on facts not conjecture. Even if taken as true, what about anything you have said makes Texas “menacing”? Being a “menace” is an issue of perspective…… A cat looks menacing to a mouse but not to a lion. Its why Oklahoma may think Texas is stupid arrogant and over rated… but they don’t consider them to be “menacing”. So which are you, the mouse or the cat? We can tell you think Texas is the lion.
OU doesn’t want to join the SEC because no matter the image you want Oklahoma to portray we aren’t toothless banjo playing cousin fuckers
What? Do you mean to imply some OU folks actually have some teeth? Before you load up the old pickup and head west, you’d do well to remember how “oakies” were received the last time they made such a trek during the “dust bowl”.
You know the first thing an okie does when waking in the morning? Brushes his tooth!!
Wow DM,
I am shocked that you can actually type and sodomise a sheep at the same time.
You should go back and revisit the proposal that Texas submitted 5 years ago. It was for a more Big 12 centric network that did not require each Big 12 team to give up broadcast rights for one game each to be shown on the LHN. It also did not involve high school football at all.
ESPN is part of the problem as well. Colleges produce content. ESPN is a distributor for the college football product and a lot of people have forgotten that. They are how we got Thursday night football which in fact created Miami! They are the only distributor I know that controls the supplier.
Texas has never learned the lesson that if you are the highest turd in a pile you are still a turd. The SEC has learned that improving all members raised all ships.
What has Texas done in the last 20 years? One National Championship. One for Oklahoma. Both have lost to SEC schools in big bowl games. BTW in the last 20 years the SEC has won 8 national championships in football. Texas and Oklahoma wanting to play in the big game because they are undefeated does not play well with people who play in conferences that are competitive because it is a back door way to try to pump up your program!
The participants in the big 12 are just not competitive on the National Stage and their won loss record against top conference competition shows it. TEXAS A&M will get better over time and Texas will be scared to play them just like they still havn’t fulfilled their home and home series with Arkansas who has a winning record against them over the last 20 years as well. GET over it and move on.
The truth hurts doesn’t it t.u.
Last time I checked, it was arkie that backed out of the last game of the two game set with the Horns. You’re right that ‘Bama beat UT for the championship a couple of years ago…their first win ever over Texas, by the way. LSU, last time they played UT, they lost to ’em in the Cotton Bowl. Oh, and Les(s) Miles…he found a way to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory against UT everytime he coached okie lite against Texas. Yeah, UT’s really afraid of the SEC…
While I’m at it, show me ONE school in the country that would have turned their back on ESPN’s offer of 300 mil that could turn into a billion or more before the end of the contract…(crickets chirping)…yeah, that’s what I thought.
The LHN is the “Death Star” that gonna kill college football as we know it??? Recruiting seems to be the elephant in the room here. I think it’s safe to say that year in and year out, nobody in college football outrecruits UT….and that’s been true since long before the creation of the LHN. I seriously doubt the network would send even one more quality recruit UT’s way in football than the team already gets. It’s a nice advertisement for the school…but the best advertisement is the school itself.
Last thought…this idea that somehow UT is becoming penned in to a mediocre conference or independence by the network…When push comes to shove, IF the Big 12 finally expires, no matter what is said for publication, the Horns will wind up in the conference they WANT, not just one that will take them.
I understand that it’s easy to hate on something or someone that is successful, does it right, and makes a lot of money. However, at least make some effort to get your facts straight before castigating UT. Don’t hate us ’cause you ain’t us.
they could have easily giving that whole network deal the the big 12 not just those greedy bastards espn sucks mac browns and tu dick
Great post coolhorn. But Bama doesnt get to play against the horns often. What with all the National Championship games we play in. Maybe if you can get there more often we can kicke your tails … again…..
Well I am pretty sure this post sums up exactly why no other conference in America will accept UT right now. Texas will go to the conference IT WANTS? News flash although UT thinks they are the epicenter of college sports I think the PAC12, SEC and Big 10 have something to say about that. You do have a great program with a great tradition. But your stubborn BS attitude about Texas is better and deserves more is crap that no one outside the Big 12 will be standing for. And not one of those conferences will be accepting unequal revenue sharing or THN which Texas thinks they are entitled to. Time is getting short and UT no longer holds the cards… OU actually does. (Bet that pisses a few UT boys off) UT better either rapidly come to the conclusion they are NOT entitled to more than others and learn to become a equal conference member or start kissing butt to keep the Big12 together. Cause if you come knocking to the PAC12, Big10 or SEC with this attitude you will be left in the cold…. that I promise.
What you and Texas don’t get is that they need those other teams. If you don’t believe me, see what happens if the Big12 tries to kick Texas out.
That is what Texas deserves to happen to them. Unless ESPN or Nike mandates it, most reasonable teams will pass on the opportunity to play Texas.
Texas is a bully. They are taking advantage of the weaker teams. ……So kick Texas out of the league and let them go whereever they want and bully folks.
This is gonna backfire on Texas. Congrats aTm for growing a pair and starting this trend.
I agree with that Hoopie. UT really started this mess, and they have underestimated the rest of the conference. I don’t blame them for being upset, what school in their right mind would want to be in a conference owned and run by Texas?
UT built its’ football reputation by the suppression of competition at least as far back as the Darrell Royal days. Then they gave out scholarships in huge numbers just to keep good players away from he competition and then weeded most of those kids out of the program. In those days they used their deep pockets to manipulate kids for their own benefit.
Today, they use their deep pockets to directly manipulate other schools. They have somehow convinced themselves that what ever is good for ut is good for college football. The sad part is, several other schools who remained in conference with ut chose to ride in their wake because of the extra cash they generated Of course, UT noticed this and effectively charged their conference mates for the privilege remaining a conference mate. “We’ll take 30 mil and you can have 8 mil, That’s 5 more mil than you would make without us, If you don’t like it, we’ll go somewhere else.”
UT is a business sensation an athletic underachiever and a PR nightmare. What they have done and are doing is not illegal or against NCAA regs You would think that after destroying 2 different conferences with that bullying behavior, they might being to suspect something is awry in their approach. Nope, they haven;t a clue. Bottom line is UT doesn’t work and play well with others and they have no idea.
The best thing for college football is for ut to go independent, and get the hell away from any other schools. They can then maximize their profits ” …till Gabriel Blows His Horn.”
All this chatter over the mighty Longhorns? That fanbase has to be the biggest collection of goobers on the face of Saban’s green earth. You come on here running your mouth about how great you are, when in fact you have to be the most ignorant bunch of “gunslingers” I believe it’s been my sorry pleasure to have met. It’s all good though, everybody knows that only two things come out of Texas are steers and RC’s….
Baylor’s suing A&M because they would have nowhere to go if the Conference died. They only got in because of Governor Ann Richards and the possible rule that every conference needs at least one private school.
Of course Texas CAN demand more. Doesn’t make it right. Hell, it makes them greedy. A&M isn’t leaving the Big 12 because of that. We’re leaving because ESPN’s deal with Texas stating that they can’t give criticism to Texas would suffocate the Big 12 much less us. Everyone in the conference knows that; that’s why they want out as much as we do.
And don’t get so pissy on A&M telling us to go to our own planet. We’re not the ones causing the trouble here. We’re trying to get out of it. The Longhorns brought this on themselves.
That was in response to John Norman, BTW
What a bunch of misinformation. There is so much wrong information from just about every poster on the comment board that I pray the people making them aren’t college graduates from the institutions that they supposedly represent.
Texas is a cancer–pure and simple. First the SWC, now the Big12, and next–whatever conference is stupid enough to ask them in.
Wrong on the SWC. The end of that conference was the break up of the College Football Association. The CFA signed the tv deals for the big conferences at the time.
When the CFA was busted, conferences began cutting their own tv deals. After the SEC poached Arkansas, the SWC consisted of only Texas schools. That was a hard sell to tv networks. Seeing the money and recruits go elsewhere, Texas and A&M began looking for greener pastures. Arkansas tried hard to get Texas to come with them to the SEC, but the move was blocked by the Texas Leg.
As far as the Big 12, yeah, we got greedy. There is no question about that. UT should shift policy and make it be known we’re on board for even sharing of 1st and 2nd tier rights, with 3rd tier rights up to the individual school.
All this is going on and Nebraska gets to sit back and the Big Ten and enjoy the fireworks.
Nebraska has been saying things weren’t kosher in Austin for nearly 15 years now, too bad it took them walking away and everything else crumbling for others to finally listen.
A&M may be a year late and a dollar short but at least they woke up. Unfortunately I don’t think our old friends the Sooners are going to do the same any time soon.
My take on what the Big XII should do:
http://www.facebook.com/notes/terry-ray/the-new-look-big-xii-conference/10150430085808047
Thank goodness we got out before all of this mud slinging. Nebraska and Colorado don’t agree on a ton- but this we can both agree in- goodbye and we out! GBR and Go Buffs!
Just a fantastic piece, you hit the nail squarely on the head. The arrogance of Texas and the University of Texas itself knows no bounds. they have destroyed 3 conferences now, Why would anyone want them in their conference.
FBJ Lives,
Your mama and girlfriend didn’t think I was too queer last night. In fact, your old lady said you can’t even get it up anymore cause you’re always screaming out “RC” during foreplay. Bitch, why don’t you have the balls to accept my challenge, you pussy! Nothin but air and opportunity. I’d kill you lil faggot
Texas and A&M would be a great package deal for the SEC. Together they deliver the entire Texas tv market. As a Texas Ex, I would prefer UT go east with the Aggies and set up a State of Texas invasion of the SEC.
We were set to go the SEC with Arky during the last days of the SWC. The State Leg got wind of it and stopped the deal, as A&M was not invited at the time. The guy at UT who brokered that deal? You guessed it, Deloss Dodds.
I don’t see Texas as a menance to college football. We would be quite happy to share 1st and 2nd tier money equally as long as we can keep the LHN for 3rd tier games. The geography, almost perfect-match in athletics, and ready-made rivalries with Arky and LSU are also quite attractive.
OKie and Okie State want no part of the SEC. They are going West. OU specifically is already picking up recruiting in California. My prediction is both A&M and UT will make it into the SEC at some point. It will make both of our schools even better, and will help re-establish our ties with our Southern brothers and sisters.