A report from the media voice of the University of Texas indicates Texas A&M was approved for membership in the SEC. Chip Brown reported via twitter that the Aggies won 10 votes for expansion with two negative votes. (Source.) A Texas A&M website echoed the report late Tuesday evening. According to Aggie Websider, “At tonight’s SEC Presidents Meeting, early word filtering out from Atlanta indicates that Texas A&M received the sufficient votes to gain an invitation to join the Southeastern Conference effective 7/1/2012.” (Source.)
The entry of Texas A&M into the Southeastern Conference (SEC) marks a new era for college football. Details of a formal announcement are unknown at this time; however, something is expected Wednesday or Thursday. (UPDATE: A&M to announce move on Wednesday, according to one newspaper.)
Additionally, both Brown and the Texas A&M website indicated the SEC is looking for a 14th team. Brown said “West Virginia is squarely on the SEC radar.” The Aggies website pointed to Missouri and West Virginia.
This is a dangerous situation for the SEC.
West Virginia is a good school with a fine athletic tradition. There would be worse choices for the SEC.
There are also better choices.
The University of Missouri should be the primary choice for expansion by the SEC. Missouri is a school with a fine academic tradition and good television markets.
Expansion to include Texas A&M makes sense on fronts of academics, culture and money. Missouri would similarly fit. While West Virginia would fit on some grounds, the most important—money and television markets seem lacking.
Money is the key. As Cicero noted, “money in abundance forms the sinews of war.” I quote this often because it is one of the most valuable pieces of advice ever rendered.
In driving expansion, SEC presidents should consider one thing—Does the addition of any school make the SEC stronger?
Texas A&M does.
Missouri would.
West Virginia would not.
West Virginia is an infinitely better choice than Mizzou. BCS success, Final Four and Elite Eight appearances, and fans that travel. Mizzou can take WVU’s place in the Bug East. Say no to anymore Tigers in the SEC.
I know.this sounds strange but I was hoping for TCU for the reasons in the Yahoo article a week ago.
Dumbazz! West Virginia is nothing but a bunch of inbred butt phuckers and the conference expansion is happening for one reason and one reason only – Football. We don’t give a shyt what a school has done in basketball. Mizzou’ is one of the country’s top universities and represents huge populations in St Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and Columbia. What the phuck does West Virginia have. I’ll tell you what – a bunch of small to medium sized cities that no one has ever heard of lost in in the mountains. I’d much rather have Pitt if we decide to raid the Big East. However, the gods truth is that the SEC is just way way to good and important to go after any phucking Big East school. They are in the Big East for a reason and Miami, Boston College and others left it for a reason. The SEC should go after only the biggest of fish in this forthcoming fiasco cause nobody but us, the Big 10 and the Pac 12 is going to be left intact with the original base teams. Of course we cannot offer, they have to ask. RTR!
Crimsonite, I want to start by saying that your post on this story is just attacking an entire culture. You aren’t making a valid argument as to why WVU shouldn’t join the SEC, you are blatantly making vulgar remarks/accusations against a group of people. And in that regard a group of people who are extremely devoted to their sports team. The fact that you said in another post here that no one cares about basketball is ridiculous. Once football is over people begin watching basketball, and Huggins has made great strides with our program. Also, Holgorsen is going to make this program something that more than just those “bunch of small to medium sized cities” are going to want to watch. In my opinion the entire country will begin wanting to watch this program for its explosive offense and incredibly talented defense led by Casteel. Regardless, my point of this reply was to point out the fact that your comments are not arguments, where people can have a constructive discussion about, but attacks that just belittle thousands of people. I’m only 23 and I’m pretty sure you’re older than me, but I think it says a lot that this “inbred butt phucker” realizes you are acting like a child with the way you assert your opinions.
West Virginia University is ranked in the Top 30 among American public institutions. It has produced 25 Rhodes Scholars, 30 Goldwater Scholars, and 19 Truman Scholars.
Been playing football since 1891 and has a total record of 692-454-45 (.600). It is the winningest program in the country without a national championship.
WVU holds numerous ESPN records for viewership of their games and is ranked in the Top 15 in apparel sales in the country.
WVU has great tradition in both football and basketball, along with many other sports and the fan base is known as one of the best in the country in many facets, including their vast number of fans that travel to away games and bowl games.
WVU is a much more attractive option to the SEC than Missouri and it isn’t even close.
Welcome to the SEC West A&M! You may be in for a culture shock and some a**-whippins for at least the first 5 years in the conference (see Arkansas and South Carolina).
After that, you’ll be fine. And you now get to make fun of all the weak conferences in the country (Big 10, Pac 12) and glow in the superiority of the SEC conference.
As for the other school…..
West Virginia is okay, I guess. It wouldn’t make the SEC East any stronger.
Va Tech on the other hand…..
Statistics are what idiots use to spin with. If I were an idiot I would Google Missouri and find 15 or 20 things better than WVU! Not here to debate who has the most Rhodes Scholars or who sells the most socks with the school emblem. Football expansion is about tradition which includes won-lost record, major bowl potential, stadium size, tv footprint, recruiting footprint and national perception. I believe Mizzouri leads WVU in these areas. However, if it were my decision Mizzouri and WVU would not be competing. Mizzouri would be the second team in the West. WVU would be competing for a spot in the East against Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Fla St and would only have an opportunity if 2 of those 3 were not available. Truth is, myself I don’t want Missouri either. I want Oklahoma with Mizzouri, TCU, Ok State, Texas Tech and Houston in that order as alternatives. I would bet my considerable paycheck that if voted on, the SEC fanbase would pick in a landslide – Oklahoma, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. RTR
Ok Crimsonite, let’s take a quick look at your little list on which you would base admission to the SEC. While you seem to prefer Missouri over WVU, the criteria you have selected would tend to favor WVU. Won-lost record favors WVU, by a fairly decent margin in fact. Major bowl potential? Once again, the edge goes to WVU, especially when you take the “what have you done for me lately” view. Stadium size goes to Missouri. However, WVU’s stadium would still be larger than 2 or 3 current SEC members. Not to mention the fact that the average attendance for the Tigers and Mountaineers are about the same. As for TV footprint, I suppose you could give the edge to Mizzou. I would guess they would be in St. Louis market which is about 21st ranked. On the other hand, WVU is actually part of the Pittsburgh market, which is ranked 23rd. But you also have to look at the fact that WVU dominates the Charleston/Huntington (64) market, and has a strong presence in the DC (9) market. As far as recruiting footprint, I think both schools would add positives to the SEC. And if you talk national perception, I would have to say that WVU wins that challenge going away. Two BCS wins and having one of the most exciting players of the last decade in Pat White seals the deal.
It’s fine that you have your opinions Crimsonite, we all do. But at least make sure you can back up your reasons when you tell us why Missouri should be chosen over West Virginia. Using you own criteria, the right choice would be WVU.
Having that said, I think we are about to see some big changes to the landscape of college football. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Maiku, there’s really no use with presenting valid arguments with this individual because in his opinion, WVU fans are ignorant inbreds, the SEC is too good for a school like the one that was one win away from the NC in football 5 years ago and had a team in the final four a few years ago, not to mention a repeating national championship rifle team (who cares about that right?), and will make any attack necessary to bully someone out of a real discussion because he can’t present any valid counterpoints. Yes, it is much harder to Google facts that are in your favor than call someone names.
I say leave the conference just as it is. It’s not broken, so why try to fix it. So what if the other conferences have a good tv marker, education, and what have you, we’re still the best, and who to say, that after a year or two, these ‘newbies’ get tired of being beat up on, every year that they’ll get fed up and start looking around for some other conference. It could very easily happen…..
I beg to differ with you. 1. Being from Baldwin county I am a Pat White fan. However, on a national interest basis WVU and Pat White are nothing more than a blip on the radar compared to the National interest generated by Mizzouri and Chase Daniel during the ’08 season’s stellar QB battles in the Big 12. 2. Only someone from WVU and or the NE would think that WVU has more national interest on a year in year out basis than Mizzouri. It just ‘aint happening. Mizzu has been on the national radar since long before Dan Devine made them into a power. After Bobby Bowden and until Rich Rod, WVU was an afterthought outside the Northeast. 3. We don’t play the what have you done for me lately game in conference realignement. Does anybody drool over Boise St or Utah. Hell no. Yet Notre Dame has sucked for 15 years and any conference would sell their left nut to get them. TRADITION! The BCS era you are using is just short blip. 4. WVU should be compared to Va Tech, not Mizzu, and in that regard you lose.
That’s fine that you disagree with me Crimsonite, you don’t even have to beg! I’m not here to change your mind, and I don’t expect to have mine changed either. I just wanted to address the items I look at differently, and honestly, I think we’ve both got some solid ground to walk on.
I do have a question though. If you think WVU should be compared to VT, then why all the comparisons between Mizzou and WVU? I realize that those are the 2 schools being mentioned as a possible 14th team, Your argument was based on WVU/Mizzou, which is why I compared the two.
I am interested in the reasons you would say we would lose in regards to Tech, but we can save that for another time.
I’m basically just here trying to get other fans ideas and thoughts on this expansion soap opera. In all honesty, I don’t think WVU will be in the SEC. Instead, I think we will probably end up in the ACC, which I think is a better fit for us anyway. Not saying I wouldn’t love being in the SEC, but I just don’t see it happening.
Oh and one more point, as far as Utah, I guess someone did drool over them considering they’re now in the Pac12. And BSU, well, the only ones I see drooling over them are their fans and some of the talking heads.
We need a school for the East Division. My choice would be 1st Georgia Tech, we already play our championship game there, Atlanta is a big TV market and they are a rival for Georgia, 2nd would be Florida State, a big time program with lots of tradition and a rival for Florida and last would be Clemson, a rival for USC and easy travel site for fans from all over the SEC. Anyone of these schools would inhance the conference.
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