Texas A&M Football: Are the Aggies' Retroactive Titles That Big of a Deal?

It looks like Texas A&M is ready for the SEC after all.

According to RantSports.com, the makeover to Kyle Field to get the home of the Aggies ready for SEC play includes the retroactive addition of two national championships and two Big 12 titles.

Signage on the side of Kyle Field now reflects national championships for the Aggies in 1919, 1927 and 1939, rather than just in 1939, as was the case last season.

In addition to retroactively being awarded the game's ultimate prize, the Aggies also awarded themselves Big 12 titles in 1997 and 2010.

Is this a big deal?

Regarding the national titles, not really.

Several entities award national titles in college football, including many that have done so retroactively. The National Championship Foundation and the Billingsley Report retroactively awarded the 1919 title to A&M, and Jeff Sagarin's formula retroactively gave the 1927 title to the Aggies.

That's not unusual. Several teams recognize retroactive titles, especially those from the days prior to the Associated Press Poll.

I don't consider all of them legitimate, but I don't get all up in arms if somebody else does.

But claiming the 1997 and 2010 "conference titles" is a joke.

In 1997, the Big 12 South champion Aggies (8-4, 6-2 Big 12) lost 54-15 to the Big 12 North champion Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-0, 8-0 Big 12) in the Big 12 Championship Game. Nebraska would go on to claim a split national title with Michigan.

In 2010, The Aggies finished 6-2 in the conference, tied with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in the Big 12 South. Oklahoma represented the division via the three-way tiebreaker and beat Nebraska in the final Big 12 Championship Game, 23-20.

The last time I checked, division titles, whether shared or won outright, don't count as "conference championships." 

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