Texas A&M-SEC Expansion: News, Notes and Analysis
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While the Texas A&M talks have died down for about a week, they are beginning to pick back up again. Apparently the Southeastern Conference presidents met Tuesday night and voted to admit Texas A&M.
That does not mean it's a done deal; in fact, things are just getting started.
Stay tuned for all your news, notes and analysis on this whole Texas A&M/Big 12/SEC situation.
With all of this conference realignment changing the college football landscape the Big East conference has suffered the most. They were already considered the weakest BCS conference of them all but after losing majority of their best teams, the conference is at an all time low.
First the Big East was looking to invite several teams such as Boise State, Navy, Air Force and anybody else that would be willing to accept. But now it appears that the MWC and C-USA are reaching out and discussing a possible merger of all three conferences.
This would be a giant, super conference and could end up changing the college football landscape as we know it.
"Commissioners from the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA are scheduled to meet with the head of the Big East Conference today to discuss the formation of one 28- to 32-football team super conference in an effort to gain automatic Bowl Championship Series status. The Mountain West and Conference USA already have agreed to merge by either next year or in 2013."
I don't believe that doing this would be better but it would end up saving the conference and give the rest of the Big East teams a place to go. Traveling and scheduling would be extremely interesting as there are teams everywhere in all three of these conferences. It would also take years to play every team in the conference which is a little whacky to me.
The idea sounds insane right now but at this point the Big East may not have many other options.
Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or Randy.Chambers7@yahoo.com
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The Texas A&M Aggies are going to leave for the SEC. It's going to happen, no matter what Baylor says. All they can do is slow the process down, it's still going to happen. The Aggies didn't come out and make everything public if they weren't serious about it.
That now leaves nine teams in the Big 12 and other teams will be looking to leave. Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State would likely leave for the Pac-12 to create the Pac-16. That leaves the remaining five teams in the Big 12 stuck in the water. They would likely find a home elsewhere and the Big 12 would then fold.
The SEC wouldn't let the Aggies in their conference if they didn't believe they couldn't find a 14th team to pair with them. In fact, they wouldn't have voted them in already if they didn't have the 14th team already set in place.
Super conferences are going to happen, just a matter of time. Once this Texas A&M move falls into place, the rest of the dominoes will fall in place.
"I'm not saying I'm in favor or against. I just think that's where it's headed, and I don't see any way around that," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said. "I also see a playoff system being implemented once those super-conferences are in place."
Let the games begin.
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Should they stay or should they go?
Earlier this week the Texas A&M Aggies were approved entrance to the SEC with unanimous vote. However, they can’t join just yet.
The SEC has said that the Aggies can only join the conference once they are clear of any legal entanglements. Yesterday it was reported that the Baylor Bears would pursue legal action if the Aggies try to leave the conference.
“…we are disappointed in the threats made by one of the Big 12 member institutions to coerce Texas A&M into staying in Big 12 Conference…We are working diligently to resolve any and all issues as outlined by the SEC,” Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin said.
The SEC doesn't want to get stuck paying fines just to accept the Texas A&M Aggies.
The problem now is, that the Big 12 didn't really beleive that the Aggies were serious about leaving and now that they realize it they're panicking. If Texas A&M and another team leave, the Big 12 may likely fold as a conference.
Right now it's a big mess and it's likely just getting started.
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With every day that passes the Texas A&M move to the SEC seems more and more likely. With the move to the best conference in college football, it's about time we look and see how the Aggies would fair against the best competition in the game.
There are currently six teams in the AP Poll that are in the SEC. You're leaving a Big 12 conference that has only a handful of good teams and the rest mediocre at best and jumping into the fire.
The Aggies haven't had a double digit winning season since 1998. Joining a conference that has won the last five National Championships won't lead to better success. Alabama, LSU, Florida, Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, all of these teams have great recruiting classes year in and year out. They are also extremely competitive year in and year out.
The SEC has won the most bowl games by a lot for a reason. They have great teams, get the top players, have the best coaches, the list goes on and on. This happens by no mistake.
You can't fair sub-par in the minors and expect to thrive in the big leagues.
This move may benefit the school and help this program go, but it's going to take time before the Aggies compete in the best conference in college football.
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The Texas A&M Aggies want nothing more than to leave the Big 12 conference. Their first choice would to be join the SEC and become the 13th member of the powerhouse conference. Apparently the Southeastern Conference presidents met Tuesday night and voted to admit Texas A&M already.
But we've heard these talks before and if it's anything that we know for sure, is that, nothing is guaranteed. The Aggies could possibly have to find a new home if the SEC does not work out for them.
One of those is possibly the ACC. Texas A&M is a lot closer to majority of the schools than Boston College is. Texas A&M has a solid fan base that would give the ACC access to Texas TV markets. It would also be wise from a competitive standpoint considering there are only a few teams that would be able to compete with the Aggies.
Another choice is the Big East. The Big East is one of the weakest conferences, so if Texas A&M were to join they would probably be the favorite right away. Not to many other places they could go and say that. It would give the Big East access to the Texas market which it extremely lacks at the moment, and it would also pump some life back into the conference.
Of course both of these moves seem very unlikely and the Aggies are probably going to get a deal done with the SEC, but if things for whatever reason don't work out, they need a plan B.


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