TCU and The Conference Expansion Issue (Revisited)

The Pac 16?

A month ago I wrote this article looking at the impact of one school leaving the Big XII for the Big 10, with an eye on Texas and Texas A&M headed east or west as a unit.

With the rumors of the Big XII collapse running rampant all weekend, I looked at an expanded Mountain West becoming a power conference by taking in Boise State and any combination of Big XII leftovers.

The first step was to grab Boise State on Monday... That as we know did not happen, as the MWC stood pat and waited for things to break loose.

The question now is, do they know enough to have passed up Boise (for now) in the event that the MWC is going to lose one or more pieces to expansion.

As this article concludes, all we can do is wait...

TCU to the SEC, not such a crazy idea...

In the 15 years since the breakup of the SWC, TCU has grown from an also-ran program into a truly dominant football power.

TCU has three top 10 finishes in the BCS poll since 1995. Unfortunately, in the state of Texas, they are still looked at as the doormat they were for close to 30 years after the Abe Martin era ended.

So, does TCU get an invite to the Big 12 if one of the Northern teams leaves for the Big 10? Probably not — Texas and A&M do not want any part of this TCU. 

Right now Mack Brown can use the BCS argument against TCU when recruiting in DFW, and it is a strong argument, but a Big 12 TCU suddenly has equal footing with Texas A&M, Tech, Baylor, Okie-State, etc.

What does that do to their perceived recruiting class rankings?

No, I don’t see TCU in the Big 12 unless there is a major shuffling and then we are talking about a totally different Big 12.

The Big10 is a non issue, as is the Pac10. Neither are a good fit for the Frogs with no natural rivalries, and no regional ones either.

The Big East, while this is a possibility, travel would be tough and with TCU’s small alumni base, not the best place either.

The SEC

I have felt for several years that the SEC is TCU’s best fit.

TCU plays smash mouth SEC defensive football, and has grown into a wide open offensive team, but still relies on a running game that keeps defenses on their toes. This style would work well in the SEC.

Gary Patterson is a fantastic coach who gets the most out of his players and given the SEC card to play gets the one or two a year who would make TCU a Florida or Alabama level program.

Lets weigh the pros and cons of TCU to the SEC

Here’s why: 

• SEC gets into Texas in a big way and in a BIG market! 
• TCU v Arkansas, TCU v LSU would grow into rivalry games 
• It fits geographically 
• TCU as a SEC program makes Patterson a recruiting machine 
• Florida, Bama, LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Auburn all have large Alumni bases in DFW 
• SEC takes a large bite out of Big12 recruiting by offering Texas kids a chance to play in Texas
• TCU Baseball boosts the SEC

Here's why not:

• Amon G Carter seats 44,000 
• SEC likely looks east to Florida State, Miami, or Clemson before TCU 
• TCU alumni base about 80,000 living 
• Texas/Texas A&M ARE the first choice if SEC goes west 
• Perception that TCU cannot compete in the SEC on an annual basis

TCU has to compete with the BCS conference teams for recruits today.

These kids know the only way they play in a BCS game is to go undefeated.

This leaves TCU at a disadvantage when competing for kids who are looking past college to the NFL. Where are they going to get the exposure needed to become a first round pick?

If TCU is in the SEC, the University of Texas and its little sister A&M suddenly have a fight on their hands for the best recruits in the state.

So how does it play out?

Chances are Texas and A&M either go to the Pac 10 or SEC as a package deal. Texas to the Big 10 is a possibility, but it just makes more sense to go east or west.

If the two Texas universities go east, TCU ends up in no man’s land. The Big 12 and or Pac 10 go for Utah/BYU, and the MWC loses its chance at BCS Auto Qualifying.

This leads to a domino effect that leaves the Frogs looking yet again for a conference that is equal to their program. TCU ends up right back where they were 15 years ago.

On the other hand if UT/A&M head west, TCU becomes a viable option for the SEC and all bets are off.

For now it’s a guessing game and until someone blinks, all we can do is speculate.