SEC Expansion: Conference Made Smart Move by Rejecting Texas A&M

Rivalry.

Alabama and Auburn. Florida and Georgia. Tennessee and Kentucky. Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Even LSU and Arkansas.

The SEC is the best conference in college football for a number of reasons, but rivalry stands as the leading vote getter.

When Alabama takes the field with Auburn in the Iron Bowl, the atmosphere is unlike any other—and the closest it gets to rivalries like "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" (now politically known as "The War for the Oar"), "The Battle for the Beer Barrel," "The Egg Bowl" and "The Battle for the Golden Boot."

Nowhere in that equation does Texas A&M fit in. For a lot of reasons, the potential expansion would be good, but for now, the conference has wisely decided to table the move for Texas A&M.

A release from Dr. Bernie Machen, chairman of Southeastern Conference Presidents and Chancellors reads as such:

"

The SEC Presidents and Chancellors met today and reaffirmed our satisfaction with the present 12 institutional alignment. We recognize, however, that future conditions may make it advantageous to expand the number of institutions in the league. We discussed criteria and process associated with expansion. No action was taken with respect to any institution including Texas A&M.

"

This isn't over just yet, but now this complicates matters between the Aggies and the conference if they want to try this again in the future.

It could be the very near future after all—the schools didn't actually vote today—but not extending the invitation is the right thing to do for now.

Texas A&M may stand to gain more money by joining the SEC, but these two sides don't stand to gain much from joining forces right now.

The Aggies would find it incredibly hard to compete in the SEC right away, and all they have to do is look at Arkansas.

Since joining in 1992, the Razorbacks have yet to win an SEC Championship; they won 13 in the old Southwest Conference.

Their journey through the South hasn't been easy, and they've won double-digit games only twice in the 19 seasons they've been in the conference.

What makes Texas A&M think it'll be any easier for them?

The Hogs' real rivals were in the Midwest, with teams like Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and even Texas A&M. They have developed a rivalry with LSU, but it's still not the same.

There is something to be said about the potential "super conferences" of the future, but right now, the SEC doesn't need A&M, and A&M isn't prime for the SEC.

Money runs almost everything in this world, but it also has a habit of destroying things. The SEC doesn't need another team that will finish .500 in the conference every year—they already have enough of those.

But what those teams do is bring rivalries, and for now, there is nothing better than what the SEC already has to offer.

- Wes O'Donnell