Texas A&M and SEC Expansion: What Will Happen to the Missouri Tigers?

Texas A&M has been unanimously accepted into the SEC. Thus, they become the SEC’s 13th member. 

13 is not a good number for a conference, so the SEC will probably look to add one more team or three more teams. 

This shuffling around by the SEC is likely to set off Armageddon in terms of conference realignment. To respond to the SEC’s expansion, the Pac-12 is likely to try to become the Pac-16 and the Big Ten and Big East will try to grab some teams so they don’t get left behind. 

So, where does that leave the Missouri Tigers? They are too good of a school to be ignored by the four potential super conferences. The question seems to be: which super conference will pick them up? 

Here are the pros and cons of Mizzou moving to each of the four big conferences. 

 

Big East 

While the Big East makes a lot of sense for a basketball powerhouse like Kansas, it doesn’t make as much sense for Mizzou. 

Mizzou has a better football team than anyone in the Big East by far. But moving to the conference would deplete the recruiting power Missouri has in the state of Texas. So, eventually, the football team would see a big drop-off in talent. 

Meanwhile, though the basketball team is very good, they are no match for the Georgetowns, UConns, Pitts and Villanovas of the Big East. And, if Kansas joins the conference, that’s even more competition the basketball team wouldn’t be able to handle.  

SEC 

The SEC is interesting for a couple reasons. First of all, the basketball team would be able to easily win the SEC West for a few years. The SEC’s basketball programs just aren’t quite up to Missouri’s recent standards, with the obvious exceptions of Kentucky and Florida. 

UK/UF vs. Missouri in SEC basketball championships every year would certainly be exciting. 

As far as football goes, Mizzou would never be able to get on the same level as Alabama. And they’d only be able to beat LSU, Arkansas and Auburn once in a blue moon. 

Of course, the recruiting situations could change and Mizzou could become a powerhouse in the SEC. I just don’t see that happening in the near future.

 

Big Ten 

The Big Ten would be the perfect fit for the Tigers. A natural rivalry would be enhanced between Missouri and Illinois. 

Also, Mizzou would be competitive in both football and basketball. It wouldn’t be easy, but they could hold their own against Wisconsin and Ohio State and an old rival in Nebraska. 

They’d also be able to keep some of their Texas recruiting base. Though they wouldn’t get nearly as many players, it wouldn’t be as difficult to recruit the Texas area as it would be if they moved to the Big East. 

Adding Mizzou and Notre Dame (if they are finally ready to join a conference) would be an ideal situation for the Big Ten. It’s also the option that would best benefit Mizzou. 

 

Pac-12 

The Pac-12 would be a decent second option to the Big Ten, though it seems like a highly unlikely possibility. 

If the conference adds Texas and Oklahoma like they want to, they’ll probably have to take Texas Tech and Oklahoma State as part of that package. 

That would give them 16 teams, so any further expansion beyond that point is doubtful. 

Though, in football and basketball, Mizzou would be right in the mix in terms of competition level. 

But the Tigers will have their fingers crossed, hoping for a call from the Big Ten, when the inevitable conference realignment occurs.