How the SEC could pry Texas A&M; from the Pac-10
by GwinnettGamecock on Jun 10, 2025 3:11 AM EDT
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PrintWith so many at Texas deadset against moving to the SEC, the SEC must accept that they likely will not be able to get UT and A&M. However, A&M; is a prize in their own rights. The Aggies would deliver a new market and open Texas to SEC recruiting. The problem is how to get A&M; when the Pac-10 move seems like a done deal. However, the Pac-10 has left an opening if the SEC moves quickly.
The Pac-10 wisely decided to resist pressure from Texas legislators to substitute Baylor for Colorado. Colorado is a much better fit for the conference, and the school offers more than Baylor both academically and athletically. The only problem for the Pac-10 is leaving out Baylor gives the SEC an opportunity to exploit Texas politics and possibly get A&M into the fold. The SEC should let it be known that they want Baylor and Texas A&M, but only as a package deal.
There is reportedly some interest among Aggie power-brokers and Aggie fans in a move to the SEC, but it is expected that state politics will dictate that they follow the Longhorns to the Pac-10. Making an offer that would protect Baylor from being shutout in the cold would suddenly create pressure for A&M; to move to the SEC from a cadre of Texas lawmakers interested in protecting the Waco institution. That could be enough to get Texas A&M; to move to the SEC. The Pac-10 would simply invite Utah to get to their sixteen team league.
While Baylor brings nothing to the table for the Pac-10, the potential for the SEC to swoop in and grab the second biggest prize in the Big 12 makes the Bears very valuable to the Southeastern Conference. A second Texas school gives even more exposure to SEC programs who would look to build new recruiting pipelines in the Lone Star state, and the Bears would not threaten anyone in the sport that matters most. As others have pointed out, there is something to be said for adding conference depth rather than another power program to what is already a murderer's row of football powers.
The fact that Baylor is currently decent in basketball and traditionally competitive in baseball is just icing on the cake. If you are the SEC, you take your medicine to get Texas A&M and the Houston market.
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In this scenario, the Eastern priorities should be:
1. UNC & NC State (extremely unlikely, but at least worth asking)
2. VT & Virginia (also unlikely, but VT will at least listen and rumored MD to Big Ten could create enough confusion for the schools to make the jump)
4. Louisville & Florida State (first would jump, second might not, Georgia and others may not want to give up SEC recruiting edge over Noles)
3. Louisville & Cincinnati (all you have to do is ask, strengthens basketball, have shown they could potentially compete in football, gives you entry into good but not great markets)
by GwinnettGamecock on Jun 10, 2025 3:41 AM EDT reply actions
Texas isn't the only TV market worth expanding.
And that recruiting thing works both ways. I would rather see us sit this round out. Then in a few years we can raid the ACC like the Pac-10 raided the Big-12. Maybe we can’t get UNC now, but maybe we can get UNC, Duke, and Florida State in the future.
Dum spiro spero - "While I breathe, I hope"
State motto of South Carolina
by The Feathered Warrior on Jun 10, 2025 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions
I'd also point out that, as South Carolina fans, the SEC moving into Texas isn't going to help us much.
Our recruiting footprint is pretty well defined as it is. We pretty much stay in the states adjacent to SC. Just because the SEC has a team in Texas doesn’t mean we will all of the sudden have an “in” there as well. This might benefit the bigger name teams in our conference, like rivals Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee, but not so much us.
Dum spiro spero - "While I breathe, I hope"
State motto of South Carolina
by The Feathered Warrior on Jun 10, 2025 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions
It helps us if those teams recruit in Texas
Every recruiting dollar spent in Texas battling the Aggies, Longhorns, and others is one less dollar spent in the Carolinas and Georgia battling us.
There is also the benefit that an SEC move to the west is the best and possibly the only way to prevent eventually adding Clemson to the conference. If the future is sixteen team conferences (unknown, but certainly possible), it is very difficult to envision the SEC hitting that number from remaining options without Clemson being one of the four.
You can easily think of two realistic eastern additions that do not include Clemson. It is nearly impossible to project four additions that do not include the Tigers.
State politics would prevent us from opposing their admission, but letting Clemson into the SEC would make a tremendous difference in our recruiting.
by GwinnettGamecock on Jun 10, 2025 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree with Gwinnett here re: recruiting and, to a lesser degree, Clemson...
The question is, though, does the SEC? I kindof think that the SEC is probably waiting this round out with plans to get the Florida teams in the ACC, Georgia Tech, and some combination of Clemson, South Florida, and the North Carolina schools in the unlikely event that any of them are interested. As a Carolina fan, I would prefer to go it without Clemson, but I’m not sure the SEC sees it that way.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on Jun 10, 2025 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions
I will say...
that if we are going to bring in one of the Texas schools, I would rather it be A&M than Texas.
Dum spiro spero - "While I breathe, I hope"
State motto of South Carolina
by The Feathered Warrior on Jun 10, 2025 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions
One can’t help but wonder if Missouri is a possibility if they don’t make it into the Big Ten and/or don’t like whatever reconfiguration they assemble with the Kansas schools.
That gives the SEC the KC and St.Louis markets.
by VA Libertarian on Jun 10, 2025 2:05 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Playing with AD budgets,
and of the reasonable (no Notre Dame) and presumably available (none of the Big 12 South or ACC) candidates, Missouri and Louisville seem most committed to spending the money it takes to compete in the SEC.
Both spend in the mid 50’s per year. That would put them in the bottom half, but comfortably ahead of Vandy and the Mississippi schools. For comparison’s sake, we spend around 75m, and Florida leads the conference with a budget just over 100m.
If you decide you want to get into Texas, the Lone Star leftovers (TCU, Houston, SMU) are in the high 40’s. Ole Miss and MSU are in the low 40’s, while Vandy is dead last around 35m.
If you think Kansas is practical, their budget is a respectable 65m, though you would have to take Kansas State. I might hold my nose and take Kansas, but I don’t want K State. Nothing against either institution. They are just bad fits for the SEC.
Presumably any of these schools would spend more money if they had access to the SEC’s conference revenue streams.
Basically, anybody that is both a good fit and already has the resources to compete is off the table. Short of cannibalizing the ACC, there aren’t any great options out there.
People forget that Mike Slive has been the caretaker of Roy Kramer’s vision. It is easy to look like a great leader when everybody’s walking in high cotton and there are no storm clouds on the horizon. If the SEC decides it needs to go to sixteen, the most desirable options have already been claimed by the Pac-10.
by GwinnettGamecock on Jun 10, 2025 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I think the politics of expansion make it unlikely we’re able to grab any Virginia or North Carolina schools. I’d hedge my bet that any raiding of the ACC involves its southernmost teams, simply because there are too many teams in the Tobacco Road area that want to stick together.
Then again, someone brought up the good point in the super conference domino thread that it doesn’t add much for the SEC to add more teams within its own geography from a $s standpoint.
It’s more than a little sad that the money politics of college sports has us debating over what’s most financially viable instead of the best geographically for fans and student athletes. :/ Such is life.
by VA Libertarian on Jun 10, 2025 1:55 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
It is sad...
but at the end of the day, this is, exciting as it may be, all about schools jockeying for the best financial positions.
Agreed re: the Tobacco Road schools. Although I would so love to see the patricians at Chapel Hill come begging to the SEC. They love to smear us for the circumstances surrounding our decision to leave the ACC.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on Jun 10, 2025 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions
As a native of Texas, I can effectively say this has a 1% chance of happening. The Longhorns aren’t itching to play only 1 in-state opponent in the ‘PAC 16,’ especially if that one in-state team is Tech. If A&M doesn’t go with, I don’t see Texas/OU/OSU/Tech leaving either. Texas is crying loud enough about Baylor (though that’s really for show - the only reason they’re in the Big XII is because Texas’s then governor and lt. gov. were both Baylor alums).
What a crazy game this expansion game has become.
As much as I’d like to see 4 super conferences, it may or may not happen at this point if the Big Ten sits still at 12.
Possible moves based on Nebraska heading to the Big Ten and Notre Dame sitting still:
-Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Iowa State, and Baylor raid C-USA to add Memphis, SMU, Houston, UTEP, and Tulsa or Rice. This creates a football conference close to par with the MWC, if not slightly below, but creates a pretty nice basketball conference with KU, K-State, Memphis, and Baylor all playing well recently and Houston & UTEP being historical powers. It also has a pretty decent market layout (arguably better than the Big XII’s), though without major football powers.
-Boise State joins the Mountain West, though the MWC could possibly lose Utah and/or another team to the Pac 10, basically screwing the Broncos yet again.
by VA Libertarian on Jun 10, 2025 1:37 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I've been wondering what happens with the Kansas schools. I like your idea of a Big XII - CUSA merger. It would create some good basketball.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
by Gamecock Man on Jun 10, 2025 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Speaking of CUSA...
A&M isn’t the only school left in Texas. If the SEC was serious enough about getting into that market they could still look to Houston, Rice, and SMU. You know, TCU is floating out there somewhere too. That would make for one helluva baseball conference. That’s where the future is anyway. I am I right, or am I right?
Dum spiro spero - "While I breathe, I hope"
State motto of South Carolina
by The Feathered Warrior on Jun 10, 2025 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions
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