A Wishlist of Schools to Accompany A&M to the SEC......

I have stated many times that Mike Slive is a sly old fox. Yes, sometimes it was in a humorous tone, other times though it was a compliment. My guess is that he has a guest list that would shock most of us.
My list would look more like this, if aTm joins the SEC…
1. Clemson
2. Va. Tech
3. West By God Virginia
4. Louisville
5. Oklahoma State
6. Texas Tech (I’m not sure this isn’t one of my favorite choices because Tubbs is there)
7. Oklahoma
8. Houston
9. Missouri
10. Florida State definitely my least fav..

According to ESPN FSU has been flirting with the SEC recently..

While most of the talk has centered around Texas A&M leaving the Big 12 for the SEC in the near future, according to a report by The Palm Beach Post, Florida State officials have been flirting with the SEC for “several months and the discussion now are getting more serious,” sources said.

1. Clemson
2. FSU
3. GT
4. VT
5. A&M

http://www.trackemtigers.com/2010/6/14/1518282/would-texas-a-m-really-been-good

Would force Texas to go independent.

….have been dead for decades. I say we hold the door open for Georgia Tech, if they want to come back. That’s a traditional Auburn opponent I’d like back on the schedule regularly! Oklahoma is certainly a big national name, but I’m not sure that state is a huge TV market. Would the Sooners come without Oklahoma State?

…..If we’re going to do this thing solely on TV markets, you’d think that Missouri would add SEC numbers to the Kansas City and St. Louis markets. If college football is that big in those areas. They are both NFL markets, enough so that the Rams got a domed stadium built a while back.

…..If we have to start gobbling up small schools like TCU, SMU… I’d rather grab ones closer to home. The only way I see adding schools like Duke, Baylor, etc. is if the big boys have decided we need more punching bags on the schedule. I figure Cutcliffe has helped Duke about as much as is possible. What Briles has done at Baylor has been amazing, but can it be sustained?

funny stuff by the way.

There has to be rules, right?
First no third school from the state members. That leaves out Troy, and Southern Miss. Troy has a decent basketball team/coach. Southern Miss has a very good baseball program. But a third team in the SEC in the same state as two existing members, would be disastrous. Except for maybe Texas because of the sheer size of the lone star state.
So, add some names from these states: Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, Florida

Yesterday I outlined the scenario that would put AU into the eastern division if A&M and another Big 12 or Texas based School came to the SEC

And after 24 hours moving to the East is still not as great as you make it out.

Opinions varied and it was about like I thought it would be, the older the AU fan the more they were for moving to the East, the younger fans….. not so much.

I don’t know if that’s because younger fans know that the Tennessee rivalry is a total has been, or they understand the logical problems of scheduling the Iron Bowl if Auburn is in the East, and maintaining Bama’s rivalry with Tennessee. Yes we could go to two interdivisional match ups and play the hardest schedule in the country, but again my main problem with your post is that moving to the east isn’t all that rosy as you make it out to be. That said, I’m not a whippersnapper either, but you don’t have to be young to realize that. That said if it’s obvious that younger folks like our current situation, and Auburn recruits younger folks to play football, do you really want to keep this up?
 
Oklahoma – no other school that we could feasibly add would bulk up the SEC more that OU, it would further strengthen the SEC’s foothold in Big 12 country, increase the TV market thus increasing the ESPN deal….and yes it would move AU to the east.
Since this is a wishlist, I’ll go easy. It ain’t gonna happen. Look OU has made it public they want to go the same direction as Texas. They don’t want SEC money equality, and they want their own network. Also it’s too far away, and you’re getting out of the south. Lastly moving to the east still isn’t a great idea.

Mizzou – Solid program on the rise under Gary Pinkel, increases TV market, AU to the East.
Also a bad choice. Not a bad choice way down the list, but a number 2? Crummy game day atmosphere, not southern fans, not an SEC look and feel. Why are you so tied to new media markets? If that’s the case when do we invite Rutgers and UCLA? If we get UCLA Auburn would move to the east! I bet you like that idea right?! It fulfills all of your criteria.

TCU, TTU, OSU, Baylor, SMU
Me thinks you have one agenda- put Auburn in the east come hell or high water. Why not come up with a list that reflects what a better conference would look like without focusing on moving Auburn to the east, and media markets. But since you listed it- Those programs aren’t SEC calibre and have no place in the SEC. AM gives all the foothold in Texas we need. SMU? Can you pass that doobie you’re smoking?

Va Tech - Very solid program, increase TV market.
Most of the same reasons as Mizzou. Not an SEC look and feel, not southern, not an SEC look and feel. Again, why not Rutgers?

Miami – Solid program.
Now you’re embarrassing yourself. A program must not struggle to get 20,000 fans in their seats to be in the SEC. Vandy is grandfathered, but still manages good with 6-7 win seasons. Miami wins 3 titles in a decade and still struggles. However, again, not an SEC look and feel, not southern, not typical southern fans (the ones that show up at least).

FSU, Clemson
It’s a mystery that you put the only likely teams that will come, and the ones that make the most sense so far down. Yeah, until you realize that you just want Auburn in the east and that’s it. Here’s the deal- the SEC is getting AM sure as the sun will rise. AM is the real prize for our conference and it’s gonna happen. We need a 14th team that will make things as seamless as possible, the goal isn’t to make old fart Auburn fans be able to rekindle the Tennessee rivalry. To make things seamless we need a team from the east. FSU has been reported to be in backroom negotiations for a while. They are a southern school, with an SEC look and feel, and typical breed of southern fans. Clemson would work here as well.

….in the Auburn in the East/Auburn in the West argument. Bottom line is that if we add two teams, certain rivalries will have to get the axe. This happens over the years as teams’ priorities change, anyway. Auburn lost Clemson and Georgia Tech as rivals, and it didn’t take expanded conferences to make that happen.

…..As long as the Iron Bowl is still played, I’ll make do with whatever comes, schedule-wise. As far as yea/nay on TAMU? I’d take them in a New York minute, as long as they aren’t expecting special treatment. That’s a great school, great fans, great tradition place, and they’d make a fine addition to the league, I think. Where things start getting contentious is deciding who is going to join Texas A & M.

…..There is the argument for not adding any teams. One of the sentiments I keep hearing is that the SEC needs to be “proactive,” because other conferences are doing it. (I’m not sure following other conferences is being proactive, anyway!) I say that the only way it makes monetary sense is if we see a net “per team” increase in revenue. Sure, we may add TV markets and revenue, but will those increases survive the 14 or 16 way split? There are increased travel and logistical costs when you start talking about adding teams in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, etc. I’m pretty sure A&M will generate enough extra dough for it to be worth it. The others, not sure about that at all! The flip side of being “proactive” is simply being the first lemming to jump off of the cliff.

……I really don’t like the “not southern enough” argument. If a school would be a serious additional travel burden, fine. But I really, really don’t like the idea of looking down our noses at folks because they don’t live in the geographical Southeast. (Whatever that is… I’m sure plenty of bitter arguments could be generated debating those borders. I’ve heard it opined from some in my family that anyone who lives north of Montgomery isn’t a real Southerner, and is just a descendent of a carpet-bagging yankee!) Come on, folks, it’s the 21st century. We’re all United States residents. If we add teams from Oklahoma, Maryland, or wherever, we welcome them to our tailgates, wish them well, and introduce them to annual SEC-style butt-whippings on the football field. Period.

Bring in Texas A&M and either Oklahoma or Oklahoma State to the west.

…Is there any way we can pull a 40-year-old stick out of GaTech’s behind and get them back in their REAL conference, the SEC?

Michael Val
(who wants to WRECK TECH again!)