Texas A&M Regents Meet Thursday to Approve Move to SEC
by Redhawk on Jul 18, 2011 11:42 PM CDT
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PrintWell, that's the internet rumor anyway, and they are always right, and never exaggerated. Well, the Regents for Texas A&M are going to meet on Thursday. They will be there to discuss an agenda item named "The Big 12 Conference". The Houston Chronicle has a write up on it here, minus the internet sensationalism. 
Money I don't think is the real concern. UT already makes the most money of any Athletic Department in the nation, so A&M can't be upset about that. Also when the Big 12's cable deal is ever done, the other schools might see a percentage increase in income of a greater degree than the University of Texas will (that's percentage kids...not actual dollars). Personally I think the real issue is exposure and recruiting advantages UT will have, especially the broadcasting of High School games, which personally I think is a blatant NCAA violation.
Texas A&M may not have the cash to leave the Big 12, if the increased Big 12 buyout/exit fee that was talked about this spring really is in place. A&M Athletic Department still owes the University money from loans when the Aggies went into the Red a few years ago. They hard pressed to pay an exit fee, unless they really get paid where ever they go, and while the SEC is nice, I'm not sure the extra $2-4 Million a year in the SEC would be worth it.
Unless....and this is the real key.....there is an "Out Clause" on the SEC's TV deal that would allow them to renegotiate a new TV deal if they add new teams. This point has been reported both ways over the last year. Many TV pundits have said the last conference to sign a TV deal wins, in this ever increasing spiral that started last year with the Big 12's new contract for their 2nd Tier Rights. If you thought the Pac-12 just banked, the SEC coming due again, even so close to their last deal could still get a significant increase. Basicly adding A&M COULD be the key for them getting a new deal
Which leaves us with this question: If A&M bolts to the SEC....who goes with them? Oklahoma was the team the SEC was asking for last year. Personally, I don't think OU goes (because mom want's us to take our kid brother up in Stillwater where ever we go)
If this isn't about leaving for the SEC what would this be besides a bunch of very powerful people bitching about being Texas's little brother? Personally, I think it's long range planning, that if the Big 12 network doesn't payout, and if Longhorn network is allowed to broadcast high school games, to try to determine which conference they think Texas A&M will be better off in.
UPDATE: OU's Joe Castiglione remains the calm adult in the room.
"Honestly, the position is let's see how this unfolds," he answered. "It's easy to rush to judgment, take a certain position and extrapolate what that might mean down the road." Joe C is quoted in the Tulsa World
FanPost are for the voice of the fan and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Crimson and Cream Machine administrators.
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I would sure hate to see them go! However, I just don’t know if it would happen. I’m kind of hoping for big XII expansion myself, let’s add Boise st and byu and get back to full conference strength. I don’t think tcu is a real viable option, since I don’t think Baylor would take to kindly to it! Wouldn’t mind adding air force or smu either. If it does happen…I’m all for OU joining the SEC too….along w Tex tech and osu
if Texas A&M were to leave
it makes TCU a commodity of value to the Big 12….or at least more than it is now. TCU becomes another anchor piece in Texas for the Big 12…however, I’m still not sure that would be needed. I’m sure if the A&M left, they would with Houston was at TCU’s level of play and following. The DFW market still is Big 12 territory.
I would think if A&M left, the Big 12 would add BYU, and stay at 10. Mostly because there isn’t 2 other programs out there in addition to BYU that is worth the additional pie cuts (they’d take more OUT in money then bring in)
First, a disclaimer: Some of my best friends are Aggies.
But A&M really are too full of themselves. The first step towards happiness is to realize what you are, and they’re falling woefully short on that count. They’re not Texas, or even Oklahoma. They’re to Texas what OSU is to OU. They belong together, but they’ll never be as big.
Just get over it. The sooner you do (pun not intended), the better off you’ll be.
Keep'em in the short stuff
(golferinkilt.wordpress.com)
I totally agree
with one caveat: Texas A&M maybe more valuable to the SEC then they are to the Big 12 when it comes to TV money. (Big 12 would still own the state of Texas, but the SEC now has a foothold and claim to at least part of the Houston market, which is a huge TV market)
by Redhawk on Jul 19, 2011 10:16 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
I don't think the LHN is going to meet expectations
I really don’t think Texas—or any Big 12 team for that instance—will have much success with their own channel. Yeah, it’s cool for them that they have it, but I really don’t see it bringing in the expected revenue. People only care about football and they can’t just show football 24/7. If the conference had its own network I think it would be able to survive. Actually, I think a Big 12 South Network would be very successful. Yeah, people will buy it. I really wouldn’t mind buying the Big 10 Network. I was getting pissed because my sports package didn’t get this certain channel called “BTNHD” and it always shows college football games. I LOVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL. Well, my commonsense finally kicked in and realized it was the Big 10 Network. I’m actually considering buying it because it shows some really good classic games. I’ll get off my soapbox, sorry. Thus, I don’t think the LHN will be that great, but they will generate revenue because they aren’t dividing it by anyone else. I think a conference channel would be much more pleasing to the customer, but it sucks when people complain about making money….. ahhhhhhhh!!!!
"Let’s hang half-a-hundred on ‘em."
-Barry Switzer
LHN
for UT, much of their contract is guaranteed money. Personally, I think it will be a colossal failure, as I just don’t see there being that much interest. I’m a huge College Football as sports fan for example, and wouldn’t waste one minute of my life watching UT sports. But the one that will take the loss will be ESPN. And I’m sure they thought that through when this deal was proposed to keep UT from joining the Pac16.
Do you know the guranteed money figure
off the top of your head? Thanks.
"Let’s hang half-a-hundred on ‘em."
-Barry Switzer
no I sure don't sorry
I think MOST of it was guaranteed though. The real interesting part of the ESPN deal to me that was never fully disclosed is how much of the deal would actually be “new money” for UT above what they currently make which I understand was pretty healthy already.
For my money...
I think if TAMU splits, OU would be best served by going independant, and scheduling games with Texas, Nebraska, and OSU every season. Throw in whatever other games are considered important based on rivalries from before I was born (TAMU, Missouri, whatever) and you’ve got yourself a happy fan base and a school in a pretty decent position to get one of the BCS at-large bids every year…
Independence is really hard
especially in the sports not Football, and it’ would be pretty hard in football too. We would probably join the WAC for non-revenue sports. Does Texas-San Antonio or Denver excite you to buy basketball tickets?
If OU went independent, and A&M left, we can assume, UT would do the same and go independent. …but you end up with 7 teams left over..needing scheduling, which we would do…and that would look a lot like a conference…So long as you have OU, UT, and KU left that’s a core of a pretty strong conference, at least stronger than the Big Least, and the Mtn West, and Conf. USA.
Independence doesn’t make much sense especially for OU. We just don’t have the national following to make it work.
If we went independent
we would lose our title hopes with one loss. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Let’s hang half-a-hundred on ‘em."
-Barry Switzer
if we went independent in football
our biggest basketball game would be OU vs Utah State….seriously no one would show up to Lloyd Noble..the place would be empty……not unlike it was this year
Or join the big east
In BB… Like Notre Dame. We would get to see a lot of really good teams beat us!
"Let’s hang half-a-hundred on ‘em."
-Barry Switzer
by OUPest on Jul 19, 2011 6:55 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
The LAST thing the Big Least needs
is more basketball schools!
Only reason they let Notre Dame have that set up, is because they PRAY ND will join their football program too one day….you know…that one fine day when birds sing in Italian…and my farts smell like dew covered rose petals…..
or when Dr. Lou doesn't have Notre Dame going to the NCG in the pre-season...
"Let’s hang half-a-hundred on ‘em."
-Barry Switzer
If A&M were to leave...
do you think Texas would stay or go indy? And, if they went indy, where would that leave OU? What I’m getting at is do you (Redhawk) think OU might go with A&M if it looks like Texas might go indy?
personally I think OU will stick with Texas and vice-versa. What’s good for Texas, keeping their own 3rd Tier Rights…is good for OU doing the same. AND OU and Texas are still the 2 valuable core pieces to the Big 12 Conference or any conference. Also KU’s basketball is worth a lot too including their 3rd Tier Rights too.
Personally I don’t thing UT can go independent anymore than they can go to another conference with out getting hangers on and the Texas State Legislature getting involved, which means I don’t think OU goes independent. OU also can’t go anywhere with out OSU coming too..either to the SEC who isn’t crazy about taking one OSU or allowing OU to go independent. (now push comes to shove, OU could fight that fight and break away, but it would be a nasty political fight)
If A&M were to leave for the SEC….I think the Big 12 adds BYU, and possibly with the help of the TV networks figure out if they need to add 2 more schools. The Big 12 at that point wont’ ever be confused with the Big 10 as power TV conference….but it still stays ahead of the Big Least and the non-BCS conferences.
A&M doesn't like being UT's little brother
Their entire reason for existence is based on being UT’s little brother. No school in the country, probably in the world, has a bigger inferiority complex than Texas A&M based on the fact that they are now, always have been, and always will be UT’s little brother.
Their entire fight song is about beating UT. I’m convinced that A&M football fans would be content if the team went 1-11 and beat UT. They’re determined to live in UT’s shadow so this “move to the SEC” sounds like posturing to me. They’re looking to get some $ or a Big XII network or something. A&M’s not going anywhere. If they didn’t play UT in football every year, who would give a damn?
You haven't spent much time with OSU fans have you?
No school in the country, probably in the world, has a bigger inferiority complex than Texas A&M
You can insult my school, mascot, colors,
And bedlam record, but comparing us to A&M is going too far sir.
Cowboys Ride For Free, Drinking PBR's and slappin ho's since 2010
by AUKingOState on Jul 19, 2011 3:02 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
OSU isn't worried about insulting Reveille...
Ags are truly truly a different breed
by OU JJ on Jul 19, 2011 4:37 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Sorry, but comparing A&M to OSU is an insult
to A&M
Academically, Okie State is a joke, on par with Texas Tech or other community colleges, and athletically, well, you have little to no tradition in football, although they’ve been solid as of late, and then you have…….golf? Yeah.
Please
you cannot state that any other university is a joke academically as long as your university has a policy that ends a class prematurely whenever the corps brings that dog in and he barks.
No “university’s” academic programs can be considered credible when they’re at the whims of a dog.
The dog is a female
And no such university policy exists.
Ending the class early on a whim, whether it be because a dog barks or because it is a nice day outside, is up to the professor in that class. It is no different than any other walk.
I stand corrected
It’s perfectly reasonable then for a professor at a reputable university to cancel class b/c someone brought a dog in and it barked. My mistake!
by chuckb on Jul 20, 2011 8:55 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
No
but I live in Texas and I see that inferiority complex all over the place.
And for Beergut (below) to say I know nothing about A&M right before he goes to bed singing “Saw ’em off! Saw ’em off!” is delusional.
lol
Such drivel is amusing coming from a fan of a school with an athletic director who publicly announced that they are texas’ bitch.
You know nothing about A&M, but please, keep posting. I haven’t laughed this hard in weeks.
Gotta agree with King...
A&M fans are much worse than OSU fans.
My brother and I went to the OU game
against A&M in College Station about 3 years ago. It was the one where Franchione kept kicking FGs and Stoops went for it on 4th and 1 on the OU 29. OU won 17-16, I think.
Anyway, we were standing in line before the game to pick up our tickets when all of a sudden, everything stopped. All the ticket booths shut down. Nothing happened anywhere. The reason? The Corps was marching out of the stadium. The world just stops whenever the corps marches out of the stadium ( or maybe it was into the stadium, who the hell cares?!).
Don't tell reveille.
I also like it when they get their panties all in a wad because you DARED to stand up & go take a leak at half time rather than watch the precious band. Which by the way plays the same ole stuff every year.
by OU JJ on Jul 20, 2011 4:38 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Several years ago
A&M was playing Rice. The Rice band, called the MOB, always does something really funny as part of their halftime performance (as opposed to playing the same songs and marching in the exact same straight lines over and over and over). And they don’t really march the way most bands do. They run around. At halftime of the A&M game, the MOB ran around and formed a fire hydrant on the field. Well, the Aggie Corps refused to let the MOB out of Rice Stadium. They got in their way and tried to start a fight w/ the Rice Band and, essentially, held them hostage inside their own football stadium after the game for several hours b/c they made a formation of a fire hydrant on the field.
That place is a cult.
SEC Invite
Isn’t that typically a requirement to joining the SEC…? This just seems way too much like the Mizzou to Big Ten rumors from a year ago…
well......there is that little point
ask A&M fans and they say they have a “standing invitation”….of course I’ve followed this pretty close, and I don’t get or see that at all.
BUT….if the regents are planning long term, petitioning the SEC, marketing A&M to the SEC, etc, might be topics they might discuss.
Why would the sec want just them? A 13 team conference would be weird.
Too big for a round robin style, so one division would get 7 (though if you moved both vandy and Kentucky to one division no one would notice).
Cowboys Ride For Free, Drinking PBR's and slappin ho's since 2010
by AUKingOState on Jul 19, 2011 5:57 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
they wouldn't
The SEC has long eyed North Carolina…or Virginia for TV rights…so far the ACC schools have all been very tightly held together.
It would be interesting to see who #14 would be…as I don’t think it’s OU, and the SEC last year turned their nose up to Missouri (which I found surprising)
This is where you prove you're an Okie State grad.
Why would the SEC want A&M?
Oh, I don’t know, maybe access to the television markets of Dallas and Houston, and inroads into recruiting Texas.
The SEC has always recruited Texas.
Lots of SEC school fans here in Dallas.
The Ags moving to the SEC makes absolutely no sense at all, which is why it will probably happen.
And Oklahoma has always recruited Texas
yet they are still adamant about having an annual game in Dallas
What part of “you will be guaranteed the ability to see your son play Texas at least twice during his college career” do you not understand?
Nice try.
Attempting to divert attention away from your nonsensical post with one even more ludicrous.
You make as much sense as TAMU going to the SEC.
Do you read comments before responding?
First, god help them if they have to deal with y’all. Second, the point was why would they only take yall, as it would unbalance the league. Redhawk commented about taking y’all and north Carolina, to get to 14. But you, as is required of all a&m fans, immediately assume I was insulting you. Please, please leave. Go to the sec, I can deal with hate, but arrogance and massive inferiority complexes are too much.
Cowboys Ride For Free, Drinking PBR's and slappin ho's since 2010
by AUKingOState on Jul 20, 2011 10:32 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
A&M is such a “we’re such a great school, everyone wants to be like us” type of fanbase, yet EVERYONE makes fun of Aggies. No, really A&M people, EVERYONE makes fun of you and the “corp.” If that place isn’t a cult, I don’t know what is.
by SoonerSunDevil on Jul 20, 2011 12:17 AM CDT reply actions
This is completely inaccurate
Texas A&M may not have the cash to leave the Big 12, if the increased Big 12 buyout/exit fee that was talked about this spring really is in place. A&M Athletic Department still owes the University money from loans when the Aggies went into the Red a few years ago. They hard pressed to pay an exit fee, unless they really get paid where ever they go, and while the SEC is nice, I’m not sure the extra $2-4 Million a year in the SEC would be worth it.
A&M’s athletic department was never in the red, and the line of credit the University extended to the athletic department has already been taken care of. It helps if you know the facts before you post.
yeah
….cause people and organizations with LOTS and LOTS of cash and need $16 million dollars in emergency loans.
Here’s a link on the payback so you too can read (though your arrogant postings tell me you are one who doesn’t care much for reality…and like Cobert says, we all know reality has a liberal bias.)
From at article dated August 16th, 2009:
The department had less than a year before it was to begin repaying a $16 million loan arranged by previous A&M President Robert Gates and athletics director Bill Byrne. The loan gave the department four years to use university money to shore up budget shortfalls, and the first payment was due in the fiscal year that starts Sept. 1, 2009.
But the department was facing two more years of projected deficit spending, and finance officials expressed concern that something needed to be done, records show.
I hate it when arrogant, ignorant jerks call me a liar, just because I know more than they do.
by Redhawk on Jul 20, 2011 8:07 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Sigh.
Let me see if I can summarize this for you:
In early 2003, after Byrne was hired, he went to then-President Robert Gates and said the athletic department needed more money than was in the current budget. Byrne had already announced he was raising current season ticket prices 41%, but even with that increase in revenue, there were some structural issues at Kyle Field that needed to be addressed and couldn’t wait for fund raising. Gates sets up a line of credit for $16 million from the University to the athletic department, which was used for various things, including (I believe) bringing the press box into OSHA compliance, and some other cosmetic issues. The LOC was set to begin to be paid off in 5 years, in 2008, because the thinking was the program would be 5 years into Dennis Franchione’s tenure, and the football program would be wildly successful and profitable. Fast forward 5 years, Franchione is out, Sherman is in, and payments on the LOC are now coming due. Revenue actually increased every year during the 5 year period, but so did spending. This is where the claim of “projected deficit spending” in that article comes in. Byrne was notoriously poor at projecting budgets; he would basically say, “Our average ticket price at Kyle is this amount this year, if we sell out every game, we will get this much revenue, let’s start our budget there”. The problem was, ticket prices were going up every year (we had the most expensive tickets in the Big 12 from 2003-2009, with Okie State finally passing us last year), and with the team struggling under Franchione, we weren’t anywhere close to selling out every game. Fans simply weren’t willing to pay more for crappy football.
They brought in auditors to review the books and fix the athletic department’s accounting practices. Unfortunately, some people were let go, ostensibly in a cost-cutting measure, but Byrne then gave himself a raise.
The $16 million LOC is actually worked into the athletic department debt service; the people who think A&M’s athletic department is somehow struggling financially haven’t looked at the books. In fiscal year 2008, the year before this article was written, we were in the black of $3 million. Our athletic department isn’t hurting financially.
I hate it when arrogant, ignorant jerks call me a liar, just because I know more than they do.
I hate it when idiots imply I’m an arrogant, ignorant jerk just because I am more familiar with what is actually happening, and know more than an article in a local paper tells them.
what a load of crap
next you will try to tell me your farts are really the breath of God’s benevolence.
+1000
I hate it when arrogant, ignorant jerks call me a liar, just because I know more than they do.
Quote of the day my friend.
by ccmachine on Jul 20, 2011 9:12 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
lol,this is funny. Replace Texas A&M with Nebraska and you have all the same complaints/insults etc that everyone gave us. Have to say,it’s worked out pretty nicely for us. Oh,and yes, Ou is still my favorite Big 12 team now,but i can understand why A&M wants to leave
Didn't you leave yet? The B1G is waiting for you.
Cowboys Ride For Free, Drinking PBR's and slappin ho's since 2010
by AUKingOState on Jul 20, 2011 5:34 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Nebraska left because they were falling too far behind the Texas schools
Nebraska lost their last home and away to A&M, lost home and away to Texas Tech, and lost home and away to texas (of course).
When the only Texas school you can consistently compete with is Baylor, it is time to either find a new conference, or decide to focus on a different sport; Nebraska chose for former.
not why Nebraska left at all
they left the the conference that has the most money both on the athletic side, and the only one that also has a consortium on the academic side that also brings in money and grants.
There isn’t a school in the nation that would pass that deal up.
SEC makes more money than the Big Ten
when you add in third-tier media rights deals the individual schools have
Arkansas made more than Michigan and Ohio State did in 2009 (last year I can find numbers) because of their third-tier media rights.
As for my reply, sarcasm is apparently completely lost on you.
sec
i live in birmingham and have been up to the convention center to check out the sec media day (actually three days). all of the reporters are questioning about the sooners along with a@m. so the rumors are past just the internet. i can’t believe that ou would want to play that schedule plus a non conference with texass every year. and i can’t believe that any of the sec schools would want to add ou every year. lets pick florida for example. here is a possible 6 weeks. tennessee, georgia, s carolina, oklahoma, alabama, auburn. be kind of crazy to want that.
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