I'll politely disagree....maybe from your perspective it appeared that way. (BTW, I didn't mention my parents as neither was a MU fan...in fact my mom loathed sports)

And while you see it as (using your words) "unmitigated horseshit" I'm sorry you felt that way. Was KSU really looked down upon that bad or were feelings of inadequacy that high in that town. From your perspective it must have been.

I don't disagree that the Big 8 sought out what was remaining of the SWAC...they felt they had to. But to act like the schools hated each other as much as you infer reeks of hurt feelings.

I think Oklahoma is the best program. Texas is second.

But where things stand right now I think UT slides in #3 behind OK State.

I disagree with your last line...or maybe just a single word of it. Texas wouldn't be THE big gorilla in any other major conference. They would be A big gorilla. The biggest market outside of Texas in the Big 12 is Oklahoma City.

Outside of Texas, there are 9.6 million people living in states with Big 12 teams. Florida has 20 million, and Georgia has 10 million.

Texas is the only state with teams in both conferences, and it has over 26 million people. Take them out of the equation, and here are the states in the two conferences and where that ranks them nationally...

4. Florida. SEC
8. Georgia. SEC
17. Tennessee. SEC
18. Missouri. SEC
23. Alabama. SEC
24. South Carolina. SEC
25. Louisiana. SEC
26. Kentucky. SEC

28. Oklahoma. Big 12
30. Iowa. Big 12

31. Mississippi. SEC
32. Arkansas. SEC

34. Kansas Big 12
38. *West Virginia Big 12



*West Virginia is the smallest state with a BCS school. (Kansas is the third smallest). The Big 12 literally has three teams in states smaller than any state represented in any other BCS conference except for the B1G with Nebraska...whom they poached from the Big 12.

It's impressive that the conference has experienced even the limited amount of success that it has given the demographic imbalance. The problem is that realignment cost the conference it's three biggest markets outside Texas (Denver, Saint Louis, and KC), it's most successful program (Nebraska football), and ripped a gaping hole in Texas (aTm to the SEC).

Oklahoma is easily the best program in the conference.

There were 2 major votes: Headquarters and commish. CU voted against KC and Mizzou voted against Frederick. The old Big 8 schools couldn't band together. Only KSU-Kan-ISU-Nubs stuck together.

The Big 8 needed the SWC to survive obviously, but thank god Texas demanded to only bring ATM, Tech and Baylor. The original agreement was to bring all 8 of them inc Rice, Houston, SMU, etc.....

Just hideous logic. Your numbers are so laughably misleading. Yeah, Texas has 4 Big 12 schools vs 1 SEC but lets toss that out of the comparison entirely . Awful.


And of course Florida has 20M folks. They are all captive SEC fans of course with no alternatives. If what you said had any basis in reality it'd be reflected in tv comp.

Based on what?

My recollection was that the Big 8 really only wanted Texas and A&M. Politics got involved to bring in Baylor (thanks to Anne Richards) and Tech (some Senator got them in ).

I have no memory at all of the Big 8 trying to bring in the entire SWC. The SWC was crumbling and its members were looking everywhere. The Big 8 struck hard and had a home for the 2 most attractive options that would allow them to continue playing each other.

Shocking that Bitch and Wicked are scissoring over their overlords victory

You'd think chafing would have set in by now.

Texas has two schools that people care about, and one of them is now in the SEC out-recruiting the Longhorns. Texas is still more of a Big 12 state that an SEC state by far, but losing aTm was not insignificant by any stretch.

As for Florida, of course there are a lot of FSU fans. The Gators are still the biggest draw in the state, though. The fact that they don't dominate the state the way LSU does prevents them from having an oversized share of political pull with the conference. The SEC is extremely balanced in that regard...so balanced, in fact, that we don't need exit fees. Without exit fees, the Big 12 would look like a kitchen at a restaurant where someone yelled "INS".

The douche is right. The Big 8 and SWC were talking about a full on merger of the 16 teams, but ABC said they would only pay a certain amount so 4 heads were eliminated from the pot.

Talking about the school and athletic program. You drop Texas into any other of the conferences and they are the major gorilla.

A&M had to essentially be bribed to stay out of the SEC and I thought Texas was fielding offers from the Pac 10.

Were there ever any active proposals to bring them all or was that just something that was spitballed? Like I said, my memory was that it took a hell of a lot of effort just to get Baylor and Tech included once they finally started making formal movements for inclusion.

I don't think so.

I think he's right, they'd be a major gorilla. But I don't see them pushing USC around in the PAC, nor do I see them dictating terms to Alabama or Florida in the SEC.

Oh they'd have huge influence, but I don't think it would be hegemonic, as it is in the Big 12.

?? I thought Bevo was the overlord?

Try again next year, it's basketball season.