TAMU to SEC getting real...

[Snaggletiger]

I think a lot of this is Slive's ego.  He has guided the SEC as it became the best conference, now he wants to make it the biggest.  Now that the Pac 12 and Big 10 have jumped up to 12 team/championship game conferences he feels he needs to make another splash to set the SEC apart.  I would guess that if he could add 4 teams to the SEC (and it would take 4 to get the East vs West conference games to work out in a schedule without leaving an odd man out) he would soon after announce his retirement as he had put the other conferences in their place and made the SEC top dog competitively, financially, and territorially.

Agreed.  Bottom line for me is why mess with a good thing?

[jmar]

I think Oklahoma is the prize. Slive needs to work Pickens and if he gets OSU interested Oklahoma will listen too. Still I don't think Oklahoma wants any part of the SEC unless they feel backed into a corner. They see the PAC 12 as their safety net should things start looking grim.

 I actually like A&M in its entirety as a program but I don't like any of the eastern schools as an equal for the Aggies but FSU is probably the best choice. I like Mizzou but not w/o Oklahoma. I wouldn't mind Auburn moving to the SEC East if Oklahoma agreed and it doesn't matter about all of the panic about the rivalries (especially the IB) as all of that can be worked out to suit us.

But drawing A&M to get the Sooners is a game I like.. although it comes with some added baggage, (OSU) but I think its middle of the pack baggage at worst. If it strengthens the conference to compete in the future against the other conferences then it's a no brainer. I think Slive got a good read on the situation last year. It wouldn't surprise me if Perry had some company with him in Birmingham.

[BZ770]

I was 16 when Aryky and USC came over.  The first years we played them I felt like these were not on the same field as our regular SEC games.  20years later both schools have had some big games against Auburn and there is  some rivalry there.  Given time Adding extra teams will lead to some exciting football and make some new rivalries.    Especially if Auburn moved to the East and let us play UF, UT and GA every Year.

[jmar]

I was 16 when Aryky and USC came over.  The first years we played them I felt like these were not on the same field as our regular SEC games.  20years later both schools have had some big games against Auburn and there is  some rivalry there.  Given time Adding extra teams will lead to some exciting football and make some new rivalries.    Especially if Auburn moved to the East and let us play UF, UT and GA every Year.

Yeah I see Arky and So.Car. as very solid. Good in other sports as well. I'm not so much in favor of an eastward move by AU but I'm not opposed to it either it's just that we don't know the paticulars. But I always enjoyed the Tennessee series and Florida became even better. And if FSU happens on the schedule, I promise you that one will instantly become a fan favorite because those Saturday night games were some of the wildest ever, as good or better than present day LSU games.