It’s been quiet on the surface of the Aggies plan to SECede, but trust me when I say that it’s been just as busy on background today as yesterday. While we are not ready to say 100% that the deal is done, we are getting close. I believe an official announcement could be made within two weeks, but at this rate it’s easy to expect unofficial word to start leaking like a sieve. According to some sources it already has.
Rampant speculation in and around Aggieland has prominent boosters being told by administration officials that the deal is done. The sticking point remains which academic year the school will begin play, no later than 2013 but potentially next year. It is our understanding that both parties would like to start next year but may be handcuffed by other contractual obligations.
David Sandhop, an Aggie fansite administrator, Tweeted another critical piece of information today.
RT @sportsdaydfw: Breaking: Texas governor Rick Perry on Texas A&M to SEC rumors: ‘Conversations are being had’
Here is a link to the article featuring Gov. Perry.
And late word this evening tells me sports talk radio all over Texas has blown up in reaction to Gov. Perry’s quote in the paper. If this falls apart, he may have a hard time winning the state in his bid for the White House. He is a former cheerleader Yell Leader, afterall.
On a completely different front today, BlogHawgs.com picked up on rumors today that people in Oklahoma are on the hunt for a new deal. The Pac-12 remains an inviting option for Oklahoma (or is it the other way around?), while the online speculation about the Big 10 is not completely without merit. If these whispers are indeed true, that could provide great context to this Tweet from Mr. Sandhop last night:
A move to the SEC could come sooner than later as talk of Tech/OU/OSU to the Pac-12 heats up
It’s easy to get caught up in the moving parts, but I think it’s important to go back to the root cause of all this shifting. The University of Texas should change its school colors to green and white rather than burnt orange. In their haste to cash in on an admittedly lucrative deal with ESPN, the Longhorns neglected to look at the collateral damage of such a deal. As Adam pointed out earlier today, life as an Independent is a difficult one. Notre Dame has the benefit of always being one. Now Texas has to deal with the ramifications of alienating their former conference rivals.
You see, sports is not pure capitalism. The SEC learned that and has prospered. By making sure everyone can compete and profit, the entire league benefits. There is no better application of the Nash equilibrium than athletics.
Texas wants all the money for itself. And it appears they’ll get it. But they’ll be all alone.
UPDATE (9:28 PM, 8/10): This story is starting to fly, thanks largely to Gov. Perry’s comment.
UPDATE (8:44 AM, 8/11): Unconfirmed reports this morning that Texas Tech has escalated talks with Pac-12. If anyone has tips/information, please email to bloghawgs@gmail.com.
Decision to Put the “I” in Texas Longhorns Would Be Shortsighted
Posted by Adam Butler on August 10, 2011
At this pace, they’ll have it again, soon enough. But, the Longhorns are asking for trouble.
As we reported yesterday, Texas A&M is quietly formulating an exit strategy from the Big 12 (While some might quibble with my use of the word “imminent” I will stick with that characterization. One of the definitions of imminent is that something is “liable to happen soon” or that it is “impending”).
A few variables will slow the process but one thing seems clear–unless the concerns of A&M and the other heavy hitters in the Big 12 (not named Texas) are addressed, the conference is going to fold up like a cheap tent, soon– thanks in large part to the arrogance of Texas and the unwillingness or inability of the conference’s other members to stand up to The Evil Orange Empire.
It seems to me that the only way those issues can be addressed is by Texas and/or ESPN watering down the soon-to-be launched “Longhorn Network” or Texas giving back some of the rewards it has reaped (and will continue to) from the sweetheart deals that have resulted in a remarkably inequitable split of the Big 12 financial pie in their favor.
In other words, for the Big 12 to survive “all” that has to happen is: Texas show quite a bit of humility and concern for others, ESPN to further jeopardize an already risky $300 million investment or the increasingly resentful non-UT members of the Big 12 to continue to be gripped by Stockholm Syndrome. I think I have better chances of winning Powerball. Twice. In a month.
So once the Big 12 implodes what will Texas do?
While the Pac 12 and the Big 10 would love to have Texas, most who have followed this situation (including myself) think that while UT will never admit it until it actually happens, the Longhorns will use the cash and cache’ of “The Longhorn Network” and the built-in excuse of the demise of the Big 12 to set out on its own as an Independent.
That idea is no bueno. Just ask Notre Dame. Yes, the Fighting Irish print money. But, twenty years ago they were the toast of the town in College Football. Now, they’re just toast.
Although ND has retained its independence and arrogance, it now finds itself in an annual fight for national relevance. Luckily the Golden Domers are still clinging to the past–but only because it had become almost mythical in nature and a dying breed of TV and media execs can’t quite envision a world in which Notre Dame is only as relevant as its performance on the field says it is.
Admittedly, Texas’ situation is different. The Longhorns have inherent recruiting advantages to go with great tradition.
But, they also had those advantages from 1986-1997 (the last year of the Fred Akers era through the David McWilliams and John Mackovic eras) when Texas went 77-60. During that span, Texas failed to make a bowl game SEVEN times, had FIVE losing seasons, another “non-winning” season (5-5-1 in 1993) and a 6-5 season. That’s too much sizzle and not enough steak–particularly by UT’s lofty standards.
Texas was able to rebound a decade and-a-half ago thanks to a great hire and a cushy conference situation (other conference super powers experienced some lean times, too). But, if Texas continues to slip in 2011, and it coincides with becoming an Independent, things could get dicey and the climb back could be treacherous. Remind me….What was Texas’ record last year, again? How many new coaches are on staff?
Rebuilding by selling your brand or tradition is difficult because kids’/recruits’ view of history is typically about as far-reaching as the lifespan of the latest version of Playstation.
And, in the cut-throat world of college football, if you are a Nintendo, you are dead, and you aren’t coming back to life by playing OU, A&M, Wyoming, 3 more cupcakes, and the service academies every year.
Yes, a shiny new TV package puts a lot of money in the bank, but unless you are cheating, that money won’t get you the best players. In fact, it, alone, will mean little to those high-profile players–particularly in a year or two when the “new” wears off or the network fails–because pretty much every game is on TV anyway.
Recruiting and branding aside, what Texas really must decide is whether it wants a ton of money with a greater risk of questionable results or SLIGHTLY less money in a “super conference” with a legit shot at the BCS every year.
If its answer is the former, Texas better be sure that ESPN can strong-arm a deal for inclusion into the BCS (ala ND) and hope that it hasn’t alienated so many BCS schools that they squeeze UT out of the cartel.
So, in a way, ironically, Texas (especially if it continues to slide) needs the other members of the Big 12 (or the Pac 12 or Big 10) as much as those schools need the Longhorns. Just don’t try telling the Longhorns that.
Remember–everything is bigger in Texas–including the Longhorns’ egos.
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