(06-04-2019 11:12 PM)wildcat33 Wrote:  I'm new here (Northwestern fan) but I wanted to comment. I'm a traditionalist and I believe in regional rivalries. I'm one of the people who thinks Maryland and Rutgers have no business being in the B1G. I'm sick of this all being about money and power and influence and all of that. We have a good thing here. I'd honestly like us to be back at 10 teams but of course that will never happen so the next best thing is to leave it just how it is. I have no desire to have NC State, UNC, Virginia, or any of those schools in the B1G. Our schools have nothing in common with those schools. Geography matters to me and this is a Midwestern conference and I'd like to see it stay that way. I just don't want tradition and rivalries lost all because of the almighty dollar. Just my two cents.

There are many in the SEC who feel as you do. The only hankering for expansion that our fan base has had goes back to 1992 when most would have been satisfied with Florida State, and a simple majority in favor of Clemson. We took South Carolina and Arkansas and it hasn't felt the same since. F.S.U. and Clemson were football first schools essentially within our footprint.

Money is and will continue to be the motivator in expansion. And for those speculating I'll merely say what I have before. If I were pushed to today to say how this is resolved I would refer to existing contracts as the inclinations of the networks and would refer everyone to the state legislatures of Texas and Oklahoma to find the answer.

FOX holds ties to Oklahoma. ESPN holds even greater ties to Texas. The Oklahoma legislature wants the Sooners to move with the Pokes. The Texas legislature wants Texas, A&M and Tech to all play each other every year. The Texas legislature is more powerful than that of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma legislature won't stand in the way of the Sooners leaving alone if there is no possibility of OSU tagging along.

So I think if any movement happens out of the Big 12 it will be Texas and Texas Tech moving to the SEC as repugnant and illogical as that may sound to some. It satisfies the state legislature and it is the only way in which all 3 can play annually (out of the same division). It satisfies ESPN. And in spite of their utterances to the contrary Texas has been in talks with the SEC since 1987. The SEC schedule allows them to keep their business model of playing at least 7 games in the state of Texas annually. They can't get that elsewhere. The money will be comparable for Texas and ESPN can work out the LHN issue with them by possibly rolling it into the SECN. I think when Oklahoma can point to the Texas move and say we have an offer to the Big 10 but they won't take the Pokes too then they have cover to leave. Now whether Kansas or a school to be determined leaves for the Big 10 with Oklahoma the new split will be basically SWC to the SEC and Big 8 to the Big 10. In both cases the fit will probably be a bit more natural.

I'd say that Texas would head to the PAC but the revenue just isn't there and present PAC politics no longer mesh as well with those of Texas. I don't see Texas taking a partial deal with the ACC because their minor sports are too important to them to be made to play at such distance. So Texas will push to keep the Big 12 and if they can't I think their cover story about the SEC is that they did what was necessary to protect Tech.