(01-11-2021 11:15 AM)JRsec Wrote: (01-11-2021 10:11 AM)Thiefery Wrote: I said I rather go independent that joining the BIG West, which is true, but I see no way UT goes independent in Football. I can see them sticking in the Big12 along with ou if they get some flagship schools to join (ASU, UT, CO....maybe NE?) the conference.
Or they make the easy decision of playing in the SEC west. All this power talk that some posters bring into play is a running myth. Texas will always do what is best for Texas but they weren't the bullies that so many portray them too. NE got upset that they moved the CCG game to JerryWorld permanently.. but the money was much bigger there than at arrowhead or the Transdome (St Louis). Hell I could see the SEC open an office in Frisco as well, and start hosting media days there every few years.
What people consistently refuse to engage is the solid position the SEC is in with regard to Texas and Oklahoma. The SEC doesn't want to force Alabama to play Texas or Oklahoma annually. The SEC wants to essentially become two solid 8 team conferences operating as divisions within one conference.
The lure for Texas to the SEC is not to be subjugated to Alabama and Florida but separated from them while combining revenue driving forces. Texas and Oklahoma would keep their own show and would likely contend with only two other schools for supremacy on an annual basis. They would face old foes Missouri and Arkansas, and have to contend with the 2 Mississippi schools, but that's no worse than dealing with Oklahoma State and T.C.U.. It's L.S.U. and Texas A&M that would rival them but that's where the money is over playing a Kansas State and Iowa State. Those are national interest games. They wouldn't be playing an Alabama or Auburn or Georgia or Florida on any regular basis unless it was in the CCG.
Critics love to talk about how Texas would be subjugated to Alabama. What they never present accurately are the divisions that would actually arise:
Arkansas, Louisiana State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M
Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
In those divisions there are at least 4 schools each year that would likely be able to compete for the division title and a shot in the CCG. Texas is no worse off in chances than they were in the old Big 12 and only slightly more difficult than the old SWC.
Instead of playing Alabama in the Cotton Bowl they would play them or another Eastern school in the CCG for a shot at the CFP, and who knows, but most years perhaps the two CCG finalists wind up in an 8 team CFP.
Either way the so called loss of control, and murderer's row talk is nothing but message board red herrings.
Without Texas or Oklahoma the SEC will be making 64.2 million by 2024 per school in media revenue. With them they are making ~ 70 million per school by 2024. Now even if you are Texas, that's a lot of money. It's a helluva lot more than the 54 million they are making right now with the LHN included.
That 16-school lineup is very solid. The question then is where do the other conferences go?
The B1G could add Iowa St and Kansas but I’m not sure they really want either. It could make Nebraska happier if that’s at all a concern.
The PAC would have an okay group of 4 with Kansas St, Oklahoma St, TCU, and Texas Tech.
The ACC could reach 16 with Cincinnati and West Virginia.
Baylor could join BYU football in the AAC.
SEC
West: Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi St, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M
East: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
B1G
West: Illinois, Iowa, Iowa St, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin
East: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan St, Ohio St, Penn St, Purdue, Rutgers
PAC
West: California, Oregon, Oregon St, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington St
East: Arizona, Arizona St, Colorado, Kansas St, Oklahoma St, TCU, Texas Tech, Utah
ACC
Atlantic: Boston College, Cincinnati, Louisville, Miami, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
Coastal: Clemson, Duke, Florida St, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, North Carolina St, Virginia, Wake Forest
AAC
West: Baylor, BYU*, Houston, Navy*, SMU, Tulsa
East: Central Florida, East Carolina, Memphis, South Florida, Temple, Tulane
* Football-only