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Post Why is Texas A&M interested in the SEC?

Thursday June 10, 2010

I think Andy Staples has it right here: differentiation.

“The league would allow the Aggies to offer an interesting alternative to Lone Star State recruits enthralled by the SEC schools they grew up watching on television.”

Right now the Aggies are second-tier in a Big XII dominated by the Longhorns. If we’re being honest, they’ve even been passed by Texas Tech recently. If they join the others in the exodus to the Pac-10, they remain an afterthought along for the ride. But if they split off and join the SEC, they take a step from out of the shadow of the other Texas schools. Sure, they still wouldn’t be the marquee in-state destination for top prospects as long as Texas remains a title contender. But membership in the nation’s top football conference would be a selling point that would at least make the Aggies a unique option in their area. It’s over 330 miles to Baton Rouge and over 500 miles to any other SEC destination – that’s a lot of fertile recruiting territory to occupy for a prospective SEC member.

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3 Responses to 'Why is Texas A&M interested in the SEC?'

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  • Ally

    June 10th, 2010
    1:21 pm

     

    I don’t get it. No one can explain to me what the advantage would be to 6 Big 12 schools to abandon the Big 12 (a conference that’s been competing on their own for championships, one w/ a lot of power & money) for the Pac 10. They’d surely lose a lot of power, have travel & cultural differences, lose tradition, be just a vote of 16 rather than a vote of 12, etc., etc…

  • Greg

    June 10th, 2010
    1:47 pm

     

    Those distances you mention are why it makes absolutely no sense for the SEC to invite TAMU, whether they want to join the SEC or not.

    Look at BC going to the ACC. They are outside the ACC’s geographic footprint and I don’t think it’s really helped either of them much. BC has lost many of their traditional rivalries so they can play Wake Forest, NC State, etc. And their basketball profile hasn’t been raised much, if any, since joining the ACC. A lot of unnecessary travel time and expense for BC when traveling to their conference “rivals” and vice versa.

  • Dawg Daily 11June: Leather Helmet Blog

    June 11th, 2010
    4:03 am

     

    […] Why Teas A&M might want to be in the SEC: Right now the Aggies are second-tier in a Big XII dominated by the Longhorns. If we're being honest, they've even been passed by Texas Tech recently. If they join the others in the exodus to the Pac-10, they remain an afterthought along for the ride. But if they split off and join the SEC, they take a step from out of the shadow of the other Texas schools. Sure, they still wouldn't be the marquee in-state destination for top prospects as long as Texas remains a title contender. But membership in the nation's top football conference would be a selling point that would at least make the Aggies a unique option in their area. […]