then the question of how to make that happen with the numbers. i would think the conversation would go like this..... hey, miss st, are you guys tired of losing?? wanna be successful?? then might we suggest conference USA??? you can go beat up on USM.....
Refresh my memory because I'm half asleep but I thought Texas, Texas A&M, Miami, and Florida State were all invited to join the SEC but declined. I thought this occurred shortly after Arkansas and South Carolina joined. Maybe I dreamed this but I thought the state of Texas threatened UT and A&M with loss of funding if they left the SWC. Several years later they merged with the Big 8 to form the Big 12. Yes? No? I also thought Miami and FSU were being pressured to join a conference and were too chicken to join the SEC. Imagine football and baseball with the addition of those four schools. If the SEC decides to make another run at adding four teams, who do you invite? SEC STATES: Arkansas: None Louisiana: None Mississippi: USM - but we don't need a third team from MS Alabama: None Tennessee: None Georgia: Georgia Tech Florida: FSU, Miami Kentucky: Louisville South Carolina: Clemson NON-SEC STATES: Texas: Texas, Texas A&M North Carolina: UNC Virginia: UV, Virginia Tech Taking the best of the ACC would be the end of that conference.
i like unc for bball. they may be willing to break ties with traditional rivals in exchange for a shot at a real money making fball program. and maybe this would put the sec over the hump as the best bball conference. you could also consider memphis and louisville here. perhaps its worth taking a lesser team to boost recruiting base. im thinking baylor or tcu. i like the sound of adding unc and tcu.
There's no way UNC leaves the ACC. The basketball program trumps everything there and would be like us joining the ACC to try and boost our bball program. It's too much established there. GT, Louisville, and Clemson may seem more likely but I don't know if I could handle having 3 Tiger teams in one conference...
Yes, I think you're kinda right. My memory is dim too but I think Texas was also considered when Arkansas joined. Don't know about the others. Texas Gov. Ann Richards insisted that Texas A&M and Baylor be included (she was a graduate of Baylor) so that fell through. Texas also approached the Big10 and the Pac10 but were rejected. Well Ann is dead, and things have changed. The motivation these days is about money. I THINK that Texas MAY have already been approached by the BIG10. I don't want to turn this into a discussion about Texas but I would liketo see the SEC become the monster conference that the BIG10 wants to be. Texas Is the Perfect (Darkhorse) Candidate for Big Ten Expansion | Bleacher Report
Having an expanded SEC, Pac 10, Big 10, etc replete with divisional championships, conference championships, bowl tie ins, etc may be the first step towards a playoff system to me. If super conferences with four or more divisions will be the first tier of a national championship system and the bowl games a second tier...you'd only probably need one more game to make a true national championship for the BCS.
When the SEC expanded years ago, Texas turned down the offer to join the SEC with Arkatrash. The SEC wanted Texas and aTm in the western division. They would not be interested.
If I remember it correctly, the then Governor Richards wanted Bailor to join with TX and aTm and the Lt. Gov wanted TX Tech to join, too. The SEC didn't need another Vandy and Miss St. joining. No offer to Bailor or TT.
