Per AP report, Ou President David Boren confirmed that the SEC desired OU and aggy to join up and OU declined the deal because they desired to remain with Texas and Oklahoma State. Question, did OU effectively cockblock aggy? The Link
although, this is the first confirmation that i have heard.... our "insiders" have noted that although we tend to badmouth our little brother, most families in OK have people that have attended both universities. my own family is split, as my uncle was a qb at OSU in the 70's. it is just the way it is. in fact, the president of OSU (hargis) holds a law degree from OU. so as much as we talk crap about each other, from a politics standpoint, we are very much married to OSU and we aren't going anywhere without them. texas is obviously an even bigger angle, but that is a business decision. OSU is more of a personal one.
Interesting. This will make Aggy happying since some of us (me) didn't believe they had an official invite. Although, OU got one too but didn't run telling everybody.
Shouldn't that moronic blogger that said Texas was "yella" for not going to the SEC write a retraction? Obviously the SEC was afraid to invite Texas.
Does this mean that the College Station brainiacs will now refer to them as uo? Will it be "and it's goodbye to Texas and Oklahoma Universities..."
It would be more correct to say that OU cockblocked the SEC. Cause everyone knows who was gonna get screwed here.
This sits well with me. Good job, OU, for knowing that our tradition is more important than being part of some 'elite' conference.
i thought it had already been publicized that they had an offer? i remember hearing when all that stuff was going on that the SEC had offered OU.
“We (OU) would have probably ended up having much more serious conversations with the SEC, and (asked) would they take OSU and Texas.”
No Aggie is saying, "see, I told you so." Apart from a few Horn fans, it was never an issue whether Texas A&M received an SEC invite.
On my part, hope still springs eternal: perhaps we could be the recipient of some good karma and they BOTH self-banish to SEC country. Yeehaw, caneck caneck! Actually, the cultural fit would be a real birds of a feather thing. Overall, I feel like it would be a welcome breath of fresh air to develop some new rivalries that might be a little less bitter and demented than these have proven to be over the years. Cya!
The question for UT fans now is why the SEC didn't invite Texas. The question next time, after all the conferences move in concert on the little 9 and Texas out of necessity declares its football independence, will be why none of the SEC, Pac-12, or Big Ten offered the Longhorns. Slive's short term tactics were to keep Texas out of the Pac or the Big Ten, not to add a Texas program that just can't be made to fit the SEC. In that he was entirely successful. Arkansas fans can see clearly the SEC's long term strategy and can see the grass root revolt in College Station will slowly take root. It's not quite as public in Norman and Lubbock and Stillwater, but it's not far below the surface now. A&M will end up in the SEC. OU still might go either east or west. Tech and OSU will one day join a much stronger MWC. And, at the end of it all the good folks in Austin will of course declare it a victory. And the knowing fans in Fayetteville, Lincoln, and elsewhere will get a good chuckle at your theatrics.
"The question for UT fans now is why the SEC didn't invite Texas". Probably because the SEC didn't want to embarrass themselves by extending an invitation which had no chance of being accepted
Hmmm, with Arkansas in the SEC, Nebraska in the Big Ten, Colorado in the Pac-12, TCU in the MWC, and UH in CUSA, it would appear that it will be up to the Sunbelt to be the conference to risk embarrassment in the next go-round. Might want to think on that one before you turn them down. BTW, enjoy those New Orleans Bowl bids but don't overlook Troy.
Neither A&M nor UT wanted to be remembered as the team that brought down the Big XII and allow the other to use that as an in-state propaganda weapon. The A&M administration is learning the hard way their fan base has already moved beyond this point. That's not going to be an issue in the next cycle because the public mindset is that the Big XII is a placeholder and the focus is now shifted to each team getting the best arrangement it can get from other conferences. The other conferences will coordinate their efforts so that none of the Little 9 has to bear the responsibility for leaving any of its breathern without a home. That leaves only one Big XII team that won't fit any of the expanded conferences.
Personally I think the Aggies can go to the SEC any time they want. I think they decided to take the early leave penalty from NU & CO rather than contributing to it once we were going to stay. The SEC would be dumb not to take A&M. They would be on the upper side of enrollment, academics and donor base for an SEC school, open up recruiting grounds & TV market, but also not being a huge threat for doing damage on the field. The SEC would be dumb to pass them up. Texas and OU have much more to lose going to the SEC because they are already elite football programs. Look at how easy it is to fall from grace in the SEC--a bad hire or a couple bad recruiting classes and you can go from national championship contender to 500 in conference. In no way would Texas jeopardize what we have become going there. We'd call our shot to the Pac 10 or Big 10 1st.
The Link "The problem is, you keep asking the wrong questions, and ignoring the obvious answers. Why didn’t we go to the SEC? Why is Byrne kissing Dodds’ burnt orange behind? Why do we have to follow Texas everywhere? Why can’t we take our ball and go somewhere else? In case you’re wondering, Aggies, the answers to those questions are: because you didn’t really get invited."
It is obvious why the sec did not invite the University of Texas to join their conference: 1. They were afraid that Texas would quickly become one of the most powerful members 2. They were worried that Alabama would not get to their 114th alleged MNC any time soon having to go through the Longhorns. 3. The did not want to lose recruits (both athletic and regular old academic students) to Texas once they saw all it had to offer. 4. They knew we would never join in on their cultish S-E-C chant. 5. They knew none of their schools could keep up with the Longhorn athletic facilities. 6. They knew the answer would be: No, not interested.