SEC

Just curious as to what everyone’s thoughts and feelings are about a potential move to the SEC as it pertains to WBB? Some interesting potential games. Mulkey at LSU, Vic having to go back to Starkvegas, etc….

 

I absolutely love the idea. Competition will be tough and exciting and the way we're going games against South carolina, Kentucky, and Mississippi state will be must see games. In terms of WBB it will be great for us and the women's game in general.

 

The move will end LHN and the guarantee all WBB home games being televised.

 

I don't like the idea. If anything, we need to pull some new schools into the conference. And I will be very sad if they end LHN. Without it WBB will not be televised near as much as it is now.

 

I’d resigned myself to the Big12 imploding once the media rights deal expired but the SEC was my least favorite option. Aligning Texas with the dirtiest athletic conference comprised of a bunch of subpar academic institutions (Vanderbilt excluded) from backwater states?

 

Valid points. I would be fine with Big 12 if they could bring in a couple of high profile teams. I know I’m dreaming but Notre Dame would be amazing for the Big 12. Unfortunately, expansion would probably mean lower tier teams.

 

SEC? No, thanks.

 

I suspect we (Texas and OU) let the SEC rumor be leaked. Neither school denied it when asked. If it was me, I'd float that semi-truthful rumor to let all the conferences know we are open to change. Float the rumor about the SEC and then see if the PAC or the B1G come calling with a better offer.

 

For what it's worth a former UT athlete in the coaching business told me that change is coming. I'm not sure whether I like it or not, but that really doesn't matter. It's going to be whatever it's going to be.

 

Most of the conjecture about who leaked the Texas/OU (sux) plan is pointed at aggy in an attempt to undermine it and specifically keep the Longhorns out of the SEC. If the PAC wasn’t such a clown show from an administrative point of view, it would be my top preference for a conference to join. I was hoping that with Larry Scott being gone, they would be able to get their act together by 2025 when the media rights deal expired.

 

Lots of pros and cons across the board for Texas as it pertains to the different sports. But, in the end, it's all about revenue and not falling further behind the B1G and SEC schools.

On the bright side, it will be fun to watch how Baylor women's bball fans react to this news and where their program heads if their school is no longer in one of the major conferences. Could be Louisiana Tech Part Deux . . .

 

The 1 silver lining. I don't see them as a major draw for one of the 4 coming 'super-conferences'. Trying to think who from the Big12 remnants would be - possibly Tech due to size/alumni base. Iowa State, Kansas and K-State might try to get into whatever the Big10 morphs into just based on geography.

 

The B1G would be interested in Kansas, but no other Big 12 school, IMO.

PAC 12 won't touch Baylor and TCU as they stay away from schools with religious affiliations (which is why they never invited BYU).

Big 12 will remain a conference, but they will have to invite some new members like UCF, Cincinnati, Memphis, Houston, BYU, Boise State, etc.

 

For women's hoops, with 16 members in the SEC, we'd be a perfect match for a conference challenge against the ACC (15 schools plus Notre Dame). B1G could end their challenge against the ACC and start one against the PAC 12.

As for the women's conference tourney, believe it's been edging further and further East as South Carolina has become the dominant program. It might have been held in the state of Arkansas once in the last 5 years. I like that their women's conference tourney is one week earlier than the the men's tourney, and in a different city; i hated that the Big 12 played both in KC during the same week.

 

I have been unhappy with Big 12 for women’s sports for a number of years. Would love SEC for volleyball and softball. Not my favorite conference for WBB but I can get used to it. This move makes sense geographically and puts Texas with other big public schools.

 

Agree Sangre.

Texas A&M, understandably, is strongly opposed to SEC expansion because they have a recruiting monopoly as the only Texas-based school in the SEC. Oklahoma football heavily recruits in Texas, and both Texas and Oklahoma would bring recruiting challenges to Texas A&M. It is believed Texas A&M leaked the news to Brent Zwerneman, who covers Texas A&M athletics for the Houston Chronicle.

And look at the timing. It was leaked at the same time it was Texas A&M's turn at the SEC media day so that A&M could publicly position themselves in opposition of expansion and begin gathering opponents of the deal.

 

I would say the overall quality of SEC Volleyball has been poor with the exception of mainstay Florida and nascent rise of Kentucky. Outside of that, the other 12 volleyball programs have done nothing noteworthy.

Softball on the other hand, I agree with you, will be ultra-competitive in the SEC, on par with football.

 

I'll miss all the home games on LHN, big time.

I did not attend this years Big 12 WBB tournament in Kansas City because they eliminated the lower bowl to create social distancing from the basketball court.

But I like that the WBB tournament in Oklahoma City and Dallas were easily driveable. But Greenville, SC, yikes.

 

Maybe Texas will finally add a women's gymnastics program!

 

I too would miss LHN big time! I no longer live in Texas (but TX WBB is still my favorite team), and I've been able to stay connected and informed by watching all the home games, as well as MBB, volleyball, etc.

 

Same here @FarawayFan

 

I actually thought this too.

I think I read that Texas either nearly did (or could have) create a premier gymnastics program. (Maybe Mary Lou Retton would’ve coached?)

Edit: or Nastia Liukin?

But, what about someone like Simone Biles, a native Texan, coming into that fray…

 

I thought CDC had said something about possibly adding lacrosse shortly after he was hired - I’ve always thought of that as an east coast (ACC/Ivy League) or upper Midwest (Big10) sport. That was before the pandemic of course and gymnastics would better fit within the SEC.

 

...
If conference re-alignment transpires, I could see Baylor having a very, very difficult time getting an invite anywhere. Baylor is toxic waste that nobody wants to touch with a 10 foot pole.

 

Do yall think the SEC would allow Texas to continue with LHN? Would that even be possible or does LHN belong to the big 12?? I don't really know how all that stuff works

 

Aggy leaked the story in hopes of gumming up the works, not realizing that nobody cares about their opinion.

 

It’s a joint venture between UT and ESPN. From everything I’ve read about the current situation, LHN would either be killed or basically converted into a 2nd SEC channel.

 

If you subscribe to ESPN+ (only $5.99 per month) you get all SEC games covered on the SEC network that aren't being shown on TV. Therefore, you'd be able to watch all of our conference games. Having a streaming device such as Roku, allows you to watch those games on your TV. That's how I do it.

 

Language NSFW but funny…

 

I saw a blurb from Sports Illustrated that this is a done deal but the move will not happen until 2025. Seems I read some time ago that the contract for LHN is set to expire in 2023 so it could be ESPN will not renew it or there will be some decisions made about rolling it into the SEC Network. I subscribe to ESPN+ so I hope the way they handle WBB will continue unchanged.