NCAA Conference Musical Chairs

[NatureBoy]

Texas A&M officially joins SEC

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (September 25, 2011) – The Southeastern Conference Presidents and Chancellors, acting unanimously, announced today that Texas A&M University will join the Southeastern Conference effective July 1, 2012, with competition to begin in all sports for the 2012-13 academic year.

The addition of Texas A&M will increase the SEC membership to 13 institutions. It is the first expansion for the SEC since September of 1991 when the University of South Carolina joined the league. The University of Arkansas joined the SEC in August of 1991. With the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina, the SEC was the first conference to split into divisions and add a conference championship game in 1992.

“The Southeastern Conference Presidents and Chancellors are pleased to welcome Texas A&M University to the SEC family,” said Dr. Bernie Machen, chair of the SEC Presidents and Chancellors and president of the University of Florida. “The addition of Texas A&M University as the SEC’s 13th member gives our league a prestigious academic institution with a strong athletic tradition and a culture similar to our current institutions.”

“The Southeastern Conference provides Texas A&M the national visibility that our great university and our student-athletes deserve,” said Texas A&M University President R. Bowen Loftin. “We are excited to begin competition in the nation’s premier athletic conference. This is a 100-year decision that we have addressed carefully and methodically, and I believe the Southeastern Conference gives the Aggies the best situation of any conference in the country.”

Texas A&M , located in College Station, will also be the third institution in the Southeastern Conference to hold membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities, joining University of Florida and Vanderbilt University. Texas A&M has an enrollment of 50,000 students, ranking as the sixth-largest university in the country, with 360,000 former students worldwide.

Texas A&M also adds to the athletic excellence of the SEC. Last season, the Aggies won three NCAA team titles (men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, women’s basketball) and finished eighth in the prestigious Learfield Sports Director’s Cup all-sport rankings.

“On behalf of our presidents, chancellors, athletics directors, students and fans, I welcome Texas A&M University to the SEC family,” said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. “Texas A&M is a nationally-prominent institution on and off the field and a great fit for the SEC tradition of excellence—athletically, academically and culturally.”

The Aggies sponsor 20 varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country. Women’s sports include basketball, equestrian, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country and volleyball. Texas A&M participates in every sport sponsored by the SEC except gymnastics and the SEC sponsors every sport the Aggies participate in except equestrian.

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[cdj]

I would say that the 14th member will be invited within the next month. I can't see the SEC sticking with an odd number.

[bdoughty]

There is a shocker, inviting A&M this week. Right on time for the A&M/Ark game in Arlington.

[JBHuskers]

I would say that the 14th member will be invited within the next month. I can't see the SEC sticking with an odd number.

Well wasn't Mizzou supposedly invited?

[bdoughty]

Missouri and West Virginia have both been rumored but no invites.

[Jayrah]

Well wasn't Mizzou supposedly invited?

Mizzou is now committed to the Big 12 I think with them staying together.

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[psusnoop]

Mizzou is now committed to the Big 12 I think with them staying together.

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I have read that as well but I'd imagine they'd jump to the SEC if they could.

[JBHuskers]

Uh oh....

TCU has scheduled a meeting of its board and will likely make the announcement ASAP that its headed to the Big 12.

[morsdraconis]

God damn it Big East.

[Rudy]

From a geographic standpoint it is a no brainer that TCU should be in the Big 12 instead of the Big East. I wonder if Big 12 stops at 10 if they get TCU.

[JBHuskers]

From a geographic standpoint it is a no brainer that TCU should be in the Big 12 instead of the Big East. I wonder if Big 12 stops at 10 if they get TCU.

Just add Houston and SMU and call it The Big Texas Orgy

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[bdoughty]

Big 12 is starting to shape up. We add Houston and BYU and we will be fine. If Missou leaves we might throw SMU a bone. Two teams out of the DFW area is one too much for me. I would rather have a Tulsa. over SMU.

[Rudy]

I don't think they will add Houston and SMU. Those guys drag down the TV money as they have to share more of it with two teams that won't generate much income. TCU is a bigger name and gets them to 10. There is no point in going to 12 unless those next two teams are good candidates. Maybe BYU. But if you go past 10 you have to add two more and I'm not sure there are two good candidates for that without seeing the TV money drop per team.

[jaymo76]

I really feel for the BIG EAST. I thought they were getting back on there feet in football but now they pretty much look like the WAC of a few years back. Sad fate for a conference I have always liked.

[bdoughty]

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-foo...y-for-football

The conference is looking into adding Boise State, Air Force and Navy as football-only members, The Boston Globe reported, citing Big East sources. The report also said the league is interested in adding Temple and Central Florida in all sports and that Villanova could become the league's 12th football team.

Really? Villanova has had some good teams the last few years but they seem to be on a bit of a slide this year.

Give us some Hoya football. They at least have a winning record.

[morsdraconis]

I definitely don't see either FCS school making the upgrade to BCS football worth. We're talkin' about taking stadiums that are smaller than some high school football stadiums (Villanova - 12,500 and Georgetown - 2,500) and trying to get them up to 50,000 or more. It's just not happening. It's bad enough that we have Cincinnati (35,100) and Connecticut (40,000). That's just atrocious football stadium capacities considering half the time, they don't even sell those seats out.

The Big East is floundering, very badly. I just hope WVU has something up their sleeves once the Big 12 stupidly gives Louisville entrance into the conference (which, from everything that I've read and heard, sounds highly likely once they get TCU officially in). Once we go down to 5 teams, we're no longer considering a conference, and WVU is free to leave without paying the buyout (which, from what I've heard, is their reasoning for not immediately leaving the conference with the offers that they have on the table).

The Big East is going to no longer be a conference (if everything happens as what I'm hearing is going to happen).

[psuexv]

When do you think the BCS removes the Big East as an automatic qualifier? The only real team is WVU, even if they do add 6 other schools.

[SmoothPancakes]

The Big East is seriously considering Air Force? Christ, that's even fucking worse than TCU in the Big East. Are the Big East schools really going to want to constantly fly out to Colorado for a football game? Is the Falcons football team really going to want to fly clear to the east coast every fucking week for a game? Jesus this is just getting fucking retarded.

[JBHuskers]

Big East Will Consider Adding Six Teams for Football

Army, Navy, Air Force, Memphis, Central Florida, East Carolina & Temple among those being rumored.

[bdoughty]

Well TCU is getting ready to announce they are moving to the BIG 12. Then you have the Missouri issue. I do not think anyone wants them bad enough and they will stay in the Big 12. That puts us at 10. All the sources claim we are looking at BYU, Louisville and West Virginia. I think we end up snagging BYU and Louisville for 12 and West Virginia heads out to the SEC to put them 14.

The Big East simply becomes the MAC conference of the East.