New Conference Could Mean Second Neutral Site Game
by Beergut on Jun 12, 2010 6:46 AM CDT
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PrintIf the Aggies go to the SEC, they would most likely be put into the SEC West Division, with Alabama and Auburn being moved to the SEC East (assuming an expansion to a 16-team conference). The SEC West would be balanced out by some other team also added to keep the numbers even, possibly Virginia Tech or Clemson, or some other team from the ACC. In the SEC West, we would be competing with LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and whoever the other three additions to the division would be. We already have a ten-game series with Arkansas at Jerryworld under contract, and with the Hogs being a divisional opponent, I think we would continue with playing the Southwest Classic in Arlington, to fulfil the contract and to get the SEC brand in front of all high school recruits in the Metroplex.
There is an opportunity, though to have a second neutral site game within our division. We could potentially play LSU in Houston at Reliant Stadium every year, too. Playing :LSU at Reliant would require both schools giving up a home game, which I am not confident is totally feasible, but it would be a boon for recruiting. A&M already has a strong presence in Houston simply because of our close proximity to Texas' largest city, so it isn't necessary for us to play their for recruiting purposes, but with texas-OU continuing in Dallas every year, playing a second SEC opponent in a neutral site would solidify the SEC brand in Texas. We would receive national attention for playing both neutral site games, and the bowl-like atmosphere in-season would be a fun experience for both teams.
My only real question about holding a neutral site game in Houston is if it would benefit LSU in recruiting more than the exposure would help us, simply because we already recruit Houston pretty heavily. Another option is having a home-and-home neutral site series, where our 'home' field would be Reliant, and away games at LSU would be played in New Orleans at the Superdome. This would help A&M solidify their foothold in Louisiana recruiting, while giving Aggie fans a fun road trip every other year to New Orleans.
We could simply join the SEC West and play LSU as a regular home-and-home opponent, at Kyle Field and at Death Valley in Baton Rouge every other year, but where is the in speculating about that? Two neutral site games every year in Texas would firmly establish Texas as SEC country, and benefit both A&M and the conference in recruiting.
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If the Aggies go to the SEC, they would most likely be put into the SEC West Division, with Alabama and Auburn being moved to the SEC East. The SEC West would be balanced out by some other team also added to keep the numbers even, possibly Virginia Tech or Clemson, or some other team from the ACC.
Why do you say this? If A&M joins and a school from the east (VT, Clemson, etc) joins, then the logical thing to do would be to put A&M in the west and add the other new school to the east. What you said doesn’t even make sense mathematically.
6-2+2 =/= 6+2
I think moving Alabama and Auburn to the east is predicated on A&M coming over with Texas, OU, and 2 other Big 12 schools. If you move two schools from the west to the east, you need 4 schools for the west to be even.
Best case scenario for the SEC is to add 1 team to both the east and west divisions. That maintains balance and all the current inter-division rivalries. No need to realign things. Also, 14 works better than 16. It leaves more room for OOC, lets you play more of your conference percentage wise each year, and divides the revenue fewer ways.
What you're seeing is team spirit. It's like the Holy Spirit, but more powerful.
-Hank Hill
dammit
i just joined to say exactly what he ^^^ said.
for what its worth, this bama fan fully supports the addition of the aggies.
by gerry dorsey on Jun 12, 2010 9:19 AM CDT up reply actions
Auburn
I would support adding two western teams and moving Auburn east, but then Bama would likely throw a fit, with two of its biggest rivals in the East. So that’s probably not workable unless you moved both Auburn and Alabama (moving Kentucky or Vandy to the West), which would require adding A&M and either Texas or OU. Which isn’t likely at all.
Long way of saying A&M plus VT makes the most sense, without disturbing the current divisions.
Fake Pundit. Real Fan.
http://www.andthevalleyshook.com
Nailed it. Me too.
I WILL add that if any existing SEC teams were to be realigned within our conference it would be because the SEC has gone to a 16 team conference. And then, only to preserve certain rivalry games that are in split divisions. i.e. Alabama and Tennessee.
I really hope the Aggies join. It’s a perfect fit.
how does this not make sense?
A&M and team to be named later are added to West
Auburn and Alabama move to the East
6 teams, in each division
6-2+2 =/= 6+2
The goal here is to create two 6-team division, not 8. Not sure where you came up with that.
How is this not making sense to you? The SEC already has six teams in each division. If you add Alabama and Auburn to the SEC East, that puts the East at 8 teams and the West at 4. Adding A&M and an ACC team to the west would bring the West back to six.
This is what you proposed:
East:
1 Auburn
2 Alabama
3 Kentucky
4 Vanderbilt
5 Georgia
6 Florida
7 South Carolina
8 Tennessee
West:
1 Arkansas
2 Ole Miss
3 Miss St.
4 LSU
5 Texas A&M
6 Some ACC team.
What you're seeing is team spirit. It's like the Holy Spirit, but more powerful.
-Hank Hill
Yeah, I saw what you meant just now after reading my reply
Sorry for the confusion. I was thinking the SEC would move Auburn and Alabama to the East, but didn’t consider that the only way that move would make sense is if the SEC expanded to 16 teams.
If the SEC only choose to add A&M and one other team, I am guessing we move to the West, and the other team is added to the SEC East. If it expands to 16 teams, I could see Alabama and Auburn moving to the East to make room for our new teams in the West.
First of all, I really hope the SEC only expands to 14 if it expands. 16 teams stretches your scheduling too thin. You can lose multiple OOC games and still rarely play against teams from the other division.
Also, to move Alabama and Auburn to the east would require very strong teams being added to the west to retain competitive balance. Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State would probably be okay. With them all going to the Pac 16, I’m not sure who you could get to that would be their equal.
Lets say we take Texas A&M and 3 teams from the ACC. Those ACC teams will geographically fit in the eastern division anyway. You’d probably see one of the ACC teams and A&M added to the west, while the other 2 ACC teams would move to the east.
Again, I hope we stop at 14 though.
What you're seeing is team spirit. It's like the Holy Spirit, but more powerful.
-Hank Hill
Texas A&M and Virginia Tech would be the most aggressive SEC move.
This would extent the TV market in two directions.
It will be interesting to see if the SEC is interested in A&M without Texas. At this point it looks like the ball is in the SEC’s court.
BCS Evolution -- Punctuating the Equilibrium - twitter
Hard to say about official SEC interest ...
because Slive plays things so close to the vest, but SEC fans all over the conference are very excited about the possibility of expanding to College Station, no strings [to Austin] attached. What I’ve read about the beginnings of the SEC-A&M dialogue is that Slive reached out to Bill Byrne several months ago. I’ve seen no such reports about SEC-UT conversations, though of course that doesn’t mean there haven’t been any.
Eschew obfuscation.
Alabama/Auburn are staying in the West
and A&M would be put in the West….a team would be added from the East to counter A&M….
SEC won’t make major changes like moving Bama/AU
A&M would dominate the SEC West under the scenario presented. Of course A&M will dominate the SEC regardless of the manner in which it is accepted to membership. I believe this to be A&M’s manifest destiny. This vision came to me last night after I said my prayers and included my daily praise of Aggieland. I’m going to continue to pray daily for this SEC dream scenario to happen for my beloved Texas A&M University.
A&M will make a great fit in the SEC
Comments like this about A&M dominating the SEC show me that Aggies fans are already SEC material without the benefit of actual membership. Welcome to the SEC, brother. Enjoy getting your fanny handed to you by Auburn, LSU, and Bama every year, and Tennessee when you get the honor of playing them. ;-) Seriously, though, A&M would do well to step out of the Longhorns’ shadow and come Southeast. I look forward to seeing it happen.
Auburn/Bama to the East overloads it
Moving Auburn and Alabama to the East overloads that side of the conference, even if A&M, Texas, and Oklahoma all come on board. In that scenario, West powers would be LSU, Texas, and A&M, while the East would have Florida, Georgia, Bama, Auburn, Tennessee, and possibly whichever ACC or BIg East team comes on board if they expand to 16. Being a Tennessee fan raised in an Auburn family, I’d like nothing better than having Auburn play Florida, Tennesee, Georgia, Bama, and either Georgia Tech, WVU, or Virginia Tech every year, but I think it leaves the conference too unbalanced in favor of a weak Western side.
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