Big 12 Applies More Duct Tape, But A&M To The SEC Will Still Happen. Someday

I think A&M to SEC is a natural. It would allow them to renew their rivalry with LSU that died when the Big 12 was formed. If this happens, Texas will either go to the PAC-12 with Tech, OU and OSU or simply go independent. I predict that if A&M bolts to the SEC, OU may go with them if Texas decides to go independent. If Texas doesn't want to go independent, then OU will go with Texas, TT and OSU to the Pac 10. I think the SEC will go after Virginia Tech to add another strong football power and expand the geographic footprint. At that point the remaining Big 12 school will absorb BYU and other Mountain West schools to reach 12 schools and retain auto BCS invite. The Big East will try to prevent that from happening by trying to poach Kansas and Missouri and adding Central Florida to reach 12. The Big East would then split into two divisions for basketball playing regional tournaments in Chicago and NYC and then the winners playing each other for Big East title.

Baylor seems to be the key. The legislature has stepped in the last two times they were left out. I'm surprised Texas or Texas A&M hasn't made sure they were taken care of. That said, there has been one other change since last year that might help the next time re alignment comes up. The WAC is moving into Texas adding Texas State and UTSA(which is just adding football but does have the Alamodome for home games). If expansion comes again, it will be a race between the WAC and MWC to see which can get to 16 first, and Baylor might be able to hitch a ride there. On to another point. Look for A&M to continue to get stronger. They lead the Big 12 in research $, they are a Land, Sea and Space grant University. They are the second largest University in the Big 12 after Texas and are closing fast. On the athletic front, Mike Sherman's first full class of recruits were Sophomores this past year. The team will continue getting stronger and more competitive for years to come. They recruit Texas, Louisiana and Juco's, so from their three sources of talent, they are putting together a strong program. They are continuing to add facilities, and they pretty much ranked in every sport.

The SEC wanted t.u. OR A&M no matter what. They don't care all that much about the team as much as they do the 3 top 10 tv markets which would = BIG cash increase at the ESPN money train meetings.

The Pac-12 is ready for Texas, Tech, OU and OSU as soon as they want to join forces and take on the SEC in a true super power conference. With A&M in the SEC the balance between those two superconferences and what the Big Ten becomes as well, will be as close as it can possibly be drawn up. That balance of powers would be great for maximizing revenues for all the super powers. Baylor can maybe get a Big East invite and join TCU.

This is, quite possibly, the stupidest thing I've ever read regarding conference expansion. Congratulations.

This is all nonsense.

This isn't about A&M stepping out of the shadow of Texas.

It is about politics.

If A&M were to leave, the Big 12 would explode and Baylor (and possibly Tech) would be left without a BCS conference home. The politicians in Texas will NEVER let this happen. Remember what the Pac 10 commish said when they tried to add Tech, Texas and A&M without Baylor? He said there was a "tsunami of political pressure" in the state of Texas that killed the deal.

LOL You can't be serious. The only real threat to the Big 12 breaking up is if UT, OU, or the sheep humpers in College Station decide to leave the conference. Those three schools were already guaranteed their $20M before they agreed to split the rest equally. The only ones benefitting from the equal split are schools that were invited to other conferences during the realignment talk as tag alongs, or they didn't have a conference to go to at all. So who is it exactly that UT is trying to keep around? If Kansas wanted to go to the BE, they would be there. Since the Big 12 decided to stay together Kansas had no reason to leave. Even before they decided to split the money equally Kansas was getting more money in the Big 12 than they would in the BE and they dominate basketball in the Big 12 so why would they leave? No one is worried about the sheep leaving because they are too cowardly to make the move and the TX Legislature would b*tch slap them for such a move. I'm pretty sure UT and OU aren't worried about anybody breaking up the conference and didn't need to bribe anyone to stay. They were the ones being bribed last summer remember?

SEC wants A&M as long as it can use them to get one of the big boys too. Won't take them alone.
And why would A&M want SEC? They've been getting their heads kicked in since the Big 12 formed- what makes them think they could do anything in the SEC?

I have a lot of friends that are A&M grads. I can promise you that they were not happy that TAMU did not have the spine to stand up to TU last summer and move to the SEC. It is firmly believed and hoped for that TAMU will eventually crawl out from under TU's boot down here. Yes TAMU got more money out of the B12 with it's flirtation with the SEC, but we all know that TAMU wants to be in the SEC.

I think the Big XII will die from an unsuspecting blow -- something like KU or Mizzou to a conference like the Big East. THEN all bets would be off as to who lands where. If the SEC could enter Texas and the Virginia / D.C. markets, it would be a checkmate move to lock up the South and its heavily populated neighbors.