Chicageaux

I was under the impression the SEC was adding a 14th team, not their 16th. The SEC already has national presence, you just said it yourself. They don't need FSU for their new TV contract, they just need to show ESPN that they'll bring in the ratings and they'll do that by bringing in Mizzou.

Hopefully for Florida State's sake if they really do want to come into the SEC that all that's a hard enough sell to convince Florida to let them in.

Sorry, I misread what you were trying to say, I understand what you mean now. I understand that by adding Florida St., you're going to get more viewers for a FSU-Alabama game than you would Mizzou-Alabama. But, I think, and this is my opinion, you're adding a bigger footprint recruiting wise. by adding Mizzou into the SEC because then you expand into the midwest. Besides the fact, you will not get any objection, atleast not as big as you're going to get with Florida concerning Florida State, by adding Mizzou.

So, the SEC should add FSU based on the fact that LeBron liked them growing up? I fail to see how that has anything to do with the benefits for the SEC adding FSU. By adding Florida State, you're not going to add the Ohio TV Market based on the fact there's not a demand for Florida State, no matter if you have a few fans here and there. By adding Missouri, you're adding St. Louis which will bring in a lot more revenue than adding FSU.

Florida's still a big player in the SEC and as long as they say no, FSU isn't coming into the SEC. While Florida State bring in the Tallahasee market, it's a lot different than bringing in Missouri because then you're expanding into the midwest.

Yet, you choose not to acknowledge the fact I gave the exact date A&M was leaving the Big XII and jumping to the SEC. But, I'm not going to argue with you because you're right the Louisville thing was wrong but as everything has been proven in this whole realignment mess, nothing is definitive. I lose credibility over the fact I was told Louisville was coming aboard, that's fine, I deserve that. But, I'm not going to lose sleep over it either. I'm going to keep telling you guys what I hear, if you don't want to listen to it, then don't listen to it.

Got any updates for us? I'll find out what I can tomorrow. For now, this is all I got courtesy of Yahoo Sports. Big East CEOs OK commish to pursue expansion You realize that they talked about teams at the media days in Newport, RI in August, right? His "anchor" schools lied to him. Glad I'm not the only one that sees right past BayouJim and his "sources". His "source" said the SEC would definitely be inviting Louisville "soon". How'd that go? Never said they were for sure inviting Louisville, I said they were looking into it and if anything they were more likely to go with Louisville because Kentucky doesn't have as big of a problem as say Florida would with Florida State and South Carolina with Clemson. The Louisville hasn't happenned, oh well, I hope you're not losing sleep over it. NEVER have I said what I've been told is fact, in fact in my first post I said take it with a grain of salt. That goes any time I tell you guys, but I tell you what I hear because I want to keep you informed and contribute, that's all.

Got any updates for us? I'll find out what I can tomorrow. For now, this is all I got courtesy of Yahoo Sports. Big East CEOs OK commish to pursue expansion

Is UMass still moving to the MAC for 2012?

Not sure if that's a rhetorical question, so I'm going to answer it. I think it is worth it to those schools. For Texas A&M, they move from being a second-tier team in the Big XII to getting out of the shadow of UT and becoming a second-tier team in the SEC. Only two other conferences make more revenue based on tv contracts than the SEC and that's the Pac-12 and the Big Ten and the SEC has yet to renegotiate their new TV contract. If WVU were to join the SEC, they are a top tier team in the east depending on Florida and Georgia. Missouri is like A&M, if they come over to the west, they'll never beat out the likes of Alabama or LSU consistenly, but they have the opportunity to be in the top 5. In the end, I think it's all worth it for these teams. To me, Texas A&M has the most to benefit from and they realized it, hence why they jumped. Teams like Missouri aren't really sure. They're asking themselves the same question you're asking right now and that's why they haven't jumped yet.

What's wrong with BYU? Now if BYU told the Big XII "Piss off Laddie", then there'd be trouble. Nothing, but the fact that that's there first team they approach tells you something. Plus, BYU is almost certainly going to stay indy, so it's pretty fruitless really. Well who else are they going to approach? Technically the first team they approached was Arkansas and Arkansas told them to get lost. BYU is good academically and athletically. BYU's biggest problem is not playing on Sundays and it's been noted before the Big XII won't make them do that. Other than that, I really don't see who you'd have them approach first. SMU? Houston? Please.

From my understanding, Florida will never allow FSU into the SEC and South Carolina will never allow Clemson. After Syracuse and Pittsburgh jumped ship to the ACC, FSU also committed their allegiance to the ACC. Not that that means anything. I can't really see Miami coming to the SEC with everything that happened there, but then again, I haven't really followed that story since it broke. I'd say right now Mizzou is the best bet unless they see greener grass somewhere else.

The SEC isn't "actively" looking for a 14th team. That goes for Missouri or any other team. However, that's not saying they'd deny Missouri or any one of those teams if they applied. Atleast, that's how an official from the SEC would answer it. But to answer your question, no it's not Missouri or bust. The SEC is very much interested in Mizzou, but if that doesn't work out, they are looking for a 14th school. If worse comes to worse, they settle on 13 for 2012.

But Beebe also let it get to the point that it was. If the Pac-12 had said yes, Beebe would have been out of a job anyways because there wouldn't be a Big XII anymore.

Excited to become a middle of the pack team in the SEC West? I understand they'll be competing for the SEC Championship in basketball, but it's going to take time for them to even become a top 3 team in the west in football. But, I think overall the move is good. I'm all for it as well, especially since it means I'll only have to drive 5 hours to see LSU play every other year versus the 9 hours I'll be driving on the 14th to Knoxville.

As Mizzou said, it's what they feel is best for them. The SEC wants Missouri, but once again they're not going to be aggressive about it. They're treating them just like they treated A&M. From my understanding, Missouri was teeter-tottering before OU/UT tried to bolt to the Pac 12 and then after that, they felt deserted and realized their best efforts aren't in the Big XII. The Big XII is now going about their business as if Missouri will not be a part of their conference in 2012. If I had to guess, nothing will be announced till the Big XII has a team lined up to replace them with.

I just don't know how reliable Twitter is at this point. There have been rumors from all over Twitter that people quote and claim to be credible sources. Until more established websites or organizations produce some sort of story on it or have some sort of confirmation from the higher-ups within the school in question, then it is pretty much hear-say. Some of the guys I follow that report on the Big XII are a lot more reliable than espn. Espn reported that OU's and Mizzou's press conferences last week were both committing to the Big XII. But Mizzou did no such thing. They said they weren't committing to anything and would continue to look at was best for the school. Said the SEC or any other conference was not out of the question. ESPN just took OU's press conference and automatically assumed it applied to everyone without following up or checking on anything else. There were a number of different people on Twitter, who were AT the Mizzou press conference, tweeting what was actually going on. So for now, I'll look to those guys for updates. This is exactly how I feel on the whole thing. The person that I've been talking with that's close to the Big XII situation has been a lot more accurate than anything ESPN's reported on. ESPN has been too busy making assumptions or wishful thinking in their reporting. Oh I know and I understand what the Big XII is doing. I was just being facetious. Who have you been talking to on Twitter regarding the Big XII? I don't use Twitter. A family friend has been the one keeping me up to date on everything. I don't know his exact ties to the Big XII, but all his information has been pretty accurate. He's the one that told me the exact day A&M was leaving the Big XII, the whole Oklahoma/Texas, and then told me Missouri's situation 12 hours before ESPN reported on them becoming the SEC's 14th team.

I just don't know how reliable Twitter is at this point. There have been rumors from all over Twitter that people quote and claim to be credible sources. Until more established websites or organizations produce some sort of story on it or have some sort of confirmation from the higher-ups within the school in question, then it is pretty much hear-say. Some of the guys I follow that report on the Big XII are a lot more reliable than espn. Espn reported that OU's and Mizzou's press conferences last week were both committing to the Big XII. But Mizzou did no such thing. They said they weren't committing to anything and would continue to look at was best for the school. Said the SEC or any other conference was not out of the question. ESPN just took OU's press conference and automatically assumed it applied to everyone without following up or checking on anything else. There were a number of different people on Twitter, who were AT the Mizzou press conference, tweeting what was actually going on. So for now, I'll look to those guys for updates. This is exactly how I feel on the whole thing. The person that I've been talking with that's close to the Big XII situation has been a lot more accurate than anything ESPN's reported on. ESPN has been too busy making assumptions or wishful thinking in their reporting. Oh I know and I understand what the Big XII is doing. I was just being facetious.

So since Big XII saved themselves from doomsday, they're looking to decimate another conference. That's pretty thoughtful.

Breaking News: SEC: Texas A&M to join in July 2012

Welp, a prophet am I.

Good point. Maybe TCU would stay in the new Big USA, but I suspect they'd jump to the Big XII and either Memphis or Southern Miss would stay in B*USA. No idea how you could set up divisions that would make sense that way, though. Big XII would take TCU over SMU or Southern Miss. Why do I keep seeing Southern Miss' name being thrown around. They're staying where they are. I can tell everyone pretty confidently that's the case and I don't even need a source to tell me it. It's common sense.

And former Big 8 Commissioner, Chuck Neinas, is the frontrunner. He's also working on the football-only merger between the Mountian West and C-USA.

Not true on either point in certain cases. While football controls the discussion in college athletics, men's basketball and academics both are a decent part of it for certain conferences (ACC for both, Big Ten for academics only, etc). Academics, pfft. You know, as much crap as SEC fans rightfully get for that S-E-C-S-E-C "I hope our rivals win because somehow it makes us better" chanting, the Big Ten is the most masturbatory conference in college sports. At least all that South-will-rise-again stuff terminates at the end of football season; Big Ten circle-jerking permeates every aspect of everything. That's because the Big Ten is the best everything! How dare you make a mockery of it. They have the best academics, the top basketball teams, and REAL football is play there. Why do you think the Big Ten is the only conference that's stay quiet through all this realignment talk this go around? It's because NONE of the teams available are to the caliber of the Big Ten. They don't have the tradition or the grit Big Ten teams have.

And yet they are still better at basketball than ECU. If ECU get's accepted, then we'll all know exactly how desperate the BIg East is. Your personal opinion of how good one is over the other carries little weight in this discussion. Bring up some other reasons. Besides, as mentioned, ECU applied, not invited. If UCF wants in then apply. Personal opinion? East Carolina: 2005-2011 8-20, 6-24, 11-19, 13-17, 10-21, 18-16 It is not my opinion that they suck, it's a FACT that they suck. Well I guess there's a reason why all these conference moves are because of football and not basketball.