Chicageaux

I think we can all agree that academically, Boise State isn't the greatest school in the world. But with the stadium expansion on the way, a growing fanbase, the fact that Idaho is one of the top 5 fastest-growing states in the US and the fact that the Boise metro area is one of the top 10 fastest-growing metro areas in the country, who's to say the Big 12 won't decide to look past the academics for now and reach out to BSU if the Oklahoma schools, Texas, and Texas Tech leave? If it works, there's a lot of profit potential, and it could save the Big 12. As it is, the Big 12 is worse academically overall than the PAC-12 - only five AAU schools to the PAC's eight. Granted, unless the Big 12 gets really desperate, an AQ conference invite is a pipe dream at best.

And who's to say Boise State would accept an invitation to a 5 team conference with Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor, and Missouri. If Texas, TT, Oklahoma and Ok State leave the conference, there won't be any Big XII left to save.

Per a Yahoo! Sports Article.

Scott Against Expanding Pac-10

?Our hope is that there is no expansions and all conferences that are at 12 stay at 12. That would be our vote,? he said. ?We?re very happy where we?re at and we?ve got a lot to do over the next year.?

Not sure if this means they're not going to pursue more teams until another conference adds more teams and they have to do it or what.

Here's the thing, once Oklahoma announces they leave, it doesn't matter if A&M is still in the Big XII or not. The conference then loses it's number two team. If Oklahoma goes, then Oklahoma State isn't going to sit around and wait for midnight with the rest of the teams, they're going where Oklahoma goes. I guess they just want to fight the inevitable.

The current report is that 8 of 9 Big XII schools are blocking A&M's move, the only one that's not is Oklahoma. The SEC has asked Texas to step down their block and they complied, but the rest still have it up and the only way they'll let up is if Oklahoma stays in the Big XII. I'll try to find the article online, but I read it off my phone from ESPN.

I guess I'm a little confused here. Has this become a hostage situation? If Oklahoma decides they're leaving, does that mean they're free to leave and A&M has to stay? I really don't understand the logic here.

But all along the general assumption was the Pac 12 wouldn't let the Longhorns join with the network. Now we're assuming it's okay because ESPN owns both networks? If Texas joins the Pac 12, there seems no point to me for there to be a Pac 12 Network and a Texas Longhorns Network to coexist. I can't see a scenario where the Pac 12 says, "Oh it's okay Texas, you keep your network, keep your profits, and join our conference." Or where Texas says, "Okay Pac 12, let's merge our networks and we'll take less money than we'd make otherwise." Give me a break. If that were the case, the Big 12 wouldn't be on the verge of nonexistence.

Both Texas and A&M should share the blame for potentially ruining college football.

I disagree with this.

Like dfwabel said, the ball got rolling when Nebraska left last year. If it wasn't for last ditch efforts before the clock struck 12, Texas A&M would have jumped to the SEC last summer and the Big 12 would have been pretty much over. Texas used whatever power it had to make a "contract" to try and please the Aggies and the rest of the contract. Obviously after a year of some last ditch effort, A&M wasn't happy and they decided to bolt. Can anyone blame them for that? And no, Baylor doesn't count. As someone above mentioned, Baylor's just upset because when this is all said and done, they go back to being a mid-major.

Up to about this time last week, everyone in the Big 12 was saying, "Oh, we're not worried if Texas A&M leaves, we'll be fine." So what the heck changed? I've heard every rumor the last few weeks talking about the Big 12 bringing in 3 other Texas schools to the Big East taking the scraps of whats left of the Big 12 to now Oklahoma, OK State, and Texas jumping ship to the Pac 12. But I thought no one wants Texas because of their Longhorn Network?

The truth is no one knows and it's all speculation. Every conference will be fine, except the Big 12, until Texas starts splitting profits and sharing like a good big brother should. If they don't and they add three more teams, then I can bet next year you'll have another team leaving the Big 12 and this whole talk gets started again.

Texas is the problem.

https://twitter.com/#!/DanWolken/status/111517735950880768

Dear Texas A&M: Don't complain about being inconvenienced by Baylor. Blowing up all of college sports isn't convenient for about 100 schools

A&M has every right to leave the Big 12 if they're unhappy with their standing in it. I'm not really sure why there's hostility towards the Aggies. Like I've said all along, blame Texas.

If WVU leaves for the SEC (and honestly I wouldn't blame them with the BE's mismanagement), say goodbye to the Big East as a football conference. In that case, I hope the ACC's ready to take in Syracuse/UConn/USF/whoever the B10 doesn't touch between Pitt and Rutgers

Where does that leave TCU? Pac-12?

Yeah, it's mainly about football but the bad blood might be toxic enough that A&M could convince them to block a move to even a sport like gymnastics.

Exactly. Let's be honest here, if you want to follow the reports and A&M's (possibly Nebraska's as well), it's all Texas' fault this is happening anyways. There's no way the Aggies let them play in a conference with them again.

Texas A&M would just join UF, UGA, USCe, and UK in blocking an in-state rival from joining.

I think the biggest beef with in-state rivals joining is because of football. I don't think it's as big of an issue in other sports. I haven't actually though of Texas joining the SEC for other sports and it makes a lot of sense.

EDIT: Still think the Longhorn Network would become an issue though.

No surprise on A&M going to the SEC. All along, the SEC didn't want to look like the bad guys and make it look like they were taking teams from another conference. A&M got everything cleared up and they took 'em exactly a week after they left the conference. The Baylor lawsuit is just a minor speed bump. In my eyes, Baylor's feelings are just hurt that A&M didn't think of them at all through all of this and abandoned them. OH well. They can continue to butter up to the T-Sips and maybe they'll bring them along wherever they end up.

I'm not surprised about the Missouri rumors. All along I was hearing that Missouri was either the 15th or 16th team and that even though school officials said they weren't in talks with the SEC, they actually were. I guess if they do end up being the 14th, they just move Auburn over to the SEC East and make sure they play 'Bama every year.

I think West Virginia completely came out of left field and I really have nothing to say about them other than I'd be really surprised if they were the 14th. I've been hearing V-Tech, on this board and elsewhere, but as I've stated before, Louisville was another team that I've been hearing from sources, but not really discussed elsewhere.

I guess we shall see how this all plays out, should be fun though.

A&M could go down tomorrow?

I can tell you one thing. The Big XII is gonna talk with all the teams, and they're going to say "Whatever the cost, T A&M cannot win the conference." That would just be the ultimate insult to injury.

Nebraska went to the Big 12 title game last fall, so not ike that can't happen

But, you did see how Nebraska got royally screwed last year in their game against A&M, didn't you?

You'd think it'd have to be Clemson or Florida State. Both I think would fit in well with the SEC crowd. Clemson has a rivalry with South Carolina, and Florida State with Florida. Really that's about it when it comes to the SEC. Virginia schools make no sense, and really what would be the best I think is a merge between the ACC and Big East, maybe invite Central Florida, then boom you have a pretty decent conference to combat the rest of the country.

It's so easy writing about it, but in reality it's a lot more complicated then just moving schools and thinking they'll fit in, but who knows these conferences are like lemmings if one jumps off the proverbial cliff, the others are sure to follow. Terrible comparison I know but they're either setting themselves up to be great or ruin the College Football landscape as we know it.

My source is telling me that it's going to be Louisville in the coming weeks that jumps to the SEC. For some reason, there's not as big of an objection coming from Kentucky for Louisville as there is in Florida over FSU.

There's also still the possibility the SEC just jumps aheads and expands to 16 teams. There's a school that said they weren't that IS talking with the SEC. As far as the 16th team, haven't heard any rumblings, just rumors.

Take this with a grain of salt.

I have no formal source to include in this except I know an insider and the move for Texas A&M to the SEC should be announced on or around the 31st. The finances and cost have been worked out between the two and that was what really was holding the SEC back from just coming out and taking A&M last week. The hope is that once A&M jumps ship, another school will be willing to do so quickly. Again, this is coming from an insider source, whether you want to believe it or not is up to you.