Looking back to 1991

[Pony Express.sixpack]

The decision to bring in Arkansas and South Carolina was a terrible one. In the wake of the shake ups in the ACC and SWC conference, the best teams ended up outside the SEC and we got the crap.

Since 1991, the BIG-8 got Texas and Texas A&M, the ACC got Florida State and Miami, and the Big-10 got Penn State. We got Arkansas and South Carolina. If we could do it again: (assuming no charter members can be touched)

(1) Texas and Texas A&M
(2) Florida State and Clemson
(3) Georgia Tech and Miami

All of these choices add emense value to the SEC brand and/or expand the media market.</p>

 

[BriantheDawg]

.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Why come to Hell as long as you can win outside of it... (My paraphrase of his view.)

Considering the recent CBS/ESPN package, I'd say the SEC did ok.

 

[was21]

west...don't seem to fit the SEC. The others mentioned....maybe. Arkansas should be in the SEC even less than South Carolina. Also, if Texas A&M came in, they would probably have more money than any other team in the SEC West..don't know about the SEC East.

 

[MaleBovineK9]

I think you go with FSU and Clemson or FSU and Georgia Tech. Probably Clemson. If that happened, one of the current east teams would have to be made a west team to balance it...UT, Vandy, or UK

 

[uscreb]

eligible for the conference championship for two years and that the bowl proceeds would be not be distributed evenly until then. I think that would have gotten a 75% share or something like that. The ACC offered them full membership and, back then, the ACC split bowl proceeds differentially, so actually going to a game gave you a monetary advantage. Bowden was looking for $$ as much as wins.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Have all had discussions with the SEC about joining,.... before they went to the ACC, and Big 12....

They have had a chance to join, just chose to do otherwise.

 

[Ice fishing and 40 ozs]

Arky football has been to ATL 3 times and played in numerous New Years day bowls . South Carolina has been on a few hoops runs in the 90's and has been a pretty successful baseball school . Their Football program is not the bottom of the barrel either

Now the success of these two programs does not equal that of the 6 other programs you have listed but I certainly don't think the SEC adding these two team was a "terrible" decision.</p>

 

[was21]

have been considered at that time...and doubtful if they would be now, even with their "new found" semi success. After all, they did opt to drop out in the mid sixties along with Tulane...that decision would not bode well with any consideration to allow them to re-join. Besides, what would they bring to the SEC table?

 

[tossedoff]

FSU is a national name and GT is in a major media market. Plus it allows the two (at the time) conference members with arch-rivals outside the conference (UGA and UF) to get those as conference games, thus freeing up their scheduling. In other sports, GT was a strong basketball program at the time and both are strong in baseball. AND imagine Vandy being in the West.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

and probably would have... SOB was chicken ****... and as much said it.

Just go look at the number of ACC Championships they have won since joining the ACC...no way that happens in the SEC and Bowden knew it.

 

[MaleBovineK9]

</a><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c4/Cfdia.PNG">http://upload.wikimedia.o...kipedia/en/c/c4/Cfdia.PNG click map anywhere to zoom

 

[Agentdog]

I heard Bowden tell his side of the story on one of the Memphis sports radio shows years ago. He claims Roy Kramer came down there and pretty much said if you want in the leauge now is your chance. Then did not bother to get back in touch for months. In the meantime, the ACC was bending over backwards to kiss FSU ***. So, FSU made the deal to join the ACC and when Kramer calls back FSU said no thanks.

 

[Todd4State]

is trade Clemson for South Carolina. Reason being because Clemson has a better football tradition, about equal or slightly less basketball tradition and equal or better baseball tradition.

I think it would create better rivalries with Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee than Sputh Carolina does.

As much as I despise Arkansas, and as much as Arkansas says that they want to leave for the Big 12, they fit in the SEC.

The other problem that bringing Texas and Texas A&M would be that you would have to put Auburn in the SEC East and break up Alabama and Auburn, who are natural rivals.

The other two scenarios with the ACC teams would force Vandy to be in the West, which would break up Tennessee and Vandy, or you would have to do something geographically crazy like put Kentucky in the SEC West.

Of course, at the time, the SEC picked the perfect time to expand because the SWC was dying, which would leave Arkansas high and dry, plus being in the SEC benefitted Arkansas more because they would got more exposure from the Southeast region rather than just the great State of Texas. Then we got South Carolina because they were Indpendent, and even then Indepndents were starting to scramble for a conference. If it weren't for the SEC, they would be in Conference-USA right now. And as much as I would prefer Clemson, there is no chance that we would have stolen them from the ACC.

 

[FlabLoser]

..although the culture of Miami just doesn't "fit" the SEC at all. Remember our conference represents 75 years of character.

And keep in mind the teams were chosen in part by geography. You need a SEC West team and a SEC East team.

 

[8dog]

we are the top conference in the country and get more money for media rights than anyone....and all we had to do was add Ark and SC to our schedule. The SEC is bad enough, but you want a TX or Miami or FSU in there? No thanks. Have ya'll lost your minds?

 

[Pony Express.sixpack]

Just a thought...

For LSU, MSU, OM and ALA going to Columbia is a longer trip and a ****** trip versus College Station (Houston) or Austin. Further, for UF, UGA, and TEN fans, Arkansas is a long trip to nowhere. You can take a cheap direct flight to Houston and all teams would benefit from the trip because of the exposure to rich HS talent in Texas.

Plus, by having TX and TAMU, SEC would rule Texas recruiting and thereby increase the dominance of the conference. Lastly, do you think ESPN would remove or add money to our package if we had the best Texas schools and the Houston and Dallas media markets?

 

[El Barko]

The SEC first talked to Texas and Texas A&M, but some of the Texas politicians got wind of it (I know Ann Richards, governor at the time, was one). They let it be known that Baylor and Texas Tech had to come as a package deal. The SEC balked at that of course. Then the SEC talked to FSU, but FSU wanted to keep all it's football money for the first x number of years (forget how many). The ACC later added FSU and agreed to their terms on that. I'm glad the SEC had the guts to say you share right away or no deal. Anyway, it was at that point that Ark and SC were added.
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[Coach33.sixpack]

Nothing is going to change. The SEC is the best conference in the land just the way it is. Adding SC and Arky made the conference better and there is no way it will change in the near future. As much as I think South Carolina is a trachy ******** of a school, they think the same about us. Trust me on that. You can't just go changing something as well established as the Southeastern Conference around.

 

[8dog]

simply b/c talking about them won't change them, we'd have no message board.