Arkansas Back to the SWC? Um, No Thanks.
by John Expat on Jun 17, 2010 10:09 AM CDT
in Arkansas Razorback Football
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PrintAs most Hog fans know by now, the recent near-collapse of the Big 12 has left that conference with a couple of slots to fill. Nice, cushy slots to either be the University of Texas' official towel boy or foot massager that would be *super* appealing to the likes of Arkansas, right? Right?? At least that's what the rumors are saying.
The exact logic behind why the Hogs would want to give up money, stability and a spot in what remains the best athletic conference around (by far) for a chance to essentially rejoin the SWC and be on the outside looking in when the Big "12" inevitably collapses in a few years is beyond me, but it's summertime and in the absence of actual news people need something to talk about.
With that in mind, Jeff Long released a statement today with the idea of putting all the rumors to rest. Here's a key excerpt:
"From the beginning, we have been very clear that the University of Arkansas is a proud member of the Southeastern Conference and has no interest in joining another conference. Chancellor Gearhart has been unwavering in his support of our institution’s continued membership in the SEC. Recent events have not in any way altered our commitment or desire to remain a member of what we believe is the strongest conference in the nation."
Will that actually put the rumors to rest? Probably not...rumors are fun. But, we here at Arkansas Expats, Inc hope that it does so we can go back to more substantive matters like debating Keenan DuBose's jheri curl.
For further reading on the subject, we recommend:
* Brandon Marcello on what Jerry Jones is and isn't up to.
* Chris Bahn with an excellent view of the big picture.
* Clay Travis on why Texas is "the biggest coward in college football".
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Woke up this morning to Chip Brown (Orangebloods)
twittering about how Arkansas had “put out feelers about possibly joining the Big 12, but the B12 votes don’t appear to be there yet.” Absolutely infuriating.
Even worse, he’s established quite a rep these last few weeks, for being the first to report Texas’s various re-alignment dance moves, so more people are going to be quoting him.
These are people, Chip Brown, who would
lament the passing of a hurricane because the “excitement” is all gone, and would be looking for the next one to come along. Simply put, the last few weeks have been wonderful for college football writers. Major stories in the off season! And now it looks like it is all over for now, so they try to keep things stirring with stories like Arkansas to the Big 12-2, no matter how far-fetched that scenario is. Face it guys, Utah to the PAC-10 was the last major headline. Get back to reporting about the off-season arrests of student athletes and your season predictions. The show is over.
Arkansas to the Big XII is a win win
I don’t think Texas can dominate Arkansas politically. Both teams were equal partners and rivals in the long history of the SWC. A lot of the natural rivals of Arkansas are located in Texas. The Longhorns, Aggies and Red Raiders are waiting. There is also the Oklahoma Sooners and the Kansas Jayhawks (for basketball). Old rivals plus higher money and then Jerry Jones is in Dallas. I think this might be a good thing for Arkansas though being a Texas A&M Aggie I have a vested interest in seeing an old rival from the SWC days coming back to the Big XII, I think Arkansas will have more friends in the conference than foes. Also I have to acknowledge the fact that the Hogs haven’t been as much of a force in the SEC as they were in the old SWC. Coming back to the Big XII will not only give Arkansas the opportunity to trace back to their recruitment channels in the state but also gain some prominence. Ultimately Arkansas might just want to be with the SEC but the possibility of joining the Big XII should be given some thoughts. There are opportunities here and more money to be made. Just my two cents.
More money?
How so?
No actual TV deal has been announced, and I’m not quite sure how any reasonable TV executive would give the Big 12 a conference wide deal that approaches anything the SEC’s $2,000,000,000 contract. I’m still convinced the conference gets a mediocre Fox contract that partially pays out on a per game basis, then they carry Texas 10 weeks of the season.
Let alone...
If the whole house of cards does come tumbling down, and some conference invites Texas… Arkansas would be pretty far down the line of teams that Texas would try and bring with them.
Oklahoma(and Ok State), Texas A&M, and Texas Tech would all be before Arkansas… and one could make an argument that Baylor would be due to political pressure.
They can risk that, for what will likely be a lesser TV deal… or they can stay in the SEC, make $17 million/yr guaranteed in TV money, also be guaranteed equitable sharing in bowl money irregardless of performance, and most importantly be guaranteed a spot that is as permanent as things can get in college athletics.
I feel for those of you wanting some more teams in the B12, and it's flattering you want us, but...
SEC: egalitarian, $$$, prestige, stability
B12: okay on the prestige, but right now has less than the SEC. Isn’t egalitarian (in politics or money distribution), and isn’t remotely stable (I still think it’s going to fall in the next 5 years, unless they address some underlying issues.) Might end up with a decent TV deal, but I strongly doubt it’ll compare to the SEC’s.
Arkansas—not attractive enough to be guaranteed a conference if the B12 folds. Not willing to be Texas’s lap dogs (props to A&M for not being either.)
And a word on the rivalries—we’ve been gone 20 years! My generation (30 & under) was raised on SEC football. Older generation still remembers the SWC, but for me & a good part of the state, it’s a fuzzy 80’s colored blur.
I saw this rumor and laughed
Zombie10 is a conference with a sand-based foundation; we just waiting for two years to be up so someone will chop the head off the zombie, and the conference will die. SEC is stable and wealthy and based on equality; you’d have to be stupid to leave a conference like that, and Arkansas isn’t stupid.
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the Texas A&M administration, who gave up a chance to JOIN the SEC, but we won’t talk about that right now because it brings up painful memories of three days ago.
No worries, we'll see you in the SEC in a few years
My main argument against the Hogs joining the Big 12 is that it still seems very ripe for a collapse, and when it does the Hogs are going to be low man on the totem pole (as several commenters noted above), hoping for table scraps like Kansas & Missouri were on the verge of having to do.
So, when the Big 12 does inevitably splinter, y’all should join up with the SEC then and we can resume hating on each other in a friendly, inside-the-conference kind of way. Good times!
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