If this Pete Thamel story is correct, SEC expansion is far, far away from being a slam dunk.
And, yeah, I would call this a sticking point:
… The SEC official said he wondered if the SEC presidents would vote for A&M only if they were assured that a team from within one of their states — Florida State, Clemson or Georgia Tech, for example — would not be added.
Not that the speculation feeding frenzy is slowing down any.
Get The Picture 
FYI:
http://www.kansas.com/2011/08/13/1972576/alden-denies-espn-report-of-likely.html
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Missouri, anyone?
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Wait … you mean we (Mizzou) HAVEN’T been given a noon Sunday deadline to decide whether we want to be No. 14??? DAMN YOU, INTERNETS.
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Yeah, the SEC is going to offer Tech. I think Mike Adams can vote yes on A&M with confidence.
Bernie, on the other hand, well, FSU = Community College, so…
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Has anybody from the SEC gone on record yet admitting this is a two way conversation? Seems all we have is Texas A&M standing outside the clubhouse door telling passersby they’re going to join.
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I was thinking the same thing, but this Thamel article along with the Doug Gottlieb (!) report on ESPN seem to indicate this is more than a rhetorical conversation.
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Did you guys read the link to the NY Times article? A&M has contacted Slive and the SEC office. 11 of the 12 SEC school presidents are getting together tomorrow to discuss this issue. I am not sure exactly how slow “slow out of the chute” is, but it appears to be faster that what the SEC offical believes it to be.
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Wasn’t Slive quoted as saying he could get to 16 teams in 15 minutes?
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Which teams, though?
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That’s fine, but it doesn’t come close to validating A&M’s activity.
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Right, because the NY Times is an authority on SEC football. Hey, maybe some of the London newspapers would like to chime in, as well. How about Der Spiegel?
I suppose Pete Thamel (whoever that is) might like to think that Slive has been spending his time wandering the halls of the SEC mumbling to himself and staring at walls but I tend to think that Slive has been preparing the ground quite thoroughly for just this eventuality.
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The NY Times is apparently more of an authority than our own AJC. Where have they been lately?
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Mark Bradley is too busy enjoying the Wannamaker Club, I suppose.
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Which paper?
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Don’t worry, the AJC will be all over this story in April, 2013.
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You’re obviously unconcerned with Kentucky basketball.
I don’t blame you.
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Word out of Clemson is their president says they aren’t joining the SEC. Word out of the SEC is “who asked?”
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Then VT and the DC market it is! Problem solved.
Sorry, Senator, since we empathize with the rivalry you have experienced and what that could lead to down the road. Maybe you could push East Carolina at us in return.
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Oklahoma?
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Not to throw cold water on this but part of an article brought up a very interesting point. TAM has signed a contract with the Big 12-2 for 5 years and it was pointed out that there could be financial and legal issues with them leaving. The SEC has according to one article made it known to TAM that they are not interested in getting into a legal battle for TAM. I believe we lawyers call it tortuous interference with a contract. So slow down big fellas it could all come down to the Big 12-2’s legal team.
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There is always a way out of these type contracts. It’s just a matter of how much money the team that is leaving has to pay.
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Let me postulate a hypothesis that probably will be received by some with less than, how shall I term it, equanimity. If there has to be a new team in the SEC East it should be—Georgia Tech. I know, I know, you hate Tech and wish the nerd factory would lose all its games, a prospect that might actually come to pass if the Jackets had to play an SEC schedule. They left the SEC 50 years ago and do not have any legitimate basis for returning. They certainly do not deserve to return. Nevertheless I favor letting Tech back in, not for Tech’s benefit but for UGA’s benefit. First, we kick their collective asses every time we play them. It would be a victory in an SEC game for UGA every year. Second, and of almost equal importance, UGA plays Tech every year already as an OOC game. If the Tech game counted as an SEC game, that would free up a slot for another OOC game. Then in some years UGA could play a Southern Cal or an Oklahoma. Also, in other years, UGA could play another cupcake thereby padding the schedule and the win column a la Florida. Both factions of our fanbase would be happy–those that want a home and home with a national power and those that want more cupcakes at home. Personalities aside, it makes good sense for UGA for Tech to be the eastern team that the SEC lets in to balance the addition of Texas A&M, if that happens.
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Won’t happen. No TV revenue benefit.
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And it removes the recruiting advantage UGA has as a SEC team over an ACC team.
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My thoughts exactly Mayor. I don’t think being in the SEC will have a big impact on Tech’s recruiting, particularly under CPJ. We have to play them anyway and it adds a bankable conferece win 90% of the time. Also I think of how sweet it would be to clinch a trip to the conference championship by beating the jackets. If/when the cocnference expands, they will have to add another conference came. Letting Tech in lets us keep our same schedule.
I do agree that the conference doesn’t pick up a new TV market so what is in it from a money standpoint has to be resolved. I don’t see V-Tech or Clemson as any different, though. Of the three, I prefer Tech.
The problem is I can’t get over my desire to see Tech go away all together.
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North Carolina State
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“Plastics.”.
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University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux.
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