TCU, the SEC and the future of the Big XII Reply
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So many here and on other boards are puzzled at least and flat out irate at most with the addition of TCU to our conference. I can explain why this move was made and why it makes sense. I'm certain Chip Brown will verify most if not all of this with many of the same sources, coaches and former coaches who have been feeding my friends and I this information.
After DKR retired in '76, the folks in REAL power at UT decided (for reasons that I won't go into here) to treat the DFW Metroplex and a "2nd option" for recruiting in all sports for the Longhorns. This effectively gave the Metroplex to ou, which was already strong there, the aggies and Arkansas. TCU and SMU were strong there also. The price that UT paid is in the record books beginning in the early 80's in nearly all sports right up until Mack Brown was hired.
Now fast forward to about two weeks ago. I posted some info from a friend who said that SEC officials (two ADs as a matter of fact) were in Ft. Worth meeting with the Chancellor and the Assistant ADs of TCU. Frog AD Chris Del Conte and head football coach Gary Patterson were not at this meeting. This meeting was pushed hard by two western factions of the SEC, Arkansas and LSU and had the support of then soon-to-be member A&M. Much like in the late 70's, they saw an opening for the SEC to not only gain TV sets and eyeballs but most importantly (and completely missed by so many here) is that the SEC would have a firm recruiting beachhead right smack dab in the middle of the Big XII's 2nd largest recruiting area and would further marginalize East Texas as recruiting ground for our conference and further make the recruiting path into Texas by the entire SEC much easier and more accessible.
So yes, in spite of the scoffs and proclamations of my presumed insanity, a real effort was made by those western power folks in the SEC to gauge TCU's interest in the SEC and what it would take to get those talks formalized with the SEC officially as well as get TCU's commitment to the Big East nullified no matter the cost.
Word of this got through the channels in Austin and the lights began burning late at night in both Powers and Dodds offices as well as Castiglione's and Boren's in Norman.
This week, everything came together and the invitation as you've read is out. This is NOT about gaining more TV sets and eyeballs. It never has been. Getting more of those in this market would obviously be welcome but it was NEVER the central issue. By Adding TCU to the conference, this now means that every year starting in 2012, there will be at least 6 BXII football games in the Metroplex as well as men's and women's basketball games, baseball games, swimming, track...everything is affected by this and the most important part affected...RECRUITING. This only leaves one SEC football game a year in the Metroplex. That's it. That's all of the presence that the SEC will get. It's about effectively shutting nearly every recruiting door to Arkansas, LSU and a lesser extent A&M for all sports and puts BIG XII front and center in the minds of the players and parents of that region as well as East Texas.
This, folks, is a win for the BIG XII and its future. In fact this is a huge win. This is about the BXII, led by Texas and ou, being proactive instead of being reactive. This helps the ENTIRE conference and could be the straw that keeps Mizzou in as well since their largest recruiting base is in Texas and that goes for all of Mizzou's sports. Going to the SEC and losing out on that area when they're getting the leftovers as it is will hurt the Tigers much more than it did Arkansas when they left. The Hogs still haven't recovered from that choice.
So put away your pitchforks and torches. This is a solid and smart move for not just UT but for the entire BIG XII conference and its future.
Hook'em!
