Long time lurker and first time poster here. Ever since last June we have been complaining that texas runs the Big 12. Maybe we have been selling ourselves short. Sure, texas controls a lot, but who is calling the shots now? I believe we are.

Last June, texas wanted the Pac16, but we stepped in and you could argue that they blinked. Now, texas wants to show a Big 12 football game and high school football on their new network. Once again, we step in and they will have to blink again or watch their beloved conference go bye-bye.

Honestly, I'm in the boat of people that want to bail and go to the SEC. But, hanging out here and knocking the arrogant t-sips around both politically and athletically is getting pretty fun too!

Gig'Em
VedderAg '95

I feel like the answer is the University of Texas, but since you decided to come out of the woodwork I'm going to hold my tongue and sit here with a beer and some popcorn

don't get too excited. the Big12-2 is ultimately a game we cannot win. SEC is the only way for A&M.

We cannot win long term in the b12.

It is tu's conference.

We can scorch earth it a bit by sabotaging the cow network's launch.

But we need to go.

As much as I wanted A&M to jump east last year, I think this is going to be more fun to watch. The sips think they run the show. We decided to stay around and see if we could make the 12-2 work. Now, tu has been caught stepping on their own dick, and we are in a better position for a clean exit while their precious network goes up in smoke.

Greutzmachers -- Goin' commando!

Its just a matter of time before the sips come up with another angle. They run the conference subject to limited veto by A&M and ou.

Bilbo has the answer to the double jeopardy question: What is get the f-- out while we still can, Alex!

We don't own the conference but the conference is terrified of us leaving.

Which is weird because we are constantly told how great ou and tu are, so any conference with just them should be fine.

In a way, you have UT backed into a corner. They KNOW A&M would become a MONSTER program if they were the only SEC team in Texas. A MONSTER program. As long as you hang the SEC talk over their head, I would imagine you guys are pretty much calling the shots here. Could be wrong, but I doubt it.

That only works as long as we are serious about going.

Frankly, I would push them as far as possible.

I would demand the LHN becomes the b12 network or we leave. Hell demand it becomes the lonestar network split equally between us and the cows.

They are scared of us in the SEC or they wouldn't have blinked for now like they did last summer.

But we actually need to be willing to follow through and press it to our advantage.

Target located and in the cross hairs. Now, squeeze the trigger. Problem alleviated.

pull the trigger? hell, we have the safety on and our Admin doesnt even know what a safety is.

We're holding a gun and don't know how to use it.

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I would demand the LHN becomes the b12 network or we leave. Hell demand it becomes the lonestar network split equally between us and the cows.

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Seems fair, since A&M put up none of the money and took none of the risk.

Only the Mafia and the government can make those kinds of deals.

How do I get these effing tu banners off of my screen when i get to TexAgs - come on Billy!

You haven't been sabotaging Texas' network. It's ESPN's network you're sabotaging. They paid Texas $300M for their third tier rights, ESPN gets compensated by selling ads and collecting cable/dish subscriptions, you're being ESPN's enemy. However much revenue they collect or whatever they televise is moot as far as Texas is concerned.

I don't think A&M is a favorite with ESPN these days. Good luck getting televised on ESPN if there is a comparable game for them to telecast. And don't expect GameDay to be in College Station anytime soon.

I don't know that I'd say A&M is king of the conference just yet. First, UT could have easily left for the Pac last year, and you can't possibly deny that. I think they didn't leave because they know they are still king in the remnants of the Big XII and no longer have to hear NU complaining. Basically by them staying they prevented A&M from leaving, not the other way around.

UT can still get away with things that other schools can't, they just pushed a little too much this time, and hopefully it blows up in their faces (ESPN's too, because I really hate them). But the jury is still out on how this will all end up. They may get their way yet.

Also, keep in mind that if A&M does bolt for the SEC that they will not be anywhere near the head honcho. That conference has too much history to let a newcomer be the kingpin. I think it is run much better, but that doesn't mean that there aren't still haves and have nots when it comes to power.

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Basically by them staying they prevented A&M from leaving, not the other way around.

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The most moronic statement yet! The 1st time this reversal has ever been suggested. Last summer numerous sports writers confirmed A&M scuttled the whorn's Pac12 express by not being aboard. Incredibly stupid statement tater tot.

We are deluding our selfs if we think we are pulling the strings now. We have once again fallen into the sips trap. They knew all along about the problems of High School and an additional conference game would cause but they didn't want to be the bad guys, so guess what? we will be the fall guys once again because now they will say WE TRIED TO BE AGREEABLE but they wouldn't go along! The sips will get whatever it is they are after because we ONLY react and are not pro-active!!! This burns my ######.

Cowboy, it is ridiculous to think a&m is only hurting espn and not tu here. Youre a clown

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I don't think A&M is a favorite with ESPN these days. Good luck getting televised on ESPN if there is a comparable game for them to telecast. And don't expect GameDay to be in College Station anytime soon.

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We've never been one of ESPN's "golden boys" so this changes nothing.

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The most moronic statement yet! The 1st time this reversal has ever been suggested. Last summer numerous sports writers confirmed A&M scuttled the whorn's Pac12 express by not being aboard. Incredibly stupid statement tater tot.

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I guess you and I just saw it differently. It seemed to me like A&M and UT could only split up if they both had a place to go, which they did. But when UT backed out at the last minute, A&M caved and stayed too, or else A&M would be in the SEC right now.

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but who is calling the shots now? I believe we are.

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If we were calling the shots then we would have a $300MM Aggie/ESPN network and the cows would be trying to figure how to play catch-up. We are absolutely not CALLING the shots – we are diverting punches hoping we don’t get knocked out before the SEC bell blows.

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I guess you and I just saw it differently.

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Not just you and I but several sports writers. Links are dead now but Jennifer Engles w/FWST was one. Obviously, we stayed in the B12 but not because the whorns "prevented" us from leaving when they "backed down". That's like saying someone hit someone in the fist with their face.

Part of running a conference is letting other members feel like they are running the conference.

Texas University FIFY