Lopez: A&M's imminent move to SEC changes everything
August 12, 2011
1,322
For economics, competition, stability and many other reasons, the Aggies soon will become a member of the Southeastern Conference, perhaps in only a matter of days.
No matter what Dan Beebe and the crippled Big 12 may offer as a last-ditch effort to save the conference, this time it has reached a point of when, not if, the Aggies join the SEC.
And it has reached that point as much for this reason other than any listed above: Legacy.
Neither Bill Byrne, nor R. Bowen Loftin, nor any member of the Board of Regents wants to be remembered as the people who twice turned their backs on their constituency.
TexAgs
Loftin is poised to make a decision that will help define his legacy as A&M president — and he seems to have the governor's support.
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That is, don’t cross the Guv.
And rest assured, while they may not be elected officials, Byrne and Loftin govern Aggie football in every other way from political offices.
As the old saying goes, there never is a revolution until the people go hungry. Contrary to Beebe’s claim that the majority of Aggie fans don’t favor a move to the SEC, the truth is Aggie fans and former students are starving for a taste of the SEC.
It would be a political blunder on the grandest scale for Byrne and Loftin to announce, again, that they’re giving the Big 12 another chance. As any good politician knows, the constituency can turn in a heartbeat.
It’s not just economics and A&M sources that say the move is imminent, it’s the oldest truism in politics: When you see a light at the end of a tunnel, the last thing you should do is build more tunnel.
Byrne and Loftin, in fact, stand on the brink of forging legacies that could make them landmark figures. It’s an exaggeration and obviously not nearly as important socially, but there’s a real Rosa Parks effect that taking a stand here and now could do for Byrne, Loftin and the Aggies.
The move to the SEC could ignite a series of events that affects every program in the country.
It’s not just about finding a better, more lucrative place for one university. It’s about changing the landscape of the game — how it’s played, governed and, significantly, how it determines champions.
It’s more than mere coincidence that as the Aggies move to the east, the NCAA moves toward reform and more talk of so-called super-conferences emerges, specifically from SEC commissioner Mike Slive.
One of my most trusted sources in college football recently painted an intriguing picture of what the Aggies’ move could mean. Foremost, conference realignment would again burst wide open.
TexAgs
The new face of the NCAA is on the horizon, and the change lies in A&M's hands.
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Ultimately, according to my NCAA source, the dominoes falling and scramble for TV dollars could lead to four 20-team conferences in college football. It would make for a de facto playoff bracket during every regular season, which would appease the Bowl Championship Series.
The current bowl structure would be left untouched, while fans clamoring for a playoff would essentially get exactly that every year. The regular-season would be shortened to 11 games. Each 20-team conference would be broken into four five-team divisions. Division-winners would play semi-final games and then a championship for the conference title. The four conference winners then would face off in BCS games and the plus-one game would determine the national champion.
Programs that are not included in the four 20-team super conferences still would play inter-conference games with super-conference teams, still play in bowl games and, while unlikely, conceivably participate in the BCS if their record and ranking justify it.
The Aggies’ imminent move is a selfish one, of course, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Much like the Longhorns and every other program in the country, Byrne and Loftin simply are looking out for themselves and their own.
But the breadth of impact will be wide and felt around the game for years. As the most significant change in college football approaches, it’s the Aggies sitting at the front of the bus.
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