This situation sucks but it's also not devastating or a deathknell for A&M football. I certainly don't like HOW this is happening but it was going to happen eventually. Why? Because the years of realignment and the growth of D1 teams and G5 has been leading to the four (4) 16 team super conferences, basically NE, SE, SW, NW (by geography, regardless of what they will be called). This is happening as there is NOT a Power 5, there is a Power 4 and the Big XII does not belong. With things going that way, of course we were going to eventually be in the same conference with a program 100 miles away.
A&M is not different or will not be in a different situation than Auburn or Florida State as far as the dynamics of competing with and against high-level programs in the immediate geographic region.
The 10-12 years of SEC membership we will have had has completely transformed our program and there is no going back now. Just because cow wants to share in the $$ spoils does not deter or detract from A&M, our program, what we are building, etc. Granted I would be much more concerned if we didn't have Jimbo at the helm.
Nevertheless, cow and OU will now not have the same W/L level of "success" they have had in the Big 12, so in one sense that is a positive.
If you think it is a negative for A&M, that is fine and understandable, if you are POd about it, that is understandable, but if you think it is devastating and crippling and will relegate us down to Texas Tech or Kansas State level... that simply will not happen. It is not going to affect our recruiting as much as people think it is, it is not going to affect the perception that we are a rising power in the SEC. In many ways it is a validation of the decision and direction we undertook 10+ years ago.
I'm certain that our powers-that-be have known about it, didn't like it but have known about it, but we are only one of 14 SEC members. It's all driven by $$ unfortunately. There are too many people here making assumptions and casting stones. Bjork has likely known about this. His comment of "we want to be the only SEC team in the State of Texas" leaves a lot unsaid, though it is a true statement. Per Billy this was an A&M leak so we knew or have known about it.
I'm not resigned to it, don't really like it, don't even have to accept it as much as admit to reality if it comes to pass. The biggest downside is if we get put in pod with t.u., OU, and Pig or Mizzou, that really takes away and diminishes the SEC-ness of our schedule. If we are in a pod with LSU and the MS schools that is more acceptable IMHO.
I soured quickly on Sumlin but his "get a dog" quote still rings true. We have proven who we are, what we are, how we compete, what our goals are, what we are building to achieve those goals, etc. Those of you who think this will be so devastating to A&M, embarrassing to A&M, etc., etc. need to relax; none of that is true nor will be true. You can still be POd about it and hope it doesn't happen, but A&M will be fine and continue to compete at a high level and grow our program to be a perennial Top 10 program. That does not mean we will finish in the top 10 every year, we will win/play for an NC, we will finish 8-4 or 7-5, we will go 9-3 and finish #8, etc. whether this happens or not IMHO.
Fire away.
A&M is not different or will not be in a different situation than Auburn or Florida State as far as the dynamics of competing with and against high-level programs in the immediate geographic region.
The 10-12 years of SEC membership we will have had has completely transformed our program and there is no going back now. Just because cow wants to share in the $$ spoils does not deter or detract from A&M, our program, what we are building, etc. Granted I would be much more concerned if we didn't have Jimbo at the helm.
Nevertheless, cow and OU will now not have the same W/L level of "success" they have had in the Big 12, so in one sense that is a positive.
If you think it is a negative for A&M, that is fine and understandable, if you are POd about it, that is understandable, but if you think it is devastating and crippling and will relegate us down to Texas Tech or Kansas State level... that simply will not happen. It is not going to affect our recruiting as much as people think it is, it is not going to affect the perception that we are a rising power in the SEC. In many ways it is a validation of the decision and direction we undertook 10+ years ago.
I'm certain that our powers-that-be have known about it, didn't like it but have known about it, but we are only one of 14 SEC members. It's all driven by $$ unfortunately. There are too many people here making assumptions and casting stones. Bjork has likely known about this. His comment of "we want to be the only SEC team in the State of Texas" leaves a lot unsaid, though it is a true statement. Per Billy this was an A&M leak so we knew or have known about it.
I'm not resigned to it, don't really like it, don't even have to accept it as much as admit to reality if it comes to pass. The biggest downside is if we get put in pod with t.u., OU, and Pig or Mizzou, that really takes away and diminishes the SEC-ness of our schedule. If we are in a pod with LSU and the MS schools that is more acceptable IMHO.
I soured quickly on Sumlin but his "get a dog" quote still rings true. We have proven who we are, what we are, how we compete, what our goals are, what we are building to achieve those goals, etc. Those of you who think this will be so devastating to A&M, embarrassing to A&M, etc., etc. need to relax; none of that is true nor will be true. You can still be POd about it and hope it doesn't happen, but A&M will be fine and continue to compete at a high level and grow our program to be a perennial Top 10 program. That does not mean we will finish in the top 10 every year, we will win/play for an NC, we will finish 8-4 or 7-5, we will go 9-3 and finish #8, etc. whether this happens or not IMHO.
Fire away.
