XOVERX

Whatever it takes to get out of a 20-year series with TT, I'm willing to do. So, yes, TT, I'm scared s-less to play TT this year, next year, forever. I'm quaking, shaking with utter fear. Can we part now?

I really, really hope there's some kind of unseen advantage for Texas somewhere hidden in this deal because we're using up one of our three open slots for Texas Tech for 25 years? Why exactly would we do that? Good grief. Say it ain't so.

Under the Swarbrick regime, you could be right. But who knows once Swarbrick was gone. ND reminds me of Texas under DeLoss Dodds. Dodds was here before OU v. NCAA back in 1984. I thought then that Texas would go to the SEC. But it always seemed to me that Dodds hated the SEC. Finally, Dodds left. While we had a couple of ADs before CDC, true, CDC and the Admin had the huevos to pull the trigger. And while I understand the AD does not have the final say as to what conference Texas is a part of, is there any legitimate doubt the AD can guide such a decision?

Your post is fallacious. Your comparison should be like this: 5-0 UCF vs 4-0 OKstate OR 5-0 Georgia vs 4-0 Texas. 2-3 Mizzou vs 3-1 SoCar OR 2-3 Baylor vs 3-1 ISU. 0-4 Illinois vs 2-3 Maryland OR 0-4 TT vs 2-3 Cincy. Given those matchups, the SEC and B1G, bad as those records are, will still collect more viewrs than the B12, IMO.

Yeah, I agree. OU is emotionally secure, though, unlike others. My original comment about “all” was still too global and therefore still incorrect, even after clarifying for OU. When we needed some schools to let us play them for our T3 LHN game, all said no in some of those early years except two: Kansas and Iowa State. Those guys helped us out early on and I think Kansas helped us twice. Thank you KU and ISU, tip of the hat. Remember TT’s stupid reaction to our request to play on the LHN? They either played us on LHN or the game wouldn’t be televised at all. The idiots still refused. Sand aggy was so happy and proud of themselves. TT is dumb. And I mean “dumb” as a compliment, lol.

I can understand aggy hatred of the LHN, just for pure jealousy and spite. I can understand Mizz bolting to the SEC with aggy because the SEC instructed aggy to bring another school to balance the conference. But for the life of me I cannot understand why the rest of the B12 hated the LHN. The LHN is what kept the B12 together for another decade +, allowing the remaining schools so much more income. Ah well, life is oftentimes irrational.

The CU administration reminds me of the Texas administration under DeLoss Dodds. Dodds dissed the SEC from the beginning of the modern day realignment catalyst, which is to say, after Oklahoma v. NCAA in 1984. First, Dodds refused to follow AR into the SEC, instead choosing the B10, over the protestations of aggy, who wanted the SEC. After getting dissed by the B10, Dodds insisted on the B12, ignoring that all but three of the major TV markets were in Texas. Then, after those three TV markets ran off, then aggy ran off to the SEC, still no SEC for Texas, Dodds gave us a dozen more years in the new B12 + LHN + WVU + TCU. Oh goodie. Then, mercifully, Dodds retired. After Dodds left, it didn’t take too awfully long for the Texas admin to finally settle on CDC and figure out the obvious move: SEC. Thank goodness the wanderlust is over.

Are we talking past each other? I am not suggesting that Gonzaga, or Baylor, or South Dakota State be invited into the SEC, right? All I'm saying is that the SEC and B1G could breakaway from the NCAA, begin a basketball tournament, but let it include others who might qualify and want to play in it. Schools like Gonzaga, or Baylor, or South Dakota State. As for the SEC, I am suggesting that if there were a breakaway, then, in a move to 24 schools, some "basketball schools" might suddenly have excellent value. Perhaps Kansas? Maybe Louisville? But not Gonzaga, or Baylor, or South Dakota State.

Apparently, ND will remain independent, in the ACC, drawing whatever money they can command. ND to stay put

Who says Gonzaga would be shut out? Gonzaga could play, get their cut, depending on how many games they won and how many folks watched them play. Ditto the others. Changes are coming. It is not clear if the changes are "good" or "bad", but they will be "different". And I suspect much more lucrative than what exists today.

I think JRsec is right: There will be an NCAA breakaway by the SEC and B1G. A breakaway means March Madness as it exists today will change. The SEC and B1G will have their own basketball playoff, perhaps incorporating other leagues into that basketball playoff over time. In other words, basketball will become significantly more lucrative without the NCAA taking the largest part of the payout. Of course, the college football world is waiting on ND right now. For purposes of this post, let's assume the following: First, ND goes B1G and not SEC. Second, except for ND, the B1G will continue to add schools that are AAU. Third, the B1G would not go past 24 schools at this point in realignment. With the addition of USC and UCLA to the B1G, the PAC is seriously injured. If ND leaves the ACC, the ACC would be seriously injured. Here are the AAU schools out there that the B1G might reasonably consider to add if ND goes B1G: Arizona, Utah, Kansas, North Carolina, Oregon, Cal, Stanford, Duke, Virginia, Washington, Georgia Tech, and Colorado. Since the PAC is more recently traumatized, plus its TV contract expires in 2025, I suspect the B1G would first fill out to 20 by taking ND and 3 from the West, to include at least Oregon and Washington, which gives the B1G massive presence in the West (something like 47% of all West Coast TV viewers). Add one more school from this group: Arizona, Utah, Kansas, Cal, Stanford, and Colorado. I would guess Stanford, but no matter, pick your own favorite, and now the B1G is at 20. With ND leaving the ACC, it would seem to be a matter of time before the ACC bleeds schools (most likely a lot sooner than 2036). From the B1G pov, here is who the B1G could take to get to 24: Kansas, North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, and Georgia Tech. The B1G's choices are more limited in the ACC even when Kansas is included. I doubt the B1G would go back to the West when ACC suitors begin calling. The linchpin, of course, is UNC. Both the SEC and UNC want UNC. Whichever league gets UNC, Duke is reportedly a take linked to UNC. It is also possible that UVA could become linked to UNC-Duke. Both leagues would take all 3 of those schools. SCENARIO 1 - B1G WINS UNC: If UNC, Duke, and UVA go to the B1G, I think the B1G would then take GT, get deep into SEC country and call it a league. I don't think the B1G would choose KU over GT, but this is a guess. UNC and Duke to the B1G would take two huge basketball schools off the SEC board. But if basketball is worth the gamble, Kansas would possibly still be out there for the SEC. With no AAU requirement, Louisville plays good basketball periodically. Similarly, Syracuse has a ton of basketball fans. On the football side, FSU and Clemson are there. Also, the SEC still gets that NC/VA presence by taking lesser lights NCSU and VPI and the SEC just "grows" them, to the chagrin of UNC (although UVA maybe wouldn't care). Maybe retaliate against the B1G if it took GT by the SEC taking Pitt, striking deep into B1G country? Maybe take CU (because I love that road trip to Boulder, lol)? The point is the SEC has lots of options even if UNC, Duke, and UVA go to the B1G. What's not clear is whether the remaining schools, even with basketball, and future basketball revenue after a breakaway, are sufficiently accretive to add to the SEC. SCENARIO 2 - SEC WINS UNC: OTOH, does UNC want to cede the SEC and southern recruiting to NCSU? Seriously? Texas wasn't willing to take that gamble viz-a-viz Texas A&M. And without the AAU requirement, the SEC has flexibility to take in a lot more ACC schools than does the B1G, which also would help to persuade UNC, right? So, now let's assume UNC and Duke go to the SEC and not to the B1G. Maybe UVA tags along, maybe they don't, but VPI is sitting there for SEC taking if UVA fails to show. The states of NC and VA are covered, period, in either scenario. FSU and Clemson get a ticket, almost certainly, so let's get them off the table. Now the SEC takes Kansas if they are still there because they have a legendary basketball heritage. The SEC could go further still in basketball with Louisville. Even further with Syracuse. As wildcards, there's still Pitt and CU, possibly Utah (although I wouldn't think anything past KU is realistically in play for the SEC). Anyhow, under Scenario 2, both football and basketball are strengthened. It would seem that UNC is the key from the SEC pov, not ND. If the SEC can add all of UNC, Duke, Kansas, possibly Louisville, maybe Syracuse, to add to Kentucky (and other SEC powers), the SEC would certainly be set for basketball revenue yearly come March Madness.

The pig mythology didn’t spring fully formed from Zeus’ head, lol. Nobody misses PhxHorn as much as you do; still, I wish he was here to weigh in on this argument.

There was definitely a UT/AR rivalry in the 60s. From there I disagree with your analysis to the extent that once a “rivalry” is established in a person’s mind, it never goes away. It is eternally “legitimate “. The 60s were powerful in the mind, for sure. When you watch Texas lose a NC to AR earlier in the 60s, then turn on the fuzzy B&W console TV to see AR on the pinnacle of defeating Texas again … until Street to Pueschel turns the game - yeah, that’s pretty powerful in the mind, for sure. Hell, I loved the last play victory over AR in the 80s, lol. Warm and fuzzy. Young folks may not perceive UT/AR to be a rivalry now, but I can assure you that after last years butt-stomping by AR, a lot of young folks want a pig take-down. Thus are rivalries rekindled and/or established. The SEC is perfect for Texas: OU, AR, aggy. I place piggy at #2, lol, not aggy. Then the rest. It appears the SEC is watching the shakeout of ND, the B1G, and the ACC as the SEC considers its next move. 20 appears to be inevitable. 24 is also possible. Anyhow, hope you’re well.

1) Will your school be a place where everyone on the football team is paid- or is that reserved for the stars? My school is Texas. My vote is pay them all. 2) if everyone is paid- what's the baseline minimum for a guy that plays a position that plays (non special teams types)? $50,000.00 - even for non-starters. Hell, even for PWOs. 3) How many portal players are you planning on bringing in a year- what kind of positions do you think is best to count on the portal to give you every year? Who knows? Its depends on how your roster works out. Probably WR will be the "easiest" position to fill year-after-year because good WRs seem to be abundant. 4) How many guys are you comfortable with running off every year? Its depends on how your roster works out, but as many as it takes to remain in NC contention. Just don't be shy: Trap-door stragglers (which is heartless, but then again, win.) How long a rope do they have before you tell them they need to get the hell out? That's a coaching question and the answer depends on when the coaches "lose confidence". To repeat: Trap-door stragglers. 5) When do you want to take guys from other schools as an ideal? After 1 year- when it will exhaust their any time you can free transfer shot? After the 3rd or 4th year- when they are a 1 year solution to a gaping need? Or looking to play at a big school and get seen for NFL type purposes? Whenever. Its depends on how your roster works out. But yeah, ideally, yeah, if the guy is a stud, the longer the time-frame you have to keep a stud player, the better, naturally. 6) How are you planning on managing your salary cap? I hope there is no cap. We're Texas. We need to pay as much or more than anybody else. Assuming NIL isn't unlimited as it shakes out (I think it's not)- even boosters have their limits and assuming nobody actually cares about doing it the way it was supposed to be done- (which is a deal like what Bijan did with his car dealership) and the NCAA can't or won't enforce what sure looks like pay for play at a lot of places that has little to nothing to do with NIL as it was thought up? Huh? What are you saying, lol? If you mean, pay like aggy is rumored to be paying, and if the "aggy way" is not enforced, then I say, "do it". Isn't this why we're joining the SEC? To win? 7) Will anyone take less than 85 ( like considerably less) so that they have a smaller roster, higher paid, more practice time and just ignore the developmental guys/bread that has coasted at a lot of places waiting for the light to turn on when you know you can fill holes in college free agency? No. 85 is already thin. The question is can we sign up more than 85? I like 95 to 105. 8.) Will the NIL money be pretty even at most schools from year to year- or will we see boosters reaching deep when they think there's a chance to win the conference, get in the playoffs etc and will you see teams take turns blowing the lid off of it when they see the stars in alignment? NIL will not be "fair". The SEC will lead the way in $, with, hopefully, Texas leading the way in the SEC. The remaining G3 (and lower) will become "portal leagues" for the SEC (and for some in the B1G, like tOSU). The SEC will backfill the G3 some, too. Some SEC guys will wonder if they will make it in the SEC, become antsy, and they will portal to the B12, AAC, etc., but I doubt the quality of the portal players out of the SEC is equal to the quality coming in. Many top dog studs in those G3 (and lower) types of leagues will want to portal to the "big league" - the SEC (and some B1G schools). They will perceive that playing in the SEC will give them a better chance of making it to the NFL, so the talent flow will largely be into the SEC, and, hopefully, to Texas. 9) What will be the typical allocation of High School recruits and guys from the portal? This will be interesting. The new way of recruiting. I'll venture a guess of 65% HS - 35% portal? Total guess. 10) I don't have a 10 but it seems bizarre to leave a list at 9, so here. 10 is a number of affinity since we have 10 fingers, we count in base 10, etc., but the ancient Sumerians were partial to 60 (but also, oddly, based on 10 fingers). Whole 'nother thing, not NIL related, lol.