A Jersey Guy: Are the Eyes of Texas Only on the SEC?
The headline of the week was obvious: Texas and Oklahoma are making exit plans from the Big 12--to the SEC.
Makes sense, could and probably will happen.
But...there is always a but in these cases, isn't there?
Let me start by saying I spent five years working at the Dallas Morning News, often dealing with people from the University of Texas.
Austin remains one of my favorite cities in the country. Lots of good people down there.
Early on, however, I learned one characteristic of many UT people: Texas ALWAYS does what's in the best interest of Texas, regardless of fairness or feasibility.
With that in mind, here's my theory about what Texas--and Oklahoma, which is more like a pilot fish in matters concerning Texas-want.
Going to the SEC makes financial sense for Texas, which gets in the vicinity of 33 million per year from the Big 12 and can make more than $45 million a year in the SEC.
I think it was also a trial balloon floated by the Longhorns to see if there will be any reaction from the Big Ten, which generates more than $50 in media rights fees for each of its schools.
Texas will never be the main act in the SEC.
In fact, the Longhorns could be as irrelevant in that conference as Nebraska has been in the Big Ten.
But Texas could remain a super star in the Big Ten, which would also be a better fit in many ways for the Longhorns.
Imagine a Big Ten with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin as marquee attractions.
What also seems clear is that the final expansion to a four (16 teams) Super Conference set up is starting to take shape.
The SEC could very well make the first move and Texas will be delighted to be part of it, but the SEC is NOT the best move for Texas.
The only thing that is certain right now is that Texas has made it clear that it is listening to offers, of which the SEC may indeed be the best.
But the Big Ten would be better.