does anyone think the SEC made a mistake with South Carolina and Arkansas?

I do. I mean the goal of expansion is to bring in markets and tv sets and populations. SC is from a small state and shares with Clemson. The SEC would have been better off with FSU since the Florida is the second biggest state in the country and solidifies more fans in Miami, Orlando, Tampa-St. Pete and the growing Panhandle.

FSU would mean more money for the SEC. I think UF could have been told to deal with it since they play in FB every year anyways.

Arkansas does not add anything in regards to tv sets and markets. VA Tech would have been a better choice, since VA is a bigger state and Richmond, the burbs of NoVA, and the Tidewater area are bigger than Little Rock.

Texas A&M would have been much better than Arkansas and maybe both Texas and TAMU would have been awesome, but FSU and TAMU would have brought more money to the SEC and even Va Tech and FSU would be better.

 

Florida State was once offered membership in the SEC, but turned it down
in favor of ACC membership. Seems that Bowden would rather spend his Saturdays beating up on Duke and North Carolina than having to face Tennesssee and Georgia on a regular basis.

 

What makes you think Florida State wanted anything to do with the SEC when it was conference-shopping? Being the big dog on the ACC block for years has served them well. Why join an SEC where they would be among teams just as good?

No way on Earth Tx A&M passes on the Big XII for the SEC. They'd be leaving all their natural rivals. It wouldn't make sense. Arkansas always felt left out as part of the SWC, since they were the only non-Texas team. Remember, the SEC was the first conference to expand to 12 schools; if the Big XII had been forming at that time, they may well have joined. Who knows?

Both Arkansas and South Carolina have better-rounded athletic programs than Va. Tech. It was a win win for both schools--they get the stability and steady cash flow that comes from being in a major conference, and the SEC is able to take advantage of an NCAA rule, hold a conference football title game, and make millions.

 

Kicking SuCk out of the SEC would be the best thing we have ever done as a conference

 

Yeah, they'd make millions more with Va Tech and even Miami, FL. Check out the tv markets for Ark. and USC--both are puny. GA Tech would do more the SEC than Arkansas.

 

If anyone is going to get the boot it has to be Vandy. They suck in everything

 

Nice avatar, but you can't boot Vandy--been in the SEC too long. You can boot Ark and South Carolina, since they're newer. Arkansas adds nothing to the SEC, like to see them go. I can see keeping SC with their large stadium and the fact that SC is growing and in fact Arkansas would be better off in the conference with Texas and TAMU. They used to get a lot of players from Texas. Missouri joins the big ten and Arkansas replaces them in the big 12.

 

I don't see why people don't like Arkansas in the SEC. I think they are a natural fit, geographically, mascot, traditions, and competitively. I know I'm a little newer to SEC football than most (Arkansas was already in the league when I really got into college football). I just couldn't imagine the SEC without Arkansas or South Carolina.

I think it's really cool how every state (except Louisiana) that has at least one school in the SEC has the school that goes by the state name alone. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi (aka Ole Miss), South Carolina, and Tennessee.

That's a naming convention that I don't want to get away from. It just makes the conference feel more like the Southeastern Conference than just a group of schools that got together. I don't know if I'm the only one who noticed this or even cares though.

 

You obviously don't know about SEC TV contracts. We are the only conference with a TV deal (CBS) that guarantees a national broadcast each and every Saturday. The SEC also has a regional TV contract with Jefferson Pilot. And then there is ESPN dying to broadcast SEC games in prime time.

All the other conferences must share the spotlight on a regional basis on ABC. They get the early time slot on ESPN and have some regional packages as well.

Seems like the SEC is doing quite well without the big TV markets...