Another round of conference expansion in the works perhaps?

[king ward]

No they didn't. The SEC never invited FSU.

That was a 25+ year old soundbite taken so out of context it's funny. It wasn't Bowden's decision anyway and if Bobby really wanted an easier track to the title he would've joined the SEC and quit playing Miami like Florida did in the 80s. Kramer got wind FSU was listening to an offer from the ACC, got butt-hurt and basically told the SEC membership to not vote to invite FSU, which they did unanimously.

Bottom line is, Clemson, FSU, WVU, Va Tech all would've been better additions than Missouri aka PCU.

Hard to say it hasn't worked out for most involved though.

Missouri - you mean the team that won the East two of the first three years they were in the SEC? FSU was contacted through back channels - both times. Formal invitations are only issued to schools that have already committed in camera to come. You could not possibly have watched these processes through the years without knowing that.

 

[atl-cock]

Missouri - you mean the team that won the East two of the first three years they were in the SEC? FSU was contacted through back channels - both times. Formal invitations are only issued to schools that have already committed in camera to come. You could not possibly have watched these processes through the years without knowing that.

It's my understanding that when the ACC began poaching the Big East a dozen years ago, they approached us through back channels to guage our interest in returning. Alas, they were 20-30 years too late with the offer.

 

[king ward]

We're OK; the SEC will rise again. But I suspect no conference will ever dominate over time the way the SEC did in years gone by. My point was that all the reasons we got out of the league - and don't buy all the mistreatment crap - have been largely negated. We were still doing better in that league in the major sports when we left it than we are doing now. But again, we are where we are.

 

[atl-cock]

We're OK; the SEC will rise again. But I suspect no conference will ever dominate over time the way the SEC did in years gone by. My point was that all the reasons we got out of the league - and don't buy all the mistreatment crap - have been largely negated. We were still doing better in that league in the major sports when we left it than we are doing now. But again, we are where we are.

Agreed. The "mistreatment" was largely due to McGuire's chip on the shoulder, us against the world approach. Roche and Owens were good students, and other than Grosso, McGuire had no problems recruiting good students (near as I can tell).

Academic standards and scholarship allotments are pretty much even across the NCAA. Thus our reasons for leaving the ACC, and Georgia Tech's for leaving the SEC have been largely negated as you stated.

I also think that Dietzel was not happy about how much more success basketball was having over football. He had to know that hoops would suffer going indy but football wouldn't. Was speaking to someone on New Years Eve who opined that Adolph Rupp had Bear Bryant run out of Lexington for similar reasons.

Notwithstanding that today at an FBS school the AD has no time to coach any sport, it's better that the AD not coach any sport - potential conflict of interest. An AD has to take care of and promote ALL varsity sports, not just football (and basketball).

I like that USC has fostered a climate of the coaches of the various sports supporting and cheering one another. I liked seeing Spurrier and Staley go to Omaha to cheer on the yardbirds.

 

[cockhornleghorn]

Missouri in the SEC is a joke. aTm I get, but Mizzou is like taking a nice glass of scotch, filling it with ice and letting it sit for 4 hours and then drinking it.

Should've taken FSU or Clemson. I know UF and Carolina would've raised hell, but for the betterment of the conference as a whole, those were the only moves.

If anything Missouri still prolly belongs in the B1G with Nebraska and Illinois.

If WVU could somehow make it into the ACC they'd be a great fit. Football-wise anyway. Any mumbo jumbo about 'academics' was thrown in the trash with Louisville came on board. Drop the charade and just get better.

FSU and Clemson would add nothing to the SEC and we should be dead set against it.I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's about the money. FSU and Clem add zero TV markets.

 

[cockhornleghorn]

Mizzou TV Market share is actually poor for having two large metros within the state.

It gets the SEC Network on cable providers in both metros.

 

[stagedoor71]

Nobody looks at the SEC and thinks academics save Vandy, and no one looks at the ACC either and thinks the same with the exception of UVa, Duke, Wake, and formerly UNC...maybe. Maybe BC or Syracuse, even though the casual fan probably still doesn't realize they're in the ACC. No one going to football games is carrying a US News in their pocket checking academic rankings. WVU is crazy as $&@" on a Saturday night, but it's a great place to watch a game, and our fans wouldn't have any problem with them. I never even saw much when I went to game vs Miami, when they were a legit #1 with Ken Dorsey. WVU would've been a nice pickup. Mizzou and aTm are as weird as WVU going to Stillwater and Austin every other fall

I lived in WVU in the 1980's. I met some totally crazy people. Guy I knew was arrested for shooting rabbits in his yard with a 30/30. With that said people in WVA are pretty decent people.

The saying is that 10% of the people cause 90% of the problems. There are a hell of a lot of 10% ers in Morgantown on a Saturday night for WVU Football. These are not your normal rabid fans who tailgate and paint themselves blue and gold. They are people who have a history of burning couches after a win. Attacking team buses and breaking windows, throwing rocks off of overpasses and occasional assaults in the parking lot.

When I first moved to WV, my boss told me that when I went into a bar to make sure I kept my coat on, order a drink, look around. If everyone else had their coats on leave because they all had guns under their coats.

If you want to go to Morgantown for a FB game have at it.

 

[joplin gamecock1]

An interesting story about Bryant and Rupp. Bryant had just won the Sec title at Kensucky and Rupp won the basketball title the same year.Rupp got a Cadilac and Bryant got a zippo lighter lol. He was a heavy smoker. Rumors were that he and Rupp did not get along at all despite Bryant going on Rupp tv show and declaring theyre friendship.Bryant did show Rupp his lighter on the show lol.Soon afterwards.Bear left for A&M,claiming it was only because A&M was a top program, most knew there prbly wasnt enuff room in Lexington for those 2 to co exist.That tv show of Rupps featuring Bryant trying to dispell the rivalry rumors is on u tube.

 

[Quisp]

It's my understanding that when the ACC began poaching the Big East a dozen years ago, they approached us through back channels to guage our interest in returning. Alas, they were 20-30 years too late with the offer.

If the goal is getting into the CFB playoff maybe we should have explored it. I don't really think we can make it in while in the SEC.

 

[Bigjune121]

I lived in WVU in the 1980's. I met some totally crazy people. Guy I knew was arrested for shooting rabbits in his yard with a 30/30. With that said people in WVA are pretty decent people.

The saying is that 10% of the people cause 90% of the problems. There are a hell of a lot of 10% ers in Morgantown on a Saturday night for WVU Football. These are not your normal rabid fans who tailgate and paint themselves blue and gold. They are people who have a history of burning couches after a win. Attacking team buses and breaking windows, throwing rocks off of overpasses and occasional assaults in the parking lot.

When I first moved to WV, my boss told me that when I went into a bar to make sure I kept my coat on, order a drink, look around. If everyone else had their coats on leave because they all had guns under their coats.

If you want to go to Morgantown for a FB game have at it.

This isn't entirely true, I went to WVU (1981), we only throw rocks at University of Pitt and Virginia Tech buses. Since we don't play them anymore we just burn sh&$.

 

[stagedoor71]

This isn't entirely true, I went to WVU (1981), we only throw rocks at University of Pitt and Virginia Tech buses. Since we don't play them anymore we just burn sh&$.

Also Miami. I thought the town council passed an ordinance prohibiting couches on front porches to discourage couch burning. How is that working?

 

[Bigjune121]

Also Miami. I thought the town council passed an ordinance prohibiting couches on front pouches to discourage couch burning. How is that working?

Had to move them to the back porch.

 

[atl-cock]

If the goal is getting into the CFB playoff maybe we should have explored it. I don't really think we can make it in while in the SEC.

I'll always consider leaving the ACC as the single most foolish athletic move USC has ever made and regret it constantly.

Having stated that, leaving the SEC would probably rank as equally foolish (ask Tulane how well that worked out in the long run; the ACC saved Tech). It would be crazy to walk away from the $$$ and exposure. That's why Mizzou won't go back to the Big XII and Vandy ain't going anywhere either.

However, I would like for us to schedule our old ACC rivals more frequently and in more sports. Glad than Dawn scheduled Dook for at least a couple of home and homes. Maybe Frank II can schedule some home and homes with Wake and NCSU.

 

[joplin gamecock1]

I always thought we should have stayed in the ACC too. Wake used to be our most frequently played opponent,may still be.Tech leaving the SEC was a Bobby Dodd - Bear Bryant thing,but yes,it saved them.

 

[atl-cock]

I always thought we should have stayed in the ACC too. Wake used to be our most frequently played opponent,may still be.Tech leaving the SEC was a Bobby Dodd - Bear Bryant thing,but yes,it saved them.

You think the "140 Rule" was just an excuse Dodd used? Maybe if Dodd had gotten off of his high horse about refusing to play Mississippi and Mississippi State and agreed to schedule them, they would have supported him on the 140. But his not changing his stance about playing the Mississippis does support your assertion that it goes back to the 1961 game with Bama and the Chick Graning incident.

 

[joplin gamecock1]

As i understand the story,Bryant promised Dodd Bama would vote with Dodd on the 140 rule.When votes were taken and Bama balked n went the other way, the president of Tech announced right then and there they were leaving. True or not i have no idea.But that is at least Bryants version

 

[joplin gamecock1]

the Graning incident is what started the Bryant - Dodd rivalry or so ive always been told

 

[atl-cock]

the Graning incident is what started the Bryant - Dodd rivalry or so ive always been told

Does anybody know when the SEC started making the conference schedules for football?

When Tech was a member, each school could schedule the 5-6 members they wished to play each year and that was that. Vandy and Auburn once went over 20 years without playing each other, and, as previously stated, Tech and Mississippi State did not play each other at all during Tech's 30-year SEC membership.

Tech is a better fit demographically for the ACC, and a better geographic fit for the SEC; USC just the opposite.

 

[Anna_Nimmitty]

I lived in WVU in the 1980's. I met some totally crazy people. Guy I knew was arrested for shooting rabbits in his yard with a 30/30. With that said people in WVA are pretty decent people.

The saying is that 10% of the people cause 90% of the problems. There are a hell of a lot of 10% ers in Morgantown on a Saturday night for WVU Football. These are not your normal rabid fans who tailgate and paint themselves blue and gold. They are people who have a history of burning couches after a win. Attacking team buses and breaking windows, throwing rocks off of overpasses and occasional assaults in the parking lot.

When I first moved to WV, my boss told me that when I went into a bar to make sure I kept my coat on, order a drink, look around. If everyone else had their coats on leave because they all had guns under their coats.

If you want to go to Morgantown for a FB game have at it.

I totally agree with everything stated above! Most importantly is the fact that there are some wonderful people up in Wet Vagina!! =;-p

Hail, my Ex-BFH is a WVa. native - I once had a WONDERFUL Mother inlaw, it's just that her daughter(s) are narcissists!! Simple fact there, and if I'm doubted in the slightest, why I'll be delighted to put you in touch with my Ex Brother inlaw!! He's a WVa native that was once married to my Ex-BFH's sister - I'm talking about two women that are 9 years apart agewise yet are damned near identical twins!!

Been to a few WVU football games. Saw and met some wonderful people, as-well-as a few CRAZY folks!!

All in all, WVa is a pretty cool state, but there's no way in Hades that I'd EVER wish to live there!!

Peace out peeps,

A_N