(ABOVE: My Texas A&M season tickets for the 2012 football season. Are these the last tickets for the Aggies as a Big 12 school?)This is just me, a Weatherman thinking out loud as a college football fan and Aggie.
College football is my favorite sport. Like my father, I am becoming a tad less attached each year due to the money factor.
As a Texas A&M graduate, member of the 12th Man Foundation and football season ticket holder, I hope that Texas A&M doesn't leave the Big 12 conference.
First off, out of a purely selfish reason, my family living in Oklahoma enjoys playing the Oklahoma schools.
Except for one game a year, we cheer for OU, OSU and other Big 12 schools. My favorite team is whoever is playing Texas!
We've had fun road trips attending games within driving distance at Stillwater, Columbia and Lawrence.
What I don't understand is that by a huuuuge margin, most Aggies want to move to the SEC. I guess I'm in the minority!
(Pac-10/12 talk anyone?)
(ABOVE: I found an old ticket stub from twenty years ago! In 1992, the most expensive ticket to watch A&M and Baylor was $20. This year's game ticket price is $85. *sigh*)The obvious: A decent A&M team could lose a bunch games every year in the SEC.
Texas A&M appears to be interested in jumping to the SEC for more money, exposure and to "get away" from the University of Texas.
To some degree, all of these are achievable if Texas A&M joins the SEC, but at what cost?
Can the Aggies rise to the challenge?
History isn't on Texas A&M's side against good BCS football programs.
In particular Texas A&M has faired poorly against SEC schools.
The Aggies are winless against the SEC in the last 10 years plus: Lost to Arkansas twice, blown out in bowl games by LSU, a not-so-great Georgia team, and an embarrassing 38-7 Cotton Bowl loss to Tennessee in a game that most Ags expected to win.
The Aggies were also upset by Mississippi State in the Independence Bowl.
(ABOVE: The view from our current seats at Kyle Field. )Finishing .500 in SEC league play seems like a dream!
I can't imagine the Aggie fan-base being happy about finishing about 7-5 or 6-6 every year.
As most Aggie fans "expect" a near 10 win season, how will they feel about losing 4-6 conference games, possibly every year?
Most Aggies consider the late 1980s and 90s as the glory years of Aggie football. This period coincided with playing in a weak SWC, and before Texas, OU and some degree LSU and OSU got good.
Since joining the Big 12, Texas A&M sunk to generally a mid-pack football program.
The immediate future in the Big 12 appears brighter as the conference is weaker-- the Aggies have done well in weak conferences, not the other way around.
As far as recruiting, I think the SEC could hurt the Aggies as SEC schools would suddenly get more exposure in Texas.
LSU won't get fewer Texas recruits that they do now for example. By comparison, do Aggies think that a high school kid in Mississippi or such would now be interested in Texas A&M?
I'll be optimistic and hope the added exposure can get more top recruits so the team doesn't finish mid-pack every year.
But what do I know? I'm just a Weatherman!
Either way I'll support my school. Just hoped that Texas A&M would stay put.
Can't the Big 12 just get Colorado and Nebraska back and add Arkansas? The Big 13? ;)
George
(BELOW: Cool! I also found an old Texas A&M vs Tulsa ticket in my closet! I doubt the Aggies will ever play AT Tulsa again. They lost on their trip to Skelly Stadium in 1991.)
