re: Virginia Tech was the SEC's top choice during 2012 expansion

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When looking at conferences you have to respect the power of the academics and the research spending as well as the TV footprint and it is especially true of Flagship Public Schools.

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Recognizing that the AAU is a private association, the SEC presidents are working to raise the stature of the conference to lure interest from the group. Taking in A&M and Mizzou certainly does just that.

We have several schools that should be considered for membership. I think the AAU will strongly consider our schools in the near future.

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UVA is never coming to the SEC. They're just like UNC and Duke, they have too much pride to admit they'd be better off with us. UVA and UNC in the SEC would awaken sleeping giants IMO. They wouldn't be on an UA, AU, UGA, LSU level consistently, but they'd be able to keep elite players in state that are signing with SEC programs now and they'd make a lot more money too.

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While that's true, it causes the undoing of the ACC. A marginalized ACC and a marginalized Big 12 are good for the SEC. It's okay if they challenge for superiority now and then, but the situation as is, is fantastic for the SEC.

Here is my own personal opinion....

I would say that the majority of those under 40 with affiliation to VT would prefer the SEC to the ACC, Big 10, etc...it is the older folks who went when the school was mandatory military and much smaller longed for the ACC.

As VT has gotten larger, our alumni base (while small to other universities) is now greatly outpacing UVA over the last 3 decades, and it is really starting to show in the state especially when it comes to media. There are reasons why VT has the flagship station in DC over UVA and MD.

I think the wildcard in all of this is Babcock, the new AD. He has been very aggressive since getting here hiring Buzz Williams, finally having a football office staff for recruiting, new media (Hokie App), etc..

If you see his quotes, he is always talking about the money disparity and the need of an ACC Network for VT survival in the long run.

Jim Weaver was not looking ahead, so if no ACC Network, I think the whole dynamic changes.

But since I have wanted the SEC forever, I assume it will never happen

As published in the January 2014 WSJ



I am sure the rant will disagree.

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Missouri Fan

This I don't understand.

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UVA and the SEC schools go back to the old days of the SIAA and SoCon, that alone pulls much weight in rooms filled with guys in their senior years actually sitting at the table and making the decisions. Slive is a UVA grad and there are many connections most folks will never see if you did not grow up in the south.

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UVA's football program has been pure garbage for years

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Does not matter, it is social like The Grove @ Ole Miss. My mom used to attend UVA games and nobody expected them to win. The bigger issue is getting into the recruiting grounds of VA and her borders and this would be most valuable.

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hoops program just now got back on its feet

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Without the UNC and Dook neighbors, it would not surprise me to see the Hoos do well in basketball in the SEC. Their arena is relatively new and seats around 15K which would make it one of the larger venues in the SEC.

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Other than better location and academics what would they bring athletically?

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Baseball - Hoos have been to 3 CWS in past few years (2009, 2011, and 2014)
M Soccer - Hoos have 6 NCAA championships. If Gators add M soccer (and UK and USC move from CUSA to SEC) you have a core for building soccer in the SEC
Swimming - Hoos would be a good add
Wrestling - Hoos would give Mizzou a wrasslin partner in the SEC
Rowing - Hoos with Tide and Vols would only need 1 more team to sponsor SEC rowing. Hoos won the NCAA titles in 2010 and 2012

In summary the Hoos have TWENTY (20) NCAA Team Championships which would put them in the #5 slot in the SEC:
NCAA/AIAW Titles School
42 Arkansas
42 LSU
30 Florida
28 Georgia
20 Virginia
17 Tennessee
14 Auburn
13 Texas A&M
10 Alabama
10 Kentucky
3 South Carolina
2 Missouri
2 Vanderbilt
0 Mississippi State
0 Ole Miss

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Other than better location and academics

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3 rules in real estate
1 location
2 location
3 location

As for academics they are truly ELETE level status

As for the "other" you miss the money and political power they bring. Lots of UVA grads own stuff all across the SEC footprint. Texans my talk about being "the Jones's" but some UVA alum really are them, they just don't discuss it in public.

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So the non-AAU schools and their President's want AAU schools??? Link?

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You can't be serious asking for a link?

Entertainment $$$$ from college sports is dwarfed by Research $$$$ from sources flowing into college coffers. Lets say Texas (most valuable college sports program) pulls in 140 million from sports. Compare that to the 2.1 BILLION Johns Hopkins.

Look at the numbers next to each other :

139,000 = 2013 University of texas sports Forbes Magazine 12/18/2013
2,100,000 = 2013 Johns Hopkins research Washington Post 12/09/2013

Texas sports + Johns Hopkins research = 2,240,000,000
6.25% = University of Texas sports
93.75% = Johns Hopkins research

In realistic terms all of Texas sports is a gnat on the elephants arse that is Johns Hopkins research money. Do you really need a link to understand this?

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Here is my own personal opinion....

I would say that the majority of those under 40 with affiliation to VT would prefer the SEC to the ACC, Big 10, etc...it is the older folks who went when the school was mandatory military and much smaller longed for the ACC.

As VT has gotten larger, our alumni base (while small to other universities) is now greatly outpacing UVA over the last 3 decades, and it is really starting to show in the state especially when it comes to media. There are reasons why VT has the flagship station in DC over UVA and MD.

I think the wildcard in all of this is Babcock, the new AD. He has been very aggressive since getting here hiring Buzz Williams, finally having a football office staff for recruiting, new media (Hokie App), etc..

If you see his quotes, he is always talking about the money disparity and the need of an ACC Network for VT survival in the long run.

Jim Weaver was not looking ahead, so if no ACC Network, I think the whole dynamic changes.

But since I have wanted the SEC forever, I assume it will never happen

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Thanks for the view from VPI

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UVA would be a much better add in every possible way.

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UVA will not join the SEC for the foreseeable future.

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If Iowa State, Buffalo, Arizona, Kansas, and Oregon are AAU material, then so are Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn.

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There were the early admits which may get kicked out like Nebraska (admitted 1909, kicked out 2011) just did.

Kansas 1909
Iowa State 1958

Some got the benefit of lots of AAU members near their respective campuses

Buffalo 1989
Arizona 1985 and Oregon 1969

Of the 62 members
12 - 16 are in the PAC footprint (8 are actually PAC members)
28 - 32 are in the east coast / B1G footprint (13 are actually B1G members)

Since the AAU is actually shrinking :
Clark (1900-1999) departed when unable to keep up with the big state universities
Catholic (1900-2002) departed with differing emphasis and energies
Syracuse (1966-2001) withdrew when facing possible expulsion
Nebraska (1909-2011) expelled by AAU

Think of the AAU as an exclusive club that wants to limit membership, say 50 - 60 members tops and not as an expanding club that wants to have maybe 100 members. If you have not followed the AAU for a long time you may not be aware of how they actually seem to operate. If they want just 60 then 2 more schools are still to be cut. If they want to limit membership to 50 then 12 schools are on the chopping block.

Vanderbilt and Florida are safe but it would not surprise me if the AAU made a run at dropping Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa State. Aside from Georgia any other SEC not already in may be looking at your kids or grandkids generation before getting an invite.

While I do not agree with the "exclusive club" approach, it does not deny this seems to be the actual model they follow. When you get to the Ivy and Left Coast folks, most could give a rats arse about college football or mainstream sports in general. Maybe if the SEC sponsored lacrosse or fencing we would get a bigger look.