re: A&M to SEC - Done deal

A&M to the SEC probably hurts LSU recruiting in a marginal way - and helps SEC make a bigger footprint into Texas.

The big winner in adding them is probably Arkansas - for whom IMO recruiting Texas is essential and will probably benefit by having a raised presence in Texas to some extent.

I am personally against expanding the SEC for logistical reasons (unless forced by other conferences expanding first i suppose)... I have yet to see a proposal for a 13,14, or 16 team conference that didn't end up with pretty strange football schedules...

For example with 14 teams - six within division games, one fixed cross division opponent and only one rotating cross division opponent... you end up playing other teams in your conference extremely rarely (and there is value in really playing your conference competition IMO - for LSU teams like UGA, UT, KY, even USC would become extremely rare opponents)

Adding a 9th conference game (instead of 8 regular season games) is possible but also undesirable - leading to more unequal schedules with different numbers of home/away games played... fewer home games in general (making less money)... and probably allowing for fewer good out of conference opponents