re: Newest Realignment "Rumor"

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They love their realignment fan-fiction.

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Yup. Us winning the realignment war of 2011 means a full decade plus of realignment fan fiction out of the Big 12.

I used to be addicted to the stuff. I would read that Shaggy thread or the WVU (the fact that they lead the charge says a lot) board religiously. But last year I finally quit caring as much, and part of the reason is that the speculation just gets wilder and wilder. The desperation for a better conference used to be veiled in analysis, but all of that ground got covered a while ago. Now they are like leftovers you don't want to eat.

Like this little "nugget" of info. First of all, the LAST thing ESPN wants is realignment. They said that over and over, all it means it everyone gets paid more out of their pocket. The SEC Network just made more money than they planned to make, I bet they want to see where that goes in the next 5 or so years before "pushing" for anything.

Secondly CBS has little say about realignment. It was obvious at first they didn't like that the SEC expanded and they didn't want to pay more for it. Maybe with Texas they sing a different tune, but that Tier 1 contract isn't the real money maker. The SEC Network is.

What is at the heart of all this though is a window into the soul of a casual Longhorn fan. The hardcores and alums want nothing to do with the SEC, but the casual fan (aka the kind that can't smell the BS in that) doesn't understand why the "best" Texas program didn't go to the best conference. No matter how much the AD says they are happy with the Big 12, the people buying nosebleed tickets and shirts want a better product for their dollar. Since at most Texas can only be half of a game equation, that means by default a better conference. I don't see those fans pushing Texas to come to the SEC, but I do think that dynamic means we Aggies need to be more accepting of T-Shirt fans as they come to us for the better product.

I am never scared of Texas. Not 1%. If they ever come to the SEC we can hold the "you had to follow us!" against them for a century. That alone will keep them from doing it.

I am scared to death of Oklahoma. My best Aggie friend tells me I need to mentally accept them to the SEC one day, but I just can't. We benefit so much from them being locked into the position they are in. I almost hope Oklahoma State makes the playoffs or something near the end of the GOR so it is politically harder to dump them.