re: Which Georgia school would be better for the SEC?

By the mid to late 70's it was obvious that Tech was not going to become the Notre Dame of the south like Bobby Dodd had envisioned and needed to be in a conference again. We were playing basketball in the old Metro Conference but football needed a home. Our facilities were going downhill from years of neglect so we needed the financial security that being in a conference provides. We were still basically playing an SEC schedule anyway with Uga, Aub. and Tenn. on the schedule yearly and UF and Bama rotating in and out frequently. In addition we were playing Clemson, Notre Dame and Navy every year along with South Carolina, Miami, Pitt and Tulane on a rotation. A helluva schedule to say the least but it's what you have to do if you want to become the Notre Dame of the South.

Anyway if Tech was gonna get back in a conference Bryant wanted them in the SEC. Tech applied and Uga was adamantly against Tech rejoining. They had finally started to gain the upper hand in the State of Georgia (being the flagship State school and everything) and didn't want Tech to have any chance to regain it's former glory. They lobbied against Tech and found some sympathetic partners in the Mississippi schools. Johnny Vaught never liked Dodd or Tech because for years Tech would never travel to Mississippi for a road game. Dodd thought there was nothing in it for him to play in such a remote place and a place we really didn't recruit. With Atlanta being the quasi capital of the south Dodd would play a heavy hand in trying to get teams to Atlanta to play games. You have to remember back in the old days traveling to away games was totally different than what it is today. I've also heard over the years that Auburn wasn't to keen on the idea of Tech rejoining the SEC either due to recruiting etc... since the schools are so close to each other and of course Auburn never wants anything that Alabama supports just on general principle. Lol.

Anyway it's all history now. Tech joined the ACC. Eventually turned around the football program, won the 1990 National Championship but struggled to maintain consistent success mainly due to coaching changes and the changing landscape of college athletics and entrance requirements etc... Tech is and always will be an academic first institute with limited degrees. Not a football factory. That frustrates many of our diehard fans who want to win all the time at the highest level and is the subject of constant debate within the Tech fan base but it is what it is. The ACC overall has been good for Tech and a better fit academically. Facilities are top notch now and despite more recent woes the basketball program became a national power for many years. Baseball and golf are also national powers and have been since the mid 80's right after we joined the ACC. I really do miss some of the old rivalries though. Even enjoyed the game with you guys in the Music City Bowl. In recent years we've done home and home series with Miss. St., Vandy and Auburn and have gone undefeated against all three and of course beat State again in the Orange Bowl this year so we still get an occasional taste of the old days playing SEC teams. We are in line to hopefully play Tennessee in the Kickoff Classic in Atlanta in 2017 I think. That should be fun. I still remember the 1985 6-6 tie in Knoxville. Helluva defensive battle.

There are many versions of the "Tech going back to the SEC" story but most all of the ones I have heard were along the lines of what I described above.