re: TAMU and Mizzou fans... does it still feel weird?

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I loved and miss the Big-8. The Big-12 could have been even better but Texas (one of the schools the old Big-8 rescued when the SWC fell apart) ruined it for everyone.

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I think this is the most prevailing idea. Texas ruined the greatness of the Big8 with their greed. Didn't care about the other 3 (baylor, ttech, a&m)...although, I think all the Big 8 folks were confused by how A&M thought of themselves. Never seen a little brother who insists they aren't little brother more.

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Culturally I think Mizzou is more Big-10 than SEC but when you talk athletics (not just football, but hoops and baseball as well), there's no comparison

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Definitely more Big-10 culturally. I say that as someone who attended Mizzou & Wisco. There are some elements of Southern culture, but I'd give it a 80-20 split in terms of Midwest-Southern mix (albeit: mostly excluding the bootheel).

Not sure what you mean by athletics being no comparison, except in baseball. Football, Mizzou is definitely more Big10. From attire, to tailgating, to gameday experience. Baseball, definitely right, no comparison. But we, like the Big10, don't care about college baseball. Byproduct of 2 instate pro teams and culture I think. Basketball is hard to nail down in terms of culture. But Big10 cares more about bball, as does Mizzou.

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The energy at SEC games is off the hook too. I've been to games at the Big House in Ann Arbor and was amazed by how subdued a crowd 110,000 can be. In contrast, any number of SEC games during the regular season could pass for a Super Bowl (LSU-Bama night games in Death Valley come to mind).

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It is a very different energy. In Big10, bands and non game related cheers are a large part of the experience, no so much in SEC. Don't exactly know how to describe it, but is different for sure.

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Oh and on top of that we're treated as full fledged members with equal revenue distribution.

Mizzou could not have done any better than to end up in the SEC.

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I mean, Big12 was a sinking ship. Got a good deal with equal partnership right off the bat. Culturally and fit-wise, Big10 would be much more natural. It has been tough without our natural rivals and Big8 foes. The distance thing still plays a big role, whether people want to believe it or not.

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I just wish some of the haters would back off a little

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I think this is unsurprising. 1. Culture is different. Lots of people are resistant to change, or something new. 2. Our 2 big sports were much different performance-wise than we were known as, which threw people off I think. Mizzou is without doubt, a basketball school. We just happened to be in the worst stretch (not hyperbole there) in program history. Football, I think they expected us to be a doormat program...as our success has mostly been recent. We make 2 SECCG in first 3 years, and it throws them off. Easy to see why some programs might be jealous and/or feel threatened by that. Some haven't been there, and others see us as a threat to their standing.

I just hate when some of our fans try to "be SEC", when that isn't what we are culturally. Be Missouri, thats who we are.