Insiders Predict Arkansas Will Be 1 of 4 SEC Teams Needed to Block Entry of Texas and Oklahoma

By Evin Demirel
July 22, 2021

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Why Arkansas Would Block Texas, Oklahoma to the SEC

Eleven of the SEC’s 14 members must approve entry of new members to the conference.

So if four presidents or chancellors of four schools vote to block the move Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, it won’t happen.

Texas A&M and Missouri are “hard no’s,” says Kirk Bohls, the longtime sports columnist for the Austin American-Statesman.

That makes sense. From 1996 to 2011, Missouri and Texas A&M had been part of the Big 12 alongside Texas and Oklahoma. Like Arkansas in the early 1990s, they left in part to escape the Longhorns’ outsized influence on conference politics.

Both programs would lose some recruiting foothold in the state of Texas if they let the Longhorns joined the SEC. Even with Texas A&M in the SEC, the state is still “Big 12 country.” The Longhorns joining the SEC would change that.

Beyond recruiting dynamics, there’s just plan old old-fashioned dislike.

Arkansas football fans aren’t the only ones who have built up a distaste of Texas arrogance over the years.

“Texas has a reputation across college football for its unbridled arrogance. Oklahoma is nearly as cocky, but has more rings to back up their case,” Rivals’ Mark Passwaters writes.

“Either way, they’re not going to be able to push around member institutions in the SEC like they would the Big 12. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU and A&M aren’t going to stand for it.”

“Basically, Texas and OU will need to humble themselves and realize they’re part of a larger group, not the drivers of a big bus with two big wheels and eight little ones. Texas, especially, will have to mend a lot of fences to get the support needed to get into the conference.”

Arkansas checks off most of the same boxes for blocking a move from Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC as Texas A&M and Missouri do.

That’s why Passwaters mostly predicts Arkansas will be a third blocking SEC member.

“From what I’ve gathered, A&M and Mizzou (recent Big 12 defectors) are no’s. I 100% expect Arkansas to be a no as well,” he tweeted.

He then adds a potential fourth blocking team: “And former A&M AD Scott Woodward, who has no love lost for Texas, is now at LSU.”

The Austin-Statesman’s Cedric Golden also doesn’t see Arkansas allowing entry.

“Arkansas and Missouri aren’t big dogs in SEC football,” Golden tweeted.

“The Aggies have improved, pocketed some $$ and gotten plenty of mileage off the SEC rep since leaving Texas’ shadow. None of these schools have a reason to welcome Texas and Oklahoma.”

Some insiders are dubious about the motives at play in allowing news about this move to leak.

“This is all a leverage move. It leaked today in part cause Texas wanted to take away from Texas A&M media day,” tweeted ESPN+ broadcaster Eric Lopez.

However, Lopez does see things coming to an actual vote: “Look for LSU, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Missouri among many from SEC to block this “move” from OU-Texas.”

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