Texas and the SEC

[SteveCraig]

Jon--

I've enjoyed the coverage and speculation regarding conference realignment on the morning radio show.

Deace has repeatedly suggested that Texas will not join the SEC for two reasons: 1) to avoid "opening up" the state of Texas to SEC recruiting, and 2) to keep a sense of academic superiority.

I floated these thoughts to a good friend, who is an avid Auburn fan in addition to Notre Dame alum (thus his interest in realignment). He agrees that #1 above is reasonable, but scoffs at #2. He states "there aren't 10 kids on rosters at SEC schools that Mack Brown couldn't get onto the field at Texas. For God's sake, Vince Young was on his team." He then floated the link below, which is a Stanford University blog dedicated to graduation rates in NCAA athletics. Interesting reading.

I realize graduation rates are not all encompassing when portraying academic values, but this data hits Texas pretty hard. I'd be interested in hearing you and Steve futher break down Texas, the SEC, and academics. The folks in the SEC really believe that Texas is a viable option for their conference.

http://stanford.scout.com/2/827873.html

 

[HWK4LYF]

All very interesting points, Steve. I think that those numbers would spark an interesting debate on M&D.

Go Hawks!

 

[ssckelley]

While the academics of the football team is much to be desired the academics of the university has a solid reputation. But I do not understand how the academics of the Big 12 are any better than the SEC.

 

[GhostofBTT]

I don't think the issue is the intelligence of the football players. The issue is the quality of the schools you surround yourself with. The glorified trucking schools down south are not the kind of company an elite university takes.

 

[HawkinGoferLand]

I don't think the issue is the intelligence of the football players. The issue is the quality of the schools you surround yourself with. The glorified trucking schools down south are not the kind of company an elite university takes.

there's your answer

 

[CAARHawk]

UT is a top flight public university, the standards of the vast amount of SEC schools don't rise to that level. Regardless of what your Auburn friend says, I live in SEC country and work in higher Ed. I haven't heard anyone who thinks the SEC has a legit shot at Texas.

 

[bws258]

It's much harder to get into UT Austin than any SEC school, save maybe Vandy

 

[joemc1]

Agree, the issue would be the overall academics of the school not the FB team. I don't buy the other point; though, the SEC already gets a lot of recruits here in TX.

 

[CAARHawk]

It's much harder to get into UT Austin than any SEC school, save maybe Vandy

Speaking of that I heard Vandy bandied about as an outside the box team to the Big Ten yesterday. Makes absolutely no sense to me, but that is what somebody said on ESPN.

 

[ssckelley]

Speaking of that I heard Vandy bandied about as an outside the box team to the Big Ten yesterday. Makes absolutely no sense to me, but that is what somebody said on ESPN.

Academically Vandy would be a nice wild card pick by the Big Ten, one of the few SEC schools worth considering. But I do not see how they would add a lot of revenue. They would be tapping into the Nashville market but outside of Nashville there is little interest in Vanderbilt.