Was the SEC our only choice?

[pbjones81]

Forgive my ignorance but I was young when it happened so someone give me a quick history lesson...What were the reasons for the SWC breaking up?

[toozakpig]

It seems that we are forgetting one small detail. At the time that we joined the SEC we where rolling in basketball. The SEC made us improve our football program and in return, we made the SEC improve their basketball programs. It was a win-win all the way around plus the money is unreal.

[hogfan064]

It seems that we are forgetting one small detail. At the time that we joined the SEC we where rolling in basketball. The SEC made us improve our football program and in return, we made the SEC improve their basketball programs. It was a win-win all the way around plus the money is unreal.

Very true.  I love the story about the Hogs first SEC tourney when we packed the place.  The players came in prior to our game in their warmups.  At that time thousands of Hogs stood up and called the Hogs.  It was at that point that UK realized they were no longer the only basketball team in the conference and the SEC knew it as well.

[jbcarol]

The competition seemed to be a kick in the pants, spurring UK to win seven of the next eight SEC Tourneys and settling for the NC and an undefeated conference schedule the year they finished 2nd.

I miss those days, listening to the sneakers squeak so loudly via Yahoo! last nite.  A very quiet and sedate BWA for most of the battle.

Folks should get to Atlanta this year and bring back the fervor!!!

[oldhawg]

A little more history:

"The closest Arkansas came to getting out was in the early 1980s. There was informal talk of joining the Big Eight, which was considering dropping Kansas State because of its sagging football program. Arkansas would have preferred the SEC even then, but it could have picked up Kansas State's schedule and not missed a beat. Kansas State got a reprieve because of its profitable basketball program and never left. Neither did Arkansas."

The Dallas Morning News
August 5, 1990    
Old wounds led to Razorbacks-SWC split
Author: David McNabb; Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News



The following is a pretty good historical account of Arkansas's dissatisfaction with the SWC. Unfortunatly, since it is an archived article, I do not think that I can link it, but will try anyway. However, I did save it should anyone want a copy emailed to you.

http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=0ED3D11A6D1D26A2&p_docnum=39&s_accountid=AC0108022122445110443&s_orderid=NB0108022122433010306&s_dlid=DL0108022122450710509&s_ecproduct=DOC&s_ecprodtype=&s_username=dbdbdave&s_accountid=AC0108022122445110443&s_upgradeable=no