Bob Stoops: "Arkansas would be excellent in the Big 12"

[Pork Twain]

We should have never left.  We are a small fish in a huge pond in the SEC.

[WoePigSooie]

Honestly, until we get a better coach, we are going to lose no matter where we are.  It's just a matter of by how much, and what lead did we give up.

[gchamblee]

We should have never left.  We are a small fish in a huge pond in the SEC.

I like the big pond. More room for growth.

[DLUXHOG]

FYI..... 5 Teams have never won an SEC championship in football:

Arkansas (since 1991)
Missouri (since 2012)
South Carolina (since 1991)
Texas A&M (since 2012)
Vanderbilt (since 1932)

[factchecker]

FYI..... 5 Teams have never won an SEC championship in football:

Arkansas (since 1991)
Missouri (since 2012)
South Carolina (since 1991)
Texas A&M (since 2012)
Vanderbilt (since 1932)

Basically the expansion schools plus Vandy.

[David†]

I posted this in the other big12 thread.

Our last 12 outings against big 12 opponents we are 7-5 unless I missed something.

It's not like we'd be winning the big12 every year either. Get real. It's about recruiting and coaching period. Spurrier had it right about us- We have to recruit our way out of it 

[David†]

We coulda shoulda won 2 SEC titles.

We can get there again.

[gchamblee]

I posted this in the other big12 thread.

Our last 12 outings against big 12 opponents we are 7-5 unless I missed something.

It's not like we'd be winning the big12 every year either. Get real. It's about recruiting and coaching period. Spurrier had it right about us- We have to recruit our way out of it

When I look at our roster, I think we have recruited our way out of it. Now we need to coach our way out of it with the recruits we have, which will require a new staff.

[DLUXHOG]

We coulda shoulda won 2 SEC titles.

We can get there again.

unfortunately we had a coach who didn't know how to dance once he got to the ballroom.........

[Cinco de Hogo]

I would have to have two things to consider the Big 12,  revenue sharing similar to the SEC and a $100 million guarantee from Texas and Oklahoma that they would stay in the conference.  My feeling is that if we jumped the SEC would immediately court both of those schools leaving the Big 12 with nothing but crumbs.

[Justagp]

First you would have to define better situation. If you consider having more wins against teams nobody respects then sure. Me personally, I'd rather be a middling in the SEC than the tallest midget in the B12. As for them controlling their destiny to get to the title game, you act like working your ass off rolling over mediocre teams just to get a shot at one of the teams we already play in conference is something special. We get a chance to do something every year that other teams may only get a shot at once every decade or 2. We get to play our way into that game by beating the teams everyone else just wants a shot at.

I don't consider it more prestigious to get rolled by bama in game 14 instead of game 6. When we were ranked in the top five a few years ago, we did it beating sec teams, not B12 teams. I take more pride in that. However, this is only my opinion.

Great post - there are very few times I have agreed with you in the past, but I am with you 100% on this.

[Tusks]

Like I said, when the 64 team, 8 team pods come around the Hogs pod could be,

TX
TAM
TCU
TT
OU
OSU
MO
AR

[HatfieldHog]

Bob Stoops may be a good football coach, but he is not a business man. 

I can see it now, we get the first check from the Big 12 after the end of bowl season, and it's about 1/6 the amount that we got from the SEC...!

See ya

[Sweet Feet]

We coulda shoulda won 2 SEC titles.

Uh Arkansas lost by 30 in the first 2 SEC title games. The 2006 SECCG was the only one they were competitive in

[OLPHog]

Stoops got a tour of Fred Smith center today.  I wonder how ours compares to OU's.

[Ben]

Some are so worried about "pride" and revenue that Arkansas gets. I understand it, but after 25 years, there has been nothing prideful about Arkansas's time in the SEC. Riding the coattails of other SEC teams doesn't verify us as a top tier program.

[gchamblee]

Some are so worried about "pride" and revenue that Arkansas gets. I understand it, but after 25 years, there has been nothing prideful about Arkansas's time in the SEC. Riding the coattails of other SEC teams doesn't verify us as a top tier program.

Neither does beating B12 teams.

[Ben]

Neither does beating B12 teams.

It has for OU, Texas, and Nebraska.

[jvanhorn]

I do. If we are going to be in a power 5 conference, let's be in the one that is most profitable with the most fair distribution of funds so that we can have some of the best facilities.

How is that having the best facilities working out for you?  Unless you count the baseball stadium, lol.

[Torqued pork]

Take Saban out of Tuscaloosa and hire us a dynamic coach and winning the SEC doesn't seem so hopeless. Spurrior and Urban are long gone from Florida and the Vols are still trying to replace Fulmer. LSU struggles to turn great athletes into great teams with much frequency. They might be more like the Aggies than the Aggies.

[Boarcephus]

It has for OU, Texas, and Nebraska.

Hate to break this to you but Nebraska is Big 10

[Hawghiggs]

Hate to break this to you but Nebraska is Big 10

True. But Oklahoma state is and they seem to be doing well.

[HardCore]

Don't see it happening as long as the Big 12 does not evoke equal revenue sharing.  Not going back to "Texas gets the big checks".......the rest of you divvy the remainder.  THIS.....coupled with the LHN is the primary reasons aTm, MO, NE, & CO are no longer members of the conference.  Stoops is just looking for ways to save the conference from demise.  He knows OU's odds of going to the playoffs will be greatly diminished if the Sooners are in the Pac12 or the SEC.

[Boarcephus]

True. But Oklahoma state is and they seem to be doing well.

They are.   All this talk about switching to the Big 12 so we can be competitive is like the 15 year old Connecticut transgender dude who claims he's really a female and is dominating the sprints in the girls meets.  You'll never know how good you are until you're measured by competing against the best.  When you're competitive against the bama's, Auburns, LSU's and UGA's you know you're pretty good. 

[MultipleScoreGasms]

We get the same league money that Alabama and Auburn do from Bowls and the SEC Network. Texas has their own network and they don't share the bowl money the same as the SEC. Texas runs that conference, thats why we left the old SWC.

^^^^^This^^^^^

which is why I would support a move to the B12, if the "whorns" went independent, and all schools had equal revenue sharing.

[MultipleScoreGasms]

I would have to have two things to consider the Big 12,  revenue sharing similar to the SEC and a $100 million guarantee from Texas and Oklahoma that they would stay in the conference.  My feeling is that if we jumped the SEC would immediately court both of those schools leaving the Big 12 with nothing but crumbs.

I would prefer TX to leave.  They are like pet monkeys.  What they don't $hit on, they break.  I don't see either team rushing to fill our spot in the SEC.  OU wants to face that competition in a bowl game, but not 8 times in regular season play.  TX wants to control everything.  They could never be the "big fish" in the SEC pond.

I'm with you on revenue sharing.  If the situation was equitable, I would rather be in the B12 for the regional rivalries.  I'm "old school" though.  I also think our recruiting took a hit when we stopped playing 4-5 games a year in TX.  I would like to get back to that, or close to it, regardless of our conference.

[HoggyCat]

Except that he just said this week that he will never coach at any level again.

Amd we all know coaches always tell the truth about possible destinations.

[Davidr295]

You act like the big 12 teams are making peanuts every year. Lol. I'd take the wins over the money. Why is the money such a big deal, we don't see any of it in our bank accounts.

[HoggyCat]

Neither does beating B12 teams.

Yet bert and Jeffi hang their hats on beating texass and KSU......

And we're what 2-2 in he regular season against them under bert? Granted it's bert, but still.

[Davidr295]

So you would rather us get curb stomped every year and have no shot at the playoff just so you can beat your chest and say we are in the best conference. Smh. You do know the Sec is  it the best conference anymore right, that belongs to the acc

[Davidr295]

If nobody respects the big 12, then why are there 4 big 12 teams in the top 25 and only 3 sec.......

[Davidr295]

So you would rather us get curb stomped every year and have no shot at the playoff just so you can beat your chest and say we are in the best conference. Smh. You do know the Sec is not the best conference anymore right, that belongs to the acc

[Davidr295]

We are a big 12 school trying to fit into the Sec, sure we rise up every 8 years or so and have a decent season. More often than not we are who we are.

[EastArkHog 47]

Arkansas to the Big 12 ain't going to happen even though we are out of place in the SEC, same as Missouri who should be in the B1G, same for A&M who is not a fit for the SEC either. But its all about money, no team is leaving the SEC and the SEC will continue to expand.

[Cinco de Hogo]

If nobody respects the big 12, then why are there 4 big 12 teams in the top 25 and only 3 sec.......

As some are prone to say, don't bring facts to the board. 

If Arkansas, aTm, Nebraska and Missouri or CU/CSU went to the Big 14, it would be one of the best conferences year in year out and the champion would go to the playoff every year.  On top of that the playoff would immediately go to eight giving a darkhorse at least an outside chance and that's were Arkansas would fit in most likely.

[Davidr295]

As some are prone to say, don't bring facts to the board. 

If Arkansas, aTm, Nebraska and Missouri or CU/CSU went to the Big 14, it would be one of the best conferences year in year out and the champion would go to the playoff every year.  On top of that the playoff would immediately go to eight giving a darkhorse at least an outside chance and that's were Arkansas would fit in most likely.

I agree! And not just in football. The big 12 is already considered by a lot of analysts to be the best basketball conference.

[Cinco de Hogo]

I agree! And not just in football. The big 12 is already considered by a lot of analysts to be the best basketball conference.

And baseball and track and women's basketball and...

[Corkscrew Johnson]

FYI..... 5 Teams have never won an SEC championship in football:

Arkansas (since 1991)
Missouri (since 2012)
South Carolina (since 1991)
Texas A&M (since 2012)
Vanderbilt (since 1932)

Huh?  Some teams have been in the conference since before WWII. This is beyond an irrelevant stat.

It's embarrassing how quickly some of our fans want to quit.  The SEC is fun, the Big 12 is not.  If you want to use the "what gives us the best chance to play for a national championship" line, the answer in fact is not the Big 12, it is the American Althletic Conference, or whatever Conference-USA-of-the-month club is available, and go the Boise St 12-0 route. But if you want to actually enjoy watching competitive football every weekend, in nationally televised meaningful games, in the only conference that matters, in the best college football towns in the country...then suck it up, hire a good coach, and go after it.  For Christ's sake it was only 2011 that we were a top 5 school (and before you drop the Petrino line, it was only 4 years before that that Houston the circus monkey had us in the SEC championship game).

[MuskogeeHogFan]

So you would rather us get curb stomped every year and have no shot at the playoff just so you can beat your chest and say we are in the best conference. Smh. You do know the Sec is  it the best conference anymore right, that belongs to the acc

I don't know that what we want really matters. Short of the Big 12 guaranteeing Arkansas an SEC level revenue share each year, we probably aren't leaving for the Big 12 despite having a better chance to win more games each year in that conference.

[Redhogs]

Honestly, until we get a better coach, we are going to lose no matter where we are.  It's just a matter of by how much, and what lead did we give up.

All boils down to this.

[Davidr295]

Huh?  Some teams have been in the conference since before WWII. This is beyond an irrelevant stat.

It's embarrassing how quickly some of our fans want to quit.  The SEC is fun, the Big 12 is not.  If you want to use the "what gives us the best chance to play for a national championship" line, the answer in fact is not the Big 12, it is the American Althletic Conference, or whatever Conference-USA-of-the-month club is available, and go the Boise St 12-0 route. But if you want to actually enjoy watching competitive football every weekend, in nationally televised meaningful games, in the only conference that matters, in the best college football towns in the country...then suck it up, hire a good coach, and go after it.  For Christ's sake it was only 2011 that we were a top 5 school (and before you drop the Petrino line, it was only 4 years before that that Houston the circus monkey had us in the SEC championship game).

Once again lazy argument. Oh let's just shut football down that way we would never lose because we never play. What does quiting mean in this context. We would be moving conferences. Lots of teams have done it. Who would call us quiters? Bama auburn Florida? Do u think they really care if we stay or go...

[Inhogswetrust]

"I just think they'd have an opportunity to really make a mark in the Big 12," Stoops said. "I think it would be good for the Big 12, but I also think it would be good for Arkansas when you talk about the landscape of things."
https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/arkansas-football/bob-stoops-says-arkansas-excellent-fit-big-12/

I have always said this. Minus the fact that the Big 12 is reaching a possible demise soon, Arkansas would have been perfect in the Big 12. Keep old rivalries, geographically easier, and less on the field disappointment like in the SEC currently.

Fans always hype the SEC and being in the strongest conference in America, but when we have to ride the coattails of other teams success instead of our own, then that's a problem. We are 89-115 in SEC play, and have no titles. The move to the SEC was strictly a money move and nothing else. Haven't really benefitted on the field any, minus a couple good seasons. All the bragging goes torwards the money and facilities Arkansas has (that the fans don't benefit from).

Meanwhile in the Big 12, Oklahoma St, Kansas, Kansas St, Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, and Missouri (when they were there) all have reached as high as #2 in the past 10 years and have controlled their destiny to a national title game. Kansas has won a major bowl game more recent than Arkansas.....  and Arkansas I know is a better program than all of those teams. They easily could have had that same success and honestly win 8-9 games a season just like they did in the SWC. Even possibly set themselves up for more major bowl games.

I'm all for wanting to compete with the best of the best. But 25 years in the SEC, the fanbase has been more disappointed, stressed, and embarrassed than anything else. I don't think it would have been that way in the Big 12. It just would have made more sense. Besides, continuing to play Texas every year probably would have been delightful. The LSU and Missouri rivalries felt forced.

IF they want to lose my support and fandom..................that's one of only a couple of things that would do it. We also aren't riding anyone's coattails. You only mentioned the football W/L record. That isn't the only measurement used by conferences. IF it were then several teams would not be in the conference. no it doesn't make "more" sense. Especially since you mentioned the little 12 is reaching a demise soon. I doubt us being there would change that dynamic.

[Davidr295]

IF they want to lose my support and fandom..................that's one of only a couple of things that would do it. We also aren't riding anyone's coattails. You only mentioned the football W/L record. That isn't the only measurement used by conferences. IF it were then several teams would not be in the conference.

If your support relies on the hogs being in a specific conference, then you are not a real fan.

[hawganatic]

They are.   All this talk about switching to the Big 12 so we can be competitive is like the 15 year old Connecticut transgender dude who claims he's really a female and is dominating the sprints in the girls meets.  You'll never know how good you are until you're measured by competing against the best.  When you're competitive against the bama's, Auburns, LSU's and UGA's you know you're pretty good.

But we aren't competitive against those schools.  At some point you have to stop beating your head against the wall and figure another path out.  We are schedule filler for most teams.  What kind of pride can be taken in that?

Right now we are for the most part playing in the AL/GA/FL market area, where we aren't going to recruit well from because of distance.  If we are in the Big 12, are primary market is the TX area, which has more than enough athletes to pull from.  Plus we can build legit rivalries with OK and OK State because they are so close. 

[Davidr295]

By some of you peoples logic Clemson and Ohio States recent championships don't count because they don't play in the Sec, guess what the record books say they are and the trophy is in their trophy cases. And there are no asterisks.

[Davidr295]

Does our only football championship not count because we were not in the sec

[Davidr295]

This sec experiment has brainwashed so many people into being more conference loyal than razorback loyal

[riccoar]

If we were still in the Big 12 we would have been piling up cupcake wins.  That alone would probably still have certain clowns roaming the sidelines as coach.

No, Thanks.  I'll take pressing our program to be better by facing much tougher competition.

[Hogimus Prime]

I agree! And not just in football. The big 12 is already considered by a lot of analysts to be the best basketball conference.

SEC basketball outside Arkansas and Kentucky is awful to watch.  I'm a huge basketball fan, but it's the truth. SEC basketball has been down for a long time.

[jst01]

I say lets go. Better fan participation with most away games like < 5 hours away & recruiting base improves. Hogs would also have a chance of winning the conference championship every 3 years as opposed to maybe just getting to Atlanta every 6 or 7 years.