If SEC were to trade or expand...

[hogsanity]

In basketball they have an exact replica of BWA.  Last year they ranked #24 nationally in attendance despite having a losing record.  They also are one of the tops in the country in baseball attendance even though they are in an older ballpark.  Once the new park opens in 09 their attendance will increase even more.

You are right about the fans leaving games early, they are bad about that.  But the SEC could careless about them leaving early because their $$$ is already spent.  When USC makes a bowl game they travel better than most SEC teams. 

Another reason to keep USC in is that they are no legit threat to anyone in the SEC.  Arkansas is actual competition to most schools

I dont want to get rid of them.  I was taking exception to the poster who said the SEC should get rid of Ar before SC because SC brings so much more to the league than we do.

[Bacon The Saddle Again]

Forget Mizzou..they are too far north. Anything more North than Arkansas isn't really a SEC school. Kentucky gets by with it cuz they are farther west. I also don't want to add someone else we really have to fight with to win the SEC. So i'd take a USF, or Mempiss before Louiville. South Carolina I think would make a better Big East team than SEC team, I don't give a flip about how many fans stand in the pouring rain to buy tix. They would flouirsh in the Big East, and will never be more than ok in the SEC.

Like Kentucky?

[hogfan064]

I dont want to get rid of them.  I was taking exception to the poster who said the SEC should get rid of Ar before SC because SC brings so much more to the league than we do.

Noway does USC offer more in terms of tradition or even fanbase.  USC is helped by the fact that their team is in a large capital city that is within 90 minutes from Charleston, Charlotte, and Greenville.  South Carolina has nearly 5 million residents in a state that is easy to get around in and isn't near as rural as Arkansas.   If our campus was in Little Rock we'd get 100,000 fans to each game. 

Heck, Columbia isn't even 100% a SEC town.  You have lots of ACC airtime in the town due to all the Clemson fans, plus you have lots of UNC fans in the Myrtle Beach and Rock Hill areas.

[WindyCityHog]

I'd be for keeping the teams presently members of the SEC and adding Georgia Tech and Louisville.

That is exactly what I thought when reading this thread....Georgia Tech and Louisville would add a lot to the SEC.

The problem is that football-wise....12 teams is about as much as a football conference can get....unless you want to get rid of the out-of-conference schedule altogether.

[The_Iceman]

from a non Arkansas view, i would probably think the SEC as a whole would want to trade Arkansas to the Big 12 and then sign a team like Clemson, Florida State, or maybe someone like Memphis.

[hamsam]

south carolina is a huge part of the sec, to be rid of them is ridiculous..arkansas would be asked to leave much earlier than an sc team..

bet you wish you could take it back, huh.

[wooly]

Louisville, Memphis(west) Ga Tech and FSU(east) added.

In Football play everyone in your division + 1 east team home and away(rotate)

[stronguard]

Drop Vandy.  I don't care if they are a charter member, send them to the Ivy league.
Consolodate the Mississippi schools.

Add Clemson and GT.  Move Tennessee and Kentucky to the W which is renamed the NW Division, move Auburn to the E which is renamed the SE division.  Let Bama and Aubie be permanent opponets.

[bcdeputy]

I see the Big Ten adding Missouri to get an even number of teams.  Then the Big 12 would probably come hot and heavy for Arkansas.  If we decided to go, then the SEC could go after Memphis, Louisville or West Virginia? 

[31to6]

Wish List to Get traded: Miss. State, Ole Miss, Vandy, or South Carolina.

Wish List to come in: Clemson, Florida State, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, or North Carolina.

Don't mess with a good thing. Not every school is consistently great at football, but every school in the SEC is or has been highly competitive in at least one or two sports in recent years.

TX and OU are too far from the SEC-E cities and do not share even as much culturally with the Old South as Arkansas does.

Why add Clemson, GaTech or FSU when we already have the flagship universities from those states? Adding any of those just hurts USC-E, UGA or FL respectively.

North Carolina is the only geographically logical addition from your list (Flagship university for a state in the old south) and the only non-flagship universities (Vandy, MSU) are founding members.

All conferences have at least one high profile private university like Vanderbilt (Baylor - Big12, Stanford - Pac10, Northwestern - Big10) that is a long-standing member but never much in the way of a football program. Some have several (Big East, ACC).

The SEC has become a dominant conference by being selective about adding schools in a specific geography with a specific profile. It is a winning formula. Unless we want to expand to 16 schools, don't mess with it.

[Wildhog]

Don't mess with a good thing. Not every school is consistently great at football, but every school in the SEC is or has been highly competitive in at least one or two sports in recent years.

TX and OU are too far from the SEC-E cities and do not share even as much culturally with the Old South as Arkansas does.

Why add Clemson, GaTech or FSU when we already have the flagship universities from those states? Adding any of those just hurts USC-E, UGA or FL respectively.

North Carolina is the only geographically logical addition from your list (Flagship university for a state in the old south) and the only non-flagship universities (Vandy, MSU) are founding members.

All conferences have at least one high profile private university like Vanderbilt (Baylor - Big12, Stanford - Pac10, Northwestern - Big10) that is a long-standing member but never much in the way of a football program. Some have several (Big East, ACC).

The SEC has become a dominant conference by being selective about adding schools in a specific geography with a specific profile. It is a winning formula. Unless we want to expand to 16 schools, don't mess with it.

Good post.

[stronguard]

Don't mess with a good thing. Not every school is consistently great at football, but every school in the SEC is or has been highly competitive in at least one or two sports in recent years.

TX and OU are too far from the SEC-E cities and do not share even as much culturally with the Old South as Arkansas does.

Why add Clemson, GaTech or FSU when we already have the flagship universities from those states? Adding any of those just hurts USC-E, UGA or FL respectively.

North Carolina is the only geographically logical addition from your list (Flagship university for a state in the old south) and the only non-flagship universities (Vandy, MSU) are founding members.

All conferences have at least one high profile private university like Vanderbilt (Baylor - Big12, Stanford - Pac10, Northwestern - Big10) that is a long-standing member but never much in the way of a football program. Some have several (Big East, ACC).

The SEC has become a dominant conference by being selective about adding schools in a specific geography with a specific profile. It is a winning formula. Unless we want to expand to 16 schools, don't mess with it.

I think this thread was purely hypoythetical.  None of he things that have been posted will come to fruition.  Its going to be OK.

[rzrbaxfan]

I see the Big Ten adding Missouri to get an even number of teams.  Then the Big 12 would probably come hot and heavy for Arkansas.  If we decided to go, then the SEC could go after Memphis, Louisville or West Virginia? 

I think its going to be a cold day when the Big 10 gets a 12th team.  They would then have divisions and a championship game, and that is something that the PTB there does not want.

[Buck Brewer]

If the SEC expanded

East

Ala, AU, Geogia, Florida, Tenn, South Carolina,Vandy, Kentucky.

West
Ark, LSU, Ole Miss, Miss St., Texas, TAMU, Okie, Okie St.

Now the Ideal of Louisville is a good one cause of its rivaly with Kentucky South Carolina or VAndy would have to go for that under my senario. Most of the Big Twelve North would go to the Big Ten and Colorado to the PAC 10.

Play all divison members in Football, two, maybe three interdivision games on rotationg basis no permanent opponent. Four team playoff with ones vs twos in semi and title game.

Basketball would be the same structure and help with the pre Jan weakness. Not all teams get invite to conference tourny like baseball

The television contract would be stunning plus the attractiveness of an SEC channel amazing.

[roothog]

I wouldn't change a thing. I love the SEC as it stands.

And I would never want to leave the SEC for the Big XII. There are only four schools in that conference we have any history with so it wouldn't be like the old SWC days. Which I don't long for. The past is the past.

[jgphillips3]

The Texas legislature blocked a Texas move to the SEC years ago if I remember correctly and I can't imagine that changing.  Kramer really wanted them or A&M when they got us.  Overtures were made to FSU and Miami if I remember correctly also.  If another traditional power like one of those schools wanted in, I would be fine with it.  However, I don't want to remove any current member or add anyone who doesn't bring a WOW factor with them.  Also, it is ridiculous to say that Arkansas would be asked to leave before SC.  SC fans are great and they are a good geographic fit, but their program is NOT the equal of ours just like we aren't the equal of Florida.  We are solid mid-tier and they are teetering on the lower tier.  SC fans are great, but their program doesn't equal the fans.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

But they dont have a Standing Opponent like the sec does.  Ar play SC every year, then we rotate 2 other east teams, the big 12 just rotates through the division?

Right, they rotate through the northern division, which I think, is far more fair and can be pretty interesting if you happen to catch a Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska or Colorado in an upswing. But at elast you don't get the same out of division opponents every year(or even two) for the most part. I miss the old Nebraska-Oklahoma match ups and personally would have given up the OSU game to see OU-Nebraska every year. But things change, sooooooo.

[deshahawg]

I wish we could drop Miss. State and pick up Kansas.

[hogcoots]

I don't see anything like this happening.  However, given that we are only talking hypothetically, I would exit Vandy and enter either Texas or Texas A&M.  The reasoning would be money.  One of the Texas mainstays would bring a fanbase and therefore television revenue to the SEC from the state of Texas.  If you could lure both away, then you could take Auburn to the East Division and add both Texas schools to the West Division.  Auburn has strong rivalries with several of the eastern division schools and the addition of the two Texas schools would really strengthen the rivalries in the West. 

[phoggy]

All I can think about is geography and good teams. The only thing that comes to mind is trading Vandy for Clemson.

[farhan]

UCF will replace Arkansas.

[Buck Brewer]

The Texas legislature blocked a Texas move to the SEC years ago if I remember correctly and I can't imagine that changing.  Kramer really wanted them or A&M when they got us.  Overtures were made to FSU and Miami if I remember correctly also.  If another traditional power like one of those schools wanted in, I would be fine with it.  However, I don't want to remove any current member or add anyone who doesn't bring a WOW factor with them.  Also, it is ridiculous to say that Arkansas would be asked to leave before SC.  SC fans are great and they are a good geographic fit, but their program is NOT the equal of ours just like we aren't the equal of Florida.  We are solid mid-tier and they are teetering on the lower tier.  SC fans are great, but their program doesn't equal the fans.

That was Ann Richards protecting Baylor and Tech. It wouldn't happen now. IT would make more sense now for Baylor and Tech to link up with Rice and TCU in CUSA with Houston and Tulsa. Thats a fairly attractive mix there.

South Carolina is as much of a fit for the SEC as Arkansas is, IT's in the heart of ACC country in fact the media there covers the ACC more than the SEC.

Ark borders the Big 12 territory but is not smack dab in the Middle.

[justmakeit2thebcs]

thereTheir fans? SC's Fans are not that well known...

Best Fans in SEC

Florida Football
Alabama Football
Kentucky Baskteball
Arkansas Basketball
Tenn. Girls Baketball
ETC...
#298. South Carolina Fans

Their fans are very well known.....far more sellouts than arkansas in football over the last 40 years.
http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/2007/Internet/attendance/IA_ATTENDANCE.pdf

Their basketball ain't bad...
http://www.ncaa.org/stats/m_basketball/attendance/2007_basketball_attend.pdf

I don't wanna see anyone kicked out.....if were gonna expand, it will be to 16 teams.   

Texas
A&M
OU
OSU

[The_Champ]

I wish we could drop Miss. State and pick up Kansas.

Just becuse they had one good year in Football don't jump the gun.

Sorry to tell you but when has SC been able to compete in any sport... besides in the Basketball NIT

[justmakeit2thebcs]

Just becuse they had one good year in Football don't jump the gun.

Sorry to tell you but when has SC been able to compete in any sport... besides in the Basketball NIT

how about baseball?
http://www.secsportsfan.com/south-carolina-gamecocks-baseball.html

[justmakeit2thebcs]

All I can think about is geography and good teams. The only thing that comes to mind is trading Vandy for Clemson.

won't bring any more tvs......think va, nc, ok, or tx.

[Hawghiggs]

how about no ooc games just in conference with a  playoff.four divisions. west Div. Tx,Tx A@M,Ok,Ok st, Ark, and Lsu. south div. miss,miss st. bama,AU,tenn,vandy, east divsion. florda,florida st., miami,Uof G, G-Tech,south carolina, North division Kentucky, west virginia, North carolina, virginia, V-Tech., clemson. each eam would play five divsion opponents and a rotating division, plus one 1-AA team per year the top four in each division would make the playoffs with the higher seeded team getting the home game. then the champions of each divisions play at neutral locations. Oh my bad make that just one ooc game.                     

[tsewe]

I'd have to say I don't think anyone will be kicked out/asked to leave, maybe we would add some teams though. That being said, I would like to see Texas and Texas A&M added in the West. As for the East, Florida State and Miami would make great additions. Wow, now that would be a very powerful football conference. I don't want to see us leave the SEC, I think we are in a great situation.

[George S. Pigton]

Clemson brings no new TV's to the league.  The TX and OK schools would but they
aren't going to leave traditional rivalries to join a southern league like the SEC.  Same
for the ACC schools. 

The only changes left are the PAC 10 adding which I don't think will happen and a small
reshuffle in the Big 12 if say Colorado bolted to the Pac 10.  Maybe the Big 10 will finally
add ND. 

I could see the formation of some super league, taking the power conferences and adding
a few from the others to form a 72 team league, keeping all the money for themselves and
taking up a playoff of some sort. 

[ncrebel]

I hate these posts.  I know "The_Champ" only wanted to start an interesting thread BUT it only brings out the NWA transplants who want Arkansas in the big 12 for their own selfish reasons, plus those who want to go back to the good ole days of the SWC. 

The SWC is out of business and Arkansas is not leaving the SEC.

South Carolina has to stay in so I can see the Hogs every other year in Columbia :-)

[Purple Tiger]

Carolina plays in the Eastern Div which has been better than West in football How has Arkansas done against Tenn,Ga,and Florida? Florida and Kentucky have had the most basketball sucess the last 10 yrs. Fla and Ga have great recruiting bases. SC has been a power in SEC baseball last 8 yrs or so. They average over 80,000 fans per game and those fans are actually at the game,not just purchased tickets. They were in SEC yrs ago before going the independent route. Lrt's leave the SEC alone.
The NCAA will not mandate who will be in certain conferences as they are afraid of BCS schools leaving now.Louisville and Memphis are not SEC prospects.
SC also has over 26k students which means a large base of alumni which carries interst in SEC throughout the country. CBS knows there is national interests in SEC games outside the south due to the alumni.
Old SWC only had 3 schools with 25k enrollment. Texas,A&M,and Texas Tech. I hope SEC stands pat.

[hogfan064]

Carolina plays in the Eastern Div which has been better than West in football How has Arkansas done against Tenn,Ga,and Florida? Florida and Kentucky have had the most basketball sucess the last 10 yrs. Fla and Ga have great recruiting bases. SC has been a power in SEC baseball last 8 yrs or so. They average over 80,000 fans per game and those fans are actually at the game,not just purchased tickets. They were in SEC yrs ago before going the independent route. Lrt's leave the SEC alone.
The NCAA will not mandate who will be in certain conferences as they are afraid of BCS schools leaving now.Louisville and Memphis are not SEC prospects.
SC also has over 26k students which means a large base of alumni which carries interst in SEC throughout the country. CBS knows there is national interests in SEC games outside the south due to the alumni.
Old SWC only had 3 schools with 25k enrollment. Texas,A&M,and Texas Tech. I hope SEC stands pat.

USC was never in the SEC prior to becoming Indy, they were in the ACC until the early 70s.  Then left due to problems with the Tobacco Road schools.  Clemson was actually supposed to leave the ACC as well, but at the last moment changed their minds.   In the early 80s they joined the Metro in baseball and basketball and remained Indy in football

Clemson is the closest thing to a SEC school out there.  They have a huge football fanbase with a 80,000+ seat stadium, lots of tradition, and a good baseball program.  Plus CU already has 2 big rivals with USC and Georgia.

[LSPRazorbac]

My 2 cents:

Do no trade teams--you would lose a lot of SEC tradition.

If the SEC were to expand it would be to expand the SEC TV market.  Targets would most likely be a Texas team or Oklahoma team to the west.  And West Virginia, North Carolina teamn or a Virginia team to the east.

Adding Georgia Tech, Florida st, or Clemson does not expand the SEC TV market which does not make the SEC more money.

[zebra]

I understand this is hypothetical,

I have always thought FSU, but I like the thought of Louisville.

[PolishPigPower]

I'd love to see a domino effect happen that would cause the Big 11, er uh, 10, to expand by a team and take in Boston College.  Then the ACC would take South Carolina from the SEC, and the SEC would replace USC-East with Memphis.  Yes, Memphis.

If you look at this only from a football perspective, it would be counted as a loss.  But if you view this in overall sports terms, what Memphis would bring in would be even if not greater than what South Carolina adds.  Plus, it would quickly be a natural rivalry for us, and I'm very jaded in my view.   

[drivetimeporks]

bet you wish you could take it back, huh.

nope ..[CENSORED]

[drivetimeporks]

i dont base my opinions in hopes ill be applauded by the others on this board.. i dont want to see AR or USC out of the sec... but, i dont see that AR has any more claim to the league than SC, actually i think AR has less.. if u disagree, thats your business.. but, i think that opinion is ,well, horsecrap

[Fisticuffs]

SEC expansion? dumbest thing I've heard in a while. Conferences strive to have the perfect #12. SEC has 12 teams full of tradition and rivalries. And if anyone would be traded out of the SEC it would be Ark or SC. All the other teams have been with the SEC from the beginning. This topic is stupid.

[zebra]

I'd love to see a domino effect happen that would cause the Big 11, er uh, 10, to expand by a team and take in Boston College.  Then the ACC would take South Carolina from the SEC, and the SEC would replace USC-East with Memphis.  Yes, Memphis.

If you look at this only from a football perspective, it would be counted as a loss.  But if you view this in overall sports terms, what Memphis would bring in would be even if not greater than what South Carolina adds.  Plus, it would quickly be a natural rivalry for us, and I'm very jaded in my view.  

I guess you are a big Memphis fan, but other than this year in hoops, USC is better and brings more to the table than Memphis in most every category, other than maybe drive-by's.

[hogfan064]

I'd love to see a domino effect happen that would cause the Big 11, er uh, 10, to expand by a team and take in Boston College.  Then the ACC would take South Carolina from the SEC, and the SEC would replace USC-East with Memphis.  Yes, Memphis.

If you look at this only from a football perspective, it would be counted as a loss.  But if you view this in overall sports terms, what Memphis would bring in would be even if not greater than what South Carolina adds.  Plus, it would quickly be a natural rivalry for us, and I'm very jaded in my view.  

I'd love to see a domino effect happen that would cause the Big 11, er uh, 10, to expand by a team and take in Boston College.  Then the ACC would take South Carolina from the SEC, and the SEC would replace USC-East with Memphis.  Yes, Memphis.

If you look at this only from a football perspective, it would be counted as a loss.  But if you view this in overall sports terms, what Memphis would bring in would be even if not greater than what South Carolina adds.  Plus, it would quickly be a natural rivalry for us, and I'm very jaded in my view.  

1. The ACC is not going to take USC back.  The Tobacco Road schools won't allow it since USC left them in 72

2. Memphis going to the SEC will never happen.  Noone wants Memphis to become a legit school and adding them to the SEC would make them legit.  Too much talent in that city and its tough enough with everyone else battling for that talent.  Add Memphis and you have 1 more competitor 

3. I don't see Memphis being better for the SEC than USC.  South Carolina is a flagship University with a far larger fanbase than Memphis.  USC also brings a decent size TV market with it.  The Memphis TV market is already in SEC territory.

[The_Champ]

SEC expansion? dumbest thing I've heard in a while. Conferences strive to have the perfect #12. SEC has 12 teams full of tradition and rivalries. And if anyone would be traded out of the SEC it would be Ark or SC. All the other teams have been with the SEC from the beginning. This topic is stupid.

IF.

[Jellohawg]

After all the bull shi$ from HDN, I am really suprised we were not asked to leave!  What a black eye we were for the SEC!  However Bobby & John will bring back integrity to our programs!

[Banx32]

I understand this is hypothetical,

I have always thought FSU, but I like the thought of Louisville.

Louisville? i smell a rivarly coming...(not that it ever will)

[Doggtown31LCC]

memphis, southern miss, south florida,