Texas A&M, Virginia Tech to the SEC?

Commisioner Mike Slive has been relatively quiet through all of these conference rumblings, but you figured the SEC wouldn’t sit on it’s hands. There are multiple reports out there that say that Texas A&M is seriously considering a move to the SEC.

It is being said that the SEC is making a play for Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M. Texas doesn’t seem likely to make the switch to the SEC and with Oklahoma so tied to the Longhorns, because of their intense rivalry, that leaves A&M. Now you might say if Texas and Oklahoma are going to move together, why wouldn’t Texas and Texas A&M do the same? Well, it appears that A&M is sick of being in the Longhorn’s shadow and is ready to go out on it’s on.

Oddly enough, Texas has attempted to bolt from the Big 12 before when they tried to switch to the SEC back in 1992. But, the Texas legislature would not let the Longhorns change conferences unless A&M made the switch with them. It will be interesting to see if anything like this plays out this time.

Many have already reported that A&M was likely to follow Colorado and Oklahoma State to the Pac-10, along with the rest of the South Division. If A&M does go to the SEC, it makes you wonder would the Pac-10 take Baylor?

Another team that is being mentioned in regards to making the switch to the SEC is Virginia Tech. Now, this one is a little tougher to understand. With Texas A&M you are getting the entire Texas market. With VaTech you are not getting much of an extra market, you are just getting another pretty good football program, which the SEC already has plenty of.

With VaTech potentially leaving the ACC, that brings us to another issue. We’ve all heard talks of the creation of four super conferences and all along the ACC has been considered one of the four, while the Big 12 and Big East would dissolve. Now what does the ACC do? My guess is they start with Pittsburgh and Syracuse and then maybe gobble up some more Big East schools.

I also don’t see the SEC stopping at 14 teams if they do get Texas A&M and Virginia Tech. They, like the Pac-10, are going to go for a 16-team conference, with two eight-team divisions. From the Big East, the only possible additions would be Louisville and Cincinnati. But, for some reason I think the SEC is too snobby about their football superiority to take a team from the lowly Big East. From the Big 12, the only team that would really make sense is Kansas, but football-wise you have to wonder.

Let’s forget about football for a moment. Consider the addition of Louisville and Kansas to the SEC in basketball. I know the whole realignment thing centers around football. But, no matter what happens here, the SEC is still going to have a stranglehold on it’s position as the toughest football conference in the land. Mike Slive knows that. Does he then add Kansas and Louisville to increase the SEC’s validity as a basketball conference?

Imagine Kentucky and Louisville in the same conference. It would sure be fun for this website and for all of the sports fans in the Commonwealth.

This whole conference realignment thing is going to get nuts. The Pinkie is going to do it’s best to keep you afloat.