In our own game of life, many of us believe that relationships don't work out because we are destined to be with another. That is the way we feel about our former ties with the Texas schools. We have found our true home in the SEC and are tired of others telling us we're not the right fit becuase they have never visited the numerous parts of our diverse state.

I would gladly trade this years N Texas game for a date with any SEC team on a rotating basis, thats a no brainer. Save that money needed to coax a victim every year with no guaranteed return date. And aside from the possible "tune up game" at the first of the season, does anyone get the schedule and make La Tech a "must see game" Spare me!

Chill my SEC Brothers. IF Mizzou is in, moving them "temporarily" to the East is no biggie and again, a win/win. Give them the full flavor of the South if a West move in forthcoming eventually. The Bama/TN rivalry is undisturbed. I think THAT has been the only deviding point bewteen Mizzou getting a green light earlier than now. It takes care of that 13 schedule mess. It allwos the SEC to renegotiate now knowing another round would be forthcoming with two more teams added later thus another renegotiation then. They could use this as good target practice for the 16 team TV deal.

It looks more and more like FSU/Clemson in the East but anything can change but it leaves open OK/OK ST to reconsider their position. Texas is its own worst enemy and between now and after the BCS is renegotiated is liable to say or do anything. But most importantly, it give the SEC time cause after 16, thats it…no more expansion…just doesn't work. So get it right the first and only time.

You can't point to Arkansas or other past examples in this because a team from Texas has never been in the SEC before. We're going to see how all the new dynamics play out.

Things may not be a done deal

Move Tennessee to the west and leave Vandy in the east when moving Bama and Auburn to the east and now you have something closer to fair.

-source: wikipedia

A&M and LSU/Texas own the Houston area.

The rest of the state leans to Texas first…

When they left the SWC their Texas recruiting dropped for at least 2 reasons. One, the entire Southeast opened up, and there are more good players in that footprint than in Texas. They picked up better players elsewhere instead of the lesser Texas players. Two, the head coaches we had for awhile had more contacts in the other SEC states than in Texas. Since Petrino, we have multiple recruits from Arizona, California, Virginia, and several other states. We even have one from Canada.

In a perfect world we'd get to play all the teams in bordering states (Arky, UK, Tenn, Vandy) and A&M every year.

First, Arkansas has far more exposure in Texas than they did when they left the SWC. I live in Dallas and there is a large slate of B12 and SEC games on every weekend. Yet the numbers of kids have gone down tremendously because they don't play games in the state. I don't think kids are going to change their mind because of the occasional SEC 'game of the week.'

Secondly, I don't think Texas cares about A&M joining the SEC from a recruiting standpoint. They are going to get pretty much the first pick of talent. Opening up the state brings eye balls from A&M fans, but it's not going to result in Texas, A&M (or for that matter OU) suddenly losing a bunch of kids to SEC schools.

Texas kids aren't suddenly rushing to the SEC because of a game against A&M or the 'SEC game of the week.'

Ummm … excuse me, but Texas is an SEC state now! That is a major difference. After Arkansas left the SWC, how often were Arkansas games shown in Texas on TV? Now that A&M is in the SEC, the Lone Star State will be bombarded with SEC national and regional games. Arkansas games being shown in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia on regional TV is how the Razorbacks were able to recruit in those areas. Keep in mind: the first choice of games and the second choice of games will be shown on CBS and ESPN nationally. But the third choice of games – often very good games – are only shown regionally in SEC states. Now that Texas is an SEC state, they'll get the same "SEC game of the week" on local TV that is now shown in Alabama, Florida, Georgia … everywhere else. And that will put Texas recruits in Missouri. (And Arkansas. And Louisiana. And Ole Miss. And Mississippi State. And Auburn. And Vanderbilt … now do you see why Texas was so dead set against A&M joining the SEC?)

North – South
Kentucky – MSU
Vandy – Ole Miss
Tennessee- Florida
Mizzou – Texas A&M
Arkansas – South Carolina
Auburn – Georgia
Alabama – LSU

Or, even simpler, move Mississippi St to the East.

Mizzou could maintain a presence in Texas simply by making A&M their permanent cross-division rival, and also by playing theTexas schools out of conference (in the Longhorns, Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, Rice, SMU, Houston, UTEP, North Texas, and in 2012 UT-San Antonio and Texas State they have plenty to choose from!). Also Missouri and Arkansas have no rivalry, "new" or otherwise. Mizzou was Big 8, Arkansas was SWC. The only regular season meeting between the two schools was in 1963.

Recruiting in Texas: yawn. Texas and Oklahoma own that state with an iron grip (and the Longhorn Network will make that even more pronounced) with everyone else in Texas – and in the Big 12 – reliant on fighting each other for scraps. But by coming to the SEC East, Mizzou will still be able to maintain a presence in Texas if they really want to by making A&M their permanent foe and leveraging their OOC games, plus adding Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina to their recruiting footprint. If recruiting is the sole factor, joining the SEC East is actually better than the SEC West because they'll potentially get more out of Georgia, South Carolina and Florida than they will out of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Another thing: Louisville is a talent-rich area (the recruiting base for the Cardinal football and basketball programs that have been to a Final Four and won a BCS bowl in recent years) and being in the SEC East gets Louisville football AND basketball players into Missouri. Good news for Pinkel, Haith and the SEC, bad news for Pitino, Charlie Strong and the Big East. Or Big 12. Whatever …

Don't get me wrong, I prefer Mizzou in the west. But Mizzou actually might benefit more from being in the east.

A perfect example is Arkansas. 25 years ago their roster had a 25-35 Texas players. These days they have less than 10. They rebuilt with in-state talent and from other SEC states. Missouri is going to have to do the same thing.