The dust still hasn’t quite settled from Missouri’s weekend move to the Southeastern Conference. Below are some of the issues still playing out:
The Schedule
A Missouri associate AD said yesterday that the school’s cross-divisional rival is “more than likely to be Texas A&M.” No newsflash there.
And with an eight-game schedule, that means Arkansas will travel to Columbia — and vice versa — about once every 12 years.
And that’s one of many reasons we continue to tell you what we’ve been saying since last month — The SEC will adopt a nine-game schedule at some point. It must.
Aside from its schedule, MU will have to make a few other adjustments when it arrives in the SEC.
The Border War
Missouri’s departure from the Big 12 has upset Kansas officials, the other party in the more than a century old Border War rivalry. On Sunday, the school’s public affairs office tweeted this childish response to MU’s decision: “Missouri forfeits a century-old rivalry. We win.”
Well, not in the court of public opinion. As has been said of Texas regarding their refusal to play Texas A&M post-move, the Jayhawks are not taking heat from outsiders who realize KU and MU could easily keep their rivalry alive. MU is being blasted for departing Kansas City, but it’s Kansas that actually seems intent upon ending the annual showdown which has most recently been played in that city.
Many Kansas fans say — like basketball coach Bill Self – that they “don’t give a flip” about playing Missouri now. If that’s the case, then Missouri — like A&M — should continue to make themselves available for the game which should continue to make KU — like Texas — look pretty childish.
And for a man who doesn’t give a flip, Self sounds like a man whose been scorned as he takes shots at Mizzou. “There’s no ill feeling about them leaving but this isn’t Oklahoma or Texas leaving either, a school that could break the league up. I’m happy with our league.”
Perhaps it’s time for MU officials to send their own childish tweet towards Lawrence, Kansas: “Glad you’re happy. Enjoy the Big 12 (until the new media right deal runs out).”
West Virginia
Regarding the speed of Missouri’s departure from the Big 12, there’s a belief that West Virginia could help matters by escaping the Big East pronto.
But the Big East — which filed a countersuit against WVU last week — says that the withdrawal letter sent by the school to the league was not a proper withdrawal method.
In other words, WVU’s battle to leave the Big East might rage on for a while.
Gary Pinkel
Missouri’s head coach isn’t talking much about his school’s move to the SEC. Instead, he’s keeping his eye on Texas and his Tigers’ last go-round with the Longhorns this weekend.
But he did make one comment: “Our administration has made a decision based on what’s best for the future of the University of Missouri and the state of Missouri to go to the Southeastern Conference. I fully support it. It was certainly based on a long-term decision. As it sorts itself out, we expect it to be a tremendous plus for this university and the state. We’re excited about that.”
Hurt Feelings
The Kansas City Star seems to be searching more than other Missouri newspapers for Tiger fans angry over the move and for numbers that show MU really wasn’t all that in the first place.
(An unscientific poll at The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s website shows that 65% of 1600+ respondents like Missouri’s move, while 19% don’t and 16% aren’t sure.)
I failed to say "Thank You" to all the SEC university administrations and SEC officers for bringing Mizzou into this great conference. We will do our utmost to make you proud of our brand (as well as compete aggressively with you, lol). Looking forward to see where the next 100+ years takes us. See ya on the fields and courts of competition!
If Mizzou wanted to guarantee the Kansas rivalry survival they should have stayed in the Big12. It's the price of conference realignment & history has shown in other conference realignments that rivalries have been lost.
Kansas is hurt because now they suffer a bit money wise...Screw the Big 12 I am glad Mizzou is now part of the SEC and I am proud to be a FAN OF THE SEC
Just a thought, Kansas coaches and administraters really seem to have their panties in a wad about MU leaving for the SEC. What would KU do if approached by the ACC with an invitation to join that league along with UConn to become the premeir basketball conference in the land?
That’s not a viable option for them. At least not anytime in the foreseeable future. The University, the Board of Curators, Chancellor Deaton, AD Alden all spent way too much political capital extricating themselves from the Big XII to turn around the hop conferences again. They’d be held accountable by the alumni, boosters, and voters in the state.
They would leave right away...Kansas, Kstate, and Iowa State are mad because they are trapped right now.
Stl Today had a "what they are saying" article today about MU's move to the SEC. I thought Mack Brown had a very classy comment. He said that the University of Texas always does what is best for itself and he congratulated Missouri for doing what they felt was best for them and wished them well.
The Kansas football coach only said they would no longer play MU because that game belonged in the Big 12. Kansas people including Bill Self really seem hurt by MU's move.
Are we?
Moving to SEC is more important than the rivalry, and havent we offered to continue to play?
It is also nice that your comment acts like it speaks for everyone from Missouri.
And I live and was raised in KC
Mizzou left because they were looking out for the "best interest of the school", not the best interests of KC or STL or anything else. Yes yes money, stability, competition, all those are factors but as a general explanation is was for the best interest of the school. Similarly KU will not play MU because it is in the best interest of KU. KU is struggling at football right now, and it would not make sense to take a easy non conference home game and switch it out with neutral site game against a legitimate D1 opponent (Mizzou). That would take a very winnable game and turn it into a much more difficult game, so that does not make sense for KU and is not in their best interest. With basketball KU sells out every game around KC no matter who they play, so why would they want to split any revenue with MU when they can play someone else and have it all to themselves. Plus it would give Mizzou help in recruiting locally. So again, it is not in KU's best interest to play MU in basketball either.
So you can't be all for Mizzou moving and not understand why KU will not play MU, they are both doing what is in their best interest. And before you say the money is too big for KU to turn it down, KU has a larger endowment and makes more in sports revenue every year than MU, so KU does not "need" the money that bad. The money is big, but for the reasons outlined above I think you will understand that KU and MU are just doing to same thing, looking out for themselves. Its a far cry to say that KU is the one ending it, when both parties deserve blame in this whole mess.
Eric...I know BB brings in a lot for KU, but other than TV contract are you saying KU brings in overall more revnue? Also, your thoughts about why they will not play have some logic, but that is not what they are whining. Start saying that and perhaps KU will not be seen as the sweater around their neck wearing crybabies they have currently painted themselves as in local media and nationally! Be careful, jayhawk may become a punch line for more than football...
Yes I am saying KU makes more from athletics than MU, and their donations (endowment) is larger as well. The payout for the annual KU-MU football game at arrowhead is 2 million to each team. Many seem to think the money for that game is so big that even if it becomes a non conference game, there is no way KU could turn down a payday that large, but that's simply not true. KU is fine financially and therefore it doesn't make sense to play that difficult of a non conference game.
As far as whining, I don't think that it is the KU fans that are whinning. All KU said was that they do not want to play Mizzou if they left the conference, and i think most KU fans agree with that. The whining seems to be coming from Mizzou fans upset that KU has shunned Mizzou's desire to keep the rivalry going. I don't blame MU for leaving, just as I don't blame KU for not wanting to keep playing Mizzou. If you are saying KU are whiners for "Not wanting to play", that's wrong, as they are just doing whats in their best interests. If someone was for Mizzou leaving, then they should understand why this rivalry will end.
Since I've been a contrarian in my comments I thought I would post something to make everyone on this board happy. Here you go: http://www.komu.com/news/no-love-lost-for-longhor...
I think we ought to invite Clemson into the SEC and have a "Cats" division. That way we can find out who the top cat is: Clemson Tigers, Mizzou Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats or LSU Tigers. How 'bout a dogs division? Mississippi State Bulldogs, Georgia Bulldogs, Tennessee (mascot is a hound), and Vanderbilt, because, well they're the dog of the whole league. Then the outcast animals: Hogs, Cocks, Gators, Elephants and (I can't resist) Black Bears!
I'm from Kansas City and go to Mizzou. Mizzou isn't abandoning KC at all. KC is in Missouri so therefore they are forever linked. Everybody with half a brain knows that Kansas is being stupid about this entire thing. In 5 years when Texas leaves and they're in the Mountain West or Big East, it will be Mizzou who is laughing.
Kansas is just pissed because it's beginning to realize that they whole point of conferences and TV money is about football and not their obnoxious basketball program.
I hope we'll get to play Nebraska at Arrowhead instead, or even an SEC game, just to fill the place up and to show Kansas just how childish they were.
MIZ-SEC!!!!!!
Kansas will give many reasons why they won't play Mizzou anymore. But it all boils down to this. Every school want the best chance possible to make a bowl game. KU does not want to play the Tigers, because they don't want to enter conference play with another loss. They usually beat us in basketball and we usually beat them in football. One loss is basketball isn't that big a deal, but one loss in football can make the difference when it comes to bowl games. If KU had trouble beating us before, it's about to get a whole lot tougher with better recruiting. Just be honest KU folks. SEC all the way. Love the coverage here at Mr. SEC!!! MIZ SEC
Better recruiting? Mizzou has just compromised their TX talent connection. Once every other year in TX won't cut it for recruits. Hell, if they want to play in the SEC they'll go to Arkansas and A&M well before choosing Mizzou. And I'm not talking about the top talent. The top TX talent will continue going to OU and TX and if they want SEC they'll choose LSU or another traditional power.
Now, if you think they'll make up for it by taking talent from the deep south over existing SEC programs, you can make that argument. However, many wouldn't agree. Mizzou better pray they keep Pinkel and forget quickly that Chase Daniel is a Texan. I'm quite amused by the recently esposued knowledge that Mizzou is a football power. Maybe that'll play out in the SEC next year. It aint happening in the Big 12 this year.
If Arkansas can build up their program into a consistent SEC contender, there's no reason that Missouri can't eventually get there as well. It will first and foremost take a significant boost to their budgets for facilities, recruiting, and coaching salaries but all indications thus far are that they're willing to make those types of accomodations.
In my admittedly biased opinion, I attribute that development more to playing a tougher SEC schedule than to losing recruiting in-roads. Playing in the SEC itself is a powerful recruiting tool for high school kids.
This is Arkansas's 20th year in the SEC. Over that time they finished ranked in the final AP Poll just 4 times. In the 20 years prior to joining the SEC they finished 9 times ranked in the top 20, including 4 top 10 rankings. The transition to the SEC was brutal for them in large part due to loosing access to their traditional Texas recruiting grounds while a member of the old Southwest Conference. I suspect Mizzou will likewise struggle to continue their success recruiting in Texas and will also find themselves competing against the Florida's, Georgia's, Auburn's, LSU's for the prized in state recruits.
That's all true, but an extemely tall order. To significantly boost budgets to pay for facilities, etc. during such difficult economic times will be extremely challenging. However, I do believe that the times will change and you did say eventually. It'll be interesting to see what happens within the university... There may be many who would feel that such enormous capital expenditures for football only may not be in the best interest of the students who came for academic degrees. Conference football is a zero sum game. Either you win or you lose. If Mizzou is a winner in the SEC then who is the loser?
Looking at the current State of KU football and its facilities, they won't be going to many bowl games in future. None until the B12 dissolves and they go to a non-BCS conference. They could play Mizzou in Arrowhead at the end of the year and pretend its a bowl game.
It will be a little sad to end it after 120 straight years, but it looks like its inevitable. It's nice to know that Mizzou will upgrade from playing KU every year to UK every year.
Ok this is stupid. Why can't we just do a 6-2-1 format? That way MIZZ can play A&M AND Arkansas every year?
The purpose of the schedule change isn’t only to benefit Mizzou. Every other member school must comply with it as well and with 2 permanent rivals, you still run into the issue of facing 5/7 teams from the opposite division only once every five years. The SEC ran this type of schedule when it initially went to divisions and didn’t find it worthwhile.
The KC Star got the numbers wrong while analyzing how Mizzou has done historically in the BIg 12. Mizzou leads the all time series with Oklahoma State 28-23. They have it listed as OSU leading 22-29. Never trust an article written by a jayhawk about Missouri. They are sneaky.
I am very happy over Missouri going to the SEC. I've always believed if you want to be the best you need to play the best. I hope Arkansas becomes an anual game for us. Great road trip to Fayettville or Little Rock.
At this point, I think Mellenger can write a full book by just putting all of his articles attacking Mizzou going to the SEC.
I go to this board from time to time because it is chock full of content. However, the view is so incredibly myopic that fiction can rule over basic fact. Try this out, the loss of Mizzou and Texas A&M damages the Big 12 badly, both financially and in perception. Also, both universities cast a lot of arrows while leaving, not caring about the impact on the remaining schools. Now Kansas must play Mizzou and Texas must play A&M... Are you being serious? A&M does help open up the Texas recruiting market to the SEC. That's big stuff and if the Big 12 teams, especially Texas, continue to play A&M they open that market further. End of story. All the teams in the Big 12 need to close down those rivalries while they rebuild.
Doesn't the SEC have enough? Or, do you just need to feel even better by belittiling the remaining Big 12 members? Also, you best be careful, you had a great product and you've now diluted it because of televsion sets. It may be a great move, but it also may come back to bite you. I know you all are quite righteous in your view of SEC football, but you've got a majority of teams that really aren't worth watching on TV.
Personally as a fan of Mizzou I have no ill will toward the Big 12. As a matter of fact I hope it does recover and is stable for the sake of KU,KSU,ISU and Baylor. You know the schools that Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were ready to leave behind until just this last September 20th when Larry Scott refused to recommend them for expansion to tha Pac 12 due to the LHN.
The only arrows I saw cast from Missouri when leaving was that they didn't feel the Big 12 was a stable place for Missouri to be. I see nothing wrong with that and I have seen no Missouri official throw any barbs at the Big 12 institutions that remain. All the arrows I see being cast in a bad light are from some in the Big 12 towards Missouri. Yes Missouri looked out for itself and I would suggest every other member of the BIg 12 should also or they might end up in the same situation in a few years.
Very well said Steven. "Enough" care to let us in on what slings and arrows you are hinting at from MU???
Kind of sad seeing how Georgia continue to play Georgia Tech (who left the SEC) and Clemson continues to play South Carolina (who left the ACC). I guess that SEC and ACC teams are just more mature than their Big Twelve Counterparts.
Kansas isn't just being petty, they're being stupid. You complain about the economic impact to Kansas City and then you refuse to continue a major rivalry game that will do nothing but help the local KC economy. This isn't even taking into account the other ancillary benefits like TV and merchandising that you get from playing Mizzou that will simply dry up when you stick some second rate directional school on the schedule.
KU fans and Bill Swlf included know that the conference has a short life and therefore they are envious of Mizzou beating them out the door. Columbia is the middle of the state and from Columbia going East(St.Louis) folks are excited, as well as those in the southeastern & southwestern part of the state. Kansas City believes that they will suffer the most, but eventually they will understand that this was a proactive (and must) move by the administration. Mizzou is excited.
MU fans to the west are excited also. I'm from the Kansas City area and I'm glad to see them going to the SEC! The biggest reason they give for wanting MU to stay in the big 12 is because they fear losing the Big 12 tourney due to us not being in the Big 12. Fact is it was only placed in KC on an annual basis through 2014 to attempt to appease us after all the stuff that went down in the summer of 2010. They took the tourney out of KC in 2003 and put it on a rotation between Dallas, Oklahoma and KC and after 2014 it was scheduled to return to that rotation as I understand it.
If that is their worry then use the asset of the College Basketball HoF being by the Sprint Center and have an annual College Basketball HoF classic hosted by Missouri University. They played Georgetown at the Sprint Center last year and it was great so being in 6 or 8 schools and have a tourney. It would make money and also bring exposure to the fact the College Basketball HoF is there which could bring tourism from Basketball fans.
Kansas wants out because their football team sucks and they don't want to lose every year. We probably won't play Nebraska. My guess is Kansas will be pressured into it or K state will take the game at arrowhead. Or possibly one year we play A&M at arrowhead next year at Jerry world.
Also with this talk of extending they SEC conference games. If they did that Mizzou could be in the west. Alabama could play Auburn & Tennessee as cross division rivals cause everyone could have 2 permanent rivals. What's keeping that from being the case ?
From my understanding, Alabama does not want Auburn in the east because it would give them an unfair recruiting advantage, so either 8 or 9 conference games doesn't matter for Mizzou. The only way MO gets into the west is if the SEC adds 2 more teams to the east.
James Hill...
I think a Missouri-Nebraska matchup would be a good one as the Huskers were probably the Tigers biggest rival outside of Kansas. That said, if you were Gary Pinkel and you'd just moved to the SEC, would you look to add Nebraska to your schedule on a regular basis, too?
Kansas would be the best bet. Hopefully the politicians in and around Kansas City will pressure KU to accept MU's invitation to maintain the rivalry.
Thanks for reading,
John
you're probably right about that. SEC teams don't like to schedule tough non-conference teams. They're not like the PAC-12 who does that routinely (Zing! - couldn't help that as a PAC 12 homer).
I admit that the SEC conference schedules can be very tough.
When do you think that Mizzou will actually move?
continue to enjoy your site.
Jim
It really is varied with non-con scheduling in the SEC. For Georgia, in addition to the annual game with Georgia Tech, in recent years, we’ve faced Boise State, Clemson, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, and Colorado all in addition to the normal SEC schedule. This year, LSU’s schedule has been insanely difficult – with Oregon and West Virginia both on the docket. Florida has FSU each year, South Carolina has Clemson, Alabama played Penn State, Arkansas plays A&M, etc, etc…. come to think of it, I take that back, it’s not varied, it’s pretty brutal across the board.
Hi John,
Why doesn't MU play someone like Nebraska or Iowa every year at Arrowhead Stadium? That would be a very nice rivalry for the teams and keep KC happy. KU would die with jealousy, I suspect. You heard it here first, folks.
If I'm Mike Alden, I'm be on the horn with K-State to see if they would be interested in an annual game at Arrowhead. Mizzou gets to keep an annual game at Arrowhead, K-State gets a good date and, as a plus, gets to thumb their nose at the Beakers. A win-win.
Pinkel has preferred to play cupcakes in his OOC schedule. Kansas would work, but I doubt if Pinkel would be interested in playing Iowa or Neb OOC. As a Mizzou fan, I'd love it. But I don't see it happening. I know a few years back we had Iowa scheduled and Mizzou backed out of it because they thought their schedule would be too difficult. I can't remember if the games were to be played in KC. But I think Iowa is still a little chapped at us for backing out.
k-PUGH has very little going for it and this is a way to get their fans off how poor their athletic dept is doing (other than BB they are lower division in all Olympic Sports) especially football, because financially they will need someone to step up to be able to afford to buy out Gill, remember, they are still trying to pay off the attendance guarantee for the Orange Bowl! That said, MU is bending over backwards to let them save face. Last night on Tiger Talk Mike Alden disregarded the facebok entry, lil' Bill's derogatory comments (at the same time during Hawk Talk) and took the high road saying (paraphrase) we absolutely want to continue our rivalry with KU, we respect them and cherish our history...he went on to add there are many non-conf rivalries because that was the 1st rationalization put out as to why k-Pugh shouldn't play MU anymore. If ultimately kU admin remains childish and petty, then an NU-MU game would be very interesting and re-start a rivalry that had become very spirited in the 2000s.
Medloh - MU has one of the toughest schedules in the nation this year, easily toughest in B12. (per Sagarin Ratings) Until Illinois backed out this year he started the season with them in the Arch Rivalry, after 7 or so seasons Zook cried uncle, he didn't want to start with a loss anymore. So, he replaced them with ASU and if his All American kicker didn't get the yips they'd've won in regulation on the road. He seems to like one tough OOC, usually home and home set-up.
You are right about this year. The B12 round robin has been brutal with a first year QB. But if you look back over the Pinkel years, he has scheduled Illinois, and then 3 cupcakes, and avoided other tough OOC games. He likes one decent test, and then 3 prep games for the conference schedule.
That ASU game was a fun one to watch other than the result. I think we were 14 points down in the 4th QTR and came back and should have won it. But it was no gimme, 47 yard FG attempt I think. Kicker has been in a funk ever since. Now he's injured.
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