Ouch

[Justin Spencer]

Great commercial.

I understand more money is good, but who is it benefitting. Ticket prices went up, season ticket holders are getting raked over the coals, tuition is going up again. They have a new basketball arena, and can't fill the seats they have in the football stadium for every game. Where is the money going to go?

Still wondering?

[stlfisher]

Florida might be a stretch to travel, but yeah when I was in college we took every chance we could to road trip. If girls were involved even better. Took a buddies minivan, grabbed some beer and off we went. Slept in the car and still talk about those trips today. Those are things I remembered from college not what I learned in a classrooom.

Nevertheless besides gas and beer it isn't like you are dropping a ton of money...and you are talking about 4 road games a year with travel to Florida, SC, and Georgia only every other year. I'd rather go to Florida than the any other midwestern city. Even then this is only until they can come to an agreement of the divisions long term.

What reason would SEC fans have to come out in the past and talk smack when we haven't played them yet? There would be no reason. I bet Arkansas fans are ready to talk a bit.

The SEC does draw larger crowds than the Big 12 (fact) and is considered (could be debated) the premier football league in the country. Why wouldn't you want to be a part of that?

I am bit blown away that people wanted to stay in the Big 12. I don't know why you would want to stay in a league in which some members are favored over others. It is bascially cheating. Who stays with a cheating spouse? Because of tradition? What would that say about Mizzou as a school?

The SEC has no penaltly for leaving the league...you can leave whenever you want...yet no one does. I wonder why that is?

Man up take your shot at the big boys and see what happens. You might fail, but it is better than staying put and taking scraps from the table.

[ozark trout fisher]

Man up take your shot at the big boys and see what happens. You might fail, but it is better than staying put and taking scraps from the table.

So Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Texas are not "big boys" in football? And Kansas, K-State, and Baylor are not any good at basketball either? Huh?

You might like being in Florida or Georgia or other places in the south more than here, but the fact is, Missouri is part of the Midwest. We don't belong in the "South East Conference" because, well, when did we become part of the southeast? I like the midwest. I wouldn't live here if I didn't. And I sure as heck like the Big 12 better than SEC.

Anyway, none of the pro-SEC folks are willing to address the impact this has on the "non revenue" sports. Guess no one gives a darn about wrestling (who as I said earlier, doesn't even have a conference now), track, cross country, or anything else, because they don't make money and they aren't that much fun to watch. Pretty sad. Mizzou is a university, not a professional football (or basketball) franchise. Why doesn't anyone understand that?

[stlfisher]

So Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Texas are not "big boys" in football? And Kansas, K-State, and Baylor are not any good at basketball either? Huh?

You might like being in Florida or Georgia or other places in the south more than here, but the fact is, Missouri is part of the Midwest. We don't belong in the "South East Conference" because, well, when did we become part of the southeast? I like the midwest. I wouldn't live here if I didn't. And I sure as heck like the Big 12 better than SEC.

Anyway, none of the pro-SEC folks are willing to address the impact this has on the "non revenue" sports. Guess no one gives a darn about wrestling (who as I said earlier, doesn't even have a conference now), track, cross country, or anything else, because they don't make money and they aren't that much fun to watch. Pretty sad. Mizzou is a university, not a professional football (or basketball) franchise. Why doesn't anyone understand that?

I don't disagree with parts of your statement, but the reality of the situation, in the current environment. is that colleges are driven in large part by athletics especially football. It is a part of how they keep the doors open. In a perfect idealistic world that wouldn't be the case, but it is. You don't compete you loose out. You may not like it and I may not like it, but it is what is. Mizzou needed to do what they needed to do to put the university in the best possbile situation for long term sucess. In my opinion they have done that. All the talk about tradition, and what is fair is fine and dandy, but staying in the big 12 was a huge risk for Mizzou. Why do you think KU was so angry Mizzou left? It wasn't only about tradition...It was about KU having few options if the Big 12 fell apart. The reality is conferance alignment for a university is critical.

And I never said there weren't good schools in the Big 12 and there are top tier programs, but it is not stable and not managed fairly. It is shame that some schools don't really have other options. Mizzou didn't want to be one of them, Nebraska didn't, Colorado didn't and Texas a@m didn't.

[ozark trout fisher]

I don't disagree with parts of your statement, but the reality of the situation, in the current environment. is that colleges are driven in large part by athletics especially football. It is a part of how they keep the doors open.

It's worth noting that most all university athletic departments actually lose money. So it's not like athletics are going to do much of anything to keep the university afloat whether we're in the SEC or the Big 12.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/collegesports/2010103078_ncaa21.html

[stlfisher]

It's worth noting that most all university athletic departments actually lose money. So it's not like athletics are going to do much of anything to keep the university afloat whether we're in the SEC or the Big 12.

Which is why football, as a money maker, is so imporant to the universities and why conferance alignment is as well.

[ozark trout fisher]

Agree to disagree. I've said all I can say about it.

[Guest]

Ya'll are complaining about joining the SEC?? You should be happy..

The Big12 was run by Texas, who doesnt share the wealth with other schools.

SEC splits all their money amongst all the schools regardless of their record.

As for the non-revenue aspect, theres a sacrifice with anything you do in life.

It sucks for them, but lets face it, its about revenue and football is your #1 source of sports income in college athletics.

Sure, most of ya'll would have liked to stay in the Big12, I totally understand that. Things change

Arkansas was a big part of the old SWC before moving to the SEC.

Honestly, we would have won a conference championship by now in the SWC, but we play in the SEC with the big dogs.

Im pretty excited about playing Mizzou and visiting their campus.

Its gotta be much classier than those Mississippi schools

[Guest]

If you want to know what other Mizzou fans think:

try this

http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/p/32956566/Mizzou-Daily-Thread-to-Discuss-All-Things-You-Love-or-Hate-About-Mizzou-rah.aspx

[ozark trout fisher]

As for the non-revenue aspect, theres a sacrifice with anything you do in life.

It sucks for them, but lets face it, its about revenue and football is your #1 source of sports income in college athletics.

Yup, sucks for them, but it sure is great for football, so it must be what is right for everyone. After all, nobody really gives a darn about wrestling or track or anything like that. Why should they? They're boring as hell to watch and they don't haul in the cash.

I'm not sure I've ever heard anything quite so narrow minded, but the thing that worries me is that most people actually seem to agree with those sentiments. This is a university, not a professional sports franchise. I know I've said that like eight times now, but still no one seems to hear that. These decisions should be made to be in the best interest of ALL ATHLETES, and the university as a whole. It's not okay, for example, to be leaving our wrestling team high and dry without a conference because we think it would be sort of neat to get Alabama at Faurot field.

I'm sorry. I don't mean to go off. I just have sort of lost my patience with no one caring about the ramifications of this move beyond football. I don't understand it.