Should the SEC Pickup TCU?
by Patrick_the_Ruminator on Aug 30, 2011 2:40 PM EDT
in Big East Football
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PrintSo while we are waiting on Texas A&M to say they've officially cut ties to the Big XII, I see that Dan Wetzel is advocating for TCU to join the SEC. Now while I've written plenty of articles over at the Purple Y and enjoy that work, this aggression will not stand.
TCU has not even started play in the Big East yet and Wetzel wants them to bolt for the SEC along with Texas A&M. As an LSU fan, I wouldn't mind dusting off the Aggie jokes (a situation which seems imminent), but I don't really want them in the SEC. It's going to water down the product. For the same reason, TCU shouldn't be asked to join.
Even with the current ongoing football stadium upgrades, TCU would rank second to last in stadium capacity. They would only beat out Vanderbilt. That's not good enough. And although the suggestion to play in Cowboys Stadium is out there, that's a once a year thing at best. The SEC is about venerable on-campus stadiums.
TCU would also be in the bottom third of the league in national championships won. The SEC is about more than football, although Wetzel's article is not. TCU's basketball stadium is too small and they don't fill it as it is. TCU's baseball stadium is a decent size, and that is one area where attendance is not an issue. The Horned Frogs ranked 18th nationally in attendance in 2010. However, they were still behind seven SEC teams.
The league already has a Vanderbilt for academics.
A major thing adding two Texas teams does is unbalance the East-West configuration of the SEC. Do you really thing the SEC is interested in doing that if the other Texas school isn't in Austin?
TCU is winning now but they have had decided advantages over the other schools in football in the Mountain West. As the only private school in the league, they could afford to spend and spend on the program. Texas is a talent rich state and the big schools can't sign everybody. Winning certainly helps that cause and TCU has been able to do that under Gary Patterson.
Would they be able to keep that up in the SEC? TCU's strength has been their defense which has ranked high nationally. Would their defensive line hold up over the course of a season in the SEC? What about their offensive line? Let's not forget a key aspect of that TCU Rose Bowl win, Wisconsin stupidly refused to lean on the running game that was gaining 5 yards per carry and totaled 226 yards. TCU only managed 82 yards on the ground on 26 carries.
We at BECB gladly welcome TCU to the Big East, but we don't think they fit the SEC profile.
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It would probably take a few years for TCU to win consistently in the SEC...
…but ultimately I think we’d be OK. However, the move won’t happen because we don’t have the student body numbers (9000 students) when compared to the big state schools, and it wouldn’t make much sense financially for the SEC. TCU has tons of money, but the SEC is already gaining a foothold on the DFW TV market with A&M joining; since most Aggies flee the booming metropolis of College Station, TX once they graduate and end up moving to either the DFW area or Houston.
Like you point out, they already have Vanderbilt as their private school and won’t be looking to add another. Furthermore, the path to a BCS game would be decidedly more difficult for TCU.
Ultimately, I think this is just Wetzel trying to fill column space and, as we know by now, if there were any legitimate chance of this happening the rumor mill would have already been buzzing about it. The Frogs will honor the agreement to join the Big East, and we are happy to be joining. Why spoil that?
Ugh.
The attendance smack-talk… make it stop. Hurts brain…
Everytime we talk about conference realignment the discussion is about footprints, media markets, and TV ratings. Nothing drives TV ratings more than big games between good teams. I’m not in the Big Ten media footprint. I’m not a fan of any Big Ten school. But when Ohio State plays a good Michigan team, or Wisconsin, or Penn State, I watch. I also tune into the BTN because it’s good viewing. That’s where the money is… compelling TV. No one cares how many butts Miami puts in seats. TCU won’t water down anyone’s football product. They’ll put a team on the field that will ring some bells and play with a fire in their belly. That’ll boost your ratings, sir.
And perhaps you can let us know when LSU’s average attendance exceeds more than 400% of its enrollment…
Agreed.
Attendance smack-talk is a lazy argument. I’d rather go 13-0, win the Rose Bowl, and sell a record number of season tickets with a small student body, than sell out almost every regular season game and go 2-7 (Vanderbilt), 6-6 (Kentucky), 6-6 (Tennessee), 6-6 (Georgia – inexplicably ranked in the preseason top 25), 4-8 (Ole Miss).
SEC bottom feeders, I know, but the attendance argument means…. what, exactly?
Attendance figures suggest
that you fit in with the Big East and not with the SEC. But, it’s not the whole argument, not even close. LSU’s enrollment is not yet 29k, football attendance average 92k+, not quite 400% I know.
by Patrick_the_Ruminator on Aug 31, 2011 10:27 AM EDT reply actions
Should the SEC pick up TCU?
Only if the are totally and incurable insane.
West Virginia fans hate everybody. They remember every snub and joke and bit of snark. And they never forgive, and they never, ever forget. In other words, they're a lot like West Virginians in general.
by Kid Tenderloin on Aug 31, 2011 12:25 PM EDT reply actions
I agree
The SEC would be wise to stay out of Texas, and continue focusing on the Southeast region of the country. Allowing one or two Texas teams in could move some talent from the region to Texas and further west.
by Green Bull on Aug 31, 2011 2:51 PM EDT via iPhone app reply actions
makes no sense in many ways
wetzels thoughts maybe has merit on a bottom line type mentality but is pure bs relative to both the game and the fans. his thoughts have the same mentality of the financial investors and profession prior to the melt down. … go for the money and who cares how and potential results.
people may want to remember that tcu at one time was in the same conference as cinn and l-ville and rarely if ever in the top half both in football and bb. also we should remember schools like miami that had dramatic success and continually went for the money, national prestige etc and at what cost?
people should understand that in the big picture and a principle of evolution or success of any species is that diversity is the factor between survival or extinction. bigger is not necessarily better… just refer to the dinosaurs
also may want to consider
if and when we do have these super conferences. the result will be that they will have much more power and ability to dictate just who and when their games can be watched. I will bet that in the future the games will be pay for on an individual game by game or need to become a member and pay a substantial season fee to watch the games.
if you believe this is no big thing then consider that a middle income family cost to attend an nfl game is almost out of reach due to what it costs for five people for tickets, parking and refreshments… for a sunday afternoon.. in the hundreds
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