![]() ![]() Five conferences respectively playing each season for the Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Rose Bowl. Which brings us back to the way things used to be: the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, SEC and PAC 10. College football used to be a single elimination tournament where ever week mattered, but between superconferences and expanded playoffs, the do-or-die excitement of the sport is threatened. College basketball presently has a 64 (or 68?) team playoff that makes the sport interesting in March, but much less watchable before then. Ok, but be careful what you wish for there. ![]() ![]() To the above, some will say that the SEC’s expansion will merely necessitate what similarly naïve college football fans have always wanted: an expanded playoff system. the man who revived his career in Saban….), but that will lose some of their luster if more and more of the teams are part of the same grouping.Īfter which, what’s going to become of the playoff system assuming one conference (the SEC) is populated by so many of the teams that routinely appear in the playoffs already? In order to placate all of its members will the SEC stage its own playoff, or just fully break itself into two in order to crown two SEC champions? College football fans have long naively claimed that a playoff would “settle on the field” the matter of the best college football team, but how could even the SEC settle such an argument with sixteen teams? Who beat whom? Which is the best conference? Superconferences will shrink the exciting inter-conference scenarios that are easy to imagine now (Texas vs. These games drive immense interest in a sport whose popularity is fueled by debate. Arguably the most exciting aspect of college football each season is the inter-conference matchups that usually precede conference play. That it’s not, and that it certainly won’t be assuming a 16-team conference, will create obvious long-term problems. With each addition to the conference, this is less and less the case. ![]() With its smaller size, each SEC team generally had to beat every other conference opponent in order to win the championship. Our most exciting sports memories are ahead of us.Particularly when the SEC was twelve teams (before the addition of Texas A&M and Missouri), it was always interesting to marvel at the schedule of each team within the conference. I extend a debt of gratitude to the SEC and to you, Longhorn Nation, as we celebrate some of the most exciting news ever announced from these Forty Acres. When our current contract expires, we will make the transition to the SEC, and I am confident that the level of competition we face in every sport will further inspire all of our sports teams to perform and compete at the highest level. It will allow them to play in the best time slots on the largest television networks, give them unmatched visibility and prepare them for a potential future in sports beyond UT.”įor now, our programs will focus on competing and winning in the Big 12. We will also be able to continue our rivalry with the University of Oklahoma, another key benefit to this transition.Īs our Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte explained, “This will be the best move for our student athletes, as they will be competing on the finest stage in collegiate sports. Looking ahead, I know many will be most excited about the return of time-honored rivalries with the Texas Aggies and the Arkansas Razorbacks, historic series that have given us some of our most exhilarating athletics moments. Our players, coaches, and alumni will be forever grateful for the fierce competition and glorious championship moments we experienced with our conference peers. We are honored and grateful that they welcomed us.ĭuring the past quarter of a century, we have enjoyed so many memorable moments in the Big 12. We asked the SEC to consider allowing our historic programs to compete in their unmatched conference. Throughout the week, you have probably heard references to the “changing landscape of collegiate athletics.” Recognizing this reality, and with a commitment to position the university’s tradition of athletics excellence for generations to come, Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife, Athletics Director Chris Del Conte and I made the decision to look beyond the expiration of our current media rights contract with the Big 12. It’s official! The University of Texas at Austin will be joining the Southeastern Conference in 2025. Today, our Board of Regents met and gave unanimous approval for one of the most monumental moves in our storied history. While I wanted to address the stories sooner than now, I needed to wait for our Board of Regents to weigh in on any conference actions. I am sure many of you have been inundated with news and speculation about the future of UT athletics throughout this long week. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |