SEC Network’s Paul Finbaum sent a shocking message to Texas A&M fans last week when he stated that they were, in fact, the reason why the Longhorns are joining the SEC. In an episode of “That SEC Podcast” Finebaum shared that despite Texas A&M being promised that Texas would never join the SEC if the Aggies joined, the Aggies ultimately led to the Longhorn being invited.
Finebaum shared the following:
“They felt [Texas A&M], they were promised that Texas would never come in. But things change, and it’s A&M’s fault.
A&M was so successful in the SEC, that Texas said, we want some of that! Texas in 2010 was heading to the Pac 12…They wanted to be more aligned with the standards of the Pac 12…Texas could have gone to the ACC or Big 10…. But the SEC didn’t do anything but answer a phone call…They [Texas] were leaving. They were on the prawl, and the SEC answered. “
– Paul Finebaum
Texas A&M Was Outpacing Texas
It feels like an eternity ago, but less than four years ago, the landscape of college football felt very stable, with the power conferences nearing nearly a decade without any change. It felt inevitable that, at some point, there would be change, with the SEC and Big 10 already starting to separate themselves financially and with on-the-field success. Outside of Clemson, no team outside of the SEC or Big 10 was really separating themselves from the rest of college football.
This didn’t settle well with Texas. Texas is the big brother of the state, and seeing the Aggies, a school they always felt was much smaller and inferior to them. Yet when they turned on the TVs, it was Texas A&M that the shows were talking about. Regarding paychecks and revenue, the Aggies, not the Longhorns, got the biggest checks. Sure, Texas still ran the Big 12, but they were considered the inferior team to Texas A&M for the first time.
Something had to change.
Texas and Oklahoma Changed the Landscape of College Football
What felt like a bomb dropping on college football, on an afternoon in early July, rumors started to circulate that Texas and Oklahoma would be looking to join the SEC. Those rumors were quickly confirmed and the rest is history.
Quickly following the announcement that the Longhorns and Sooners would be leaving for the SEC, the Big 12 expanded its conference, adding BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF. This caused the AAC to reload its conference and the G5 conferences to realign their conferences completely.
With the announcement of OU and Texas, the Big 10 seemed ready to take their own step of crazy and invite USC and UCLA from the Pac-12. About a year later, Oregon and Washington announced they would also join the Big 10. With the Pac 12 (8?) now on life support, Colorado decided to leave for the Big 12. That was the final straw, and Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State joined the Big 12, with Stanford and Cal joining the ACC a few months later, along with AAC member SMU.
Paul Finebaum May Have Been Right
College Football fans like to blame Oklahoma, especially Texas, for the current state of college football, where rivalries have been thrown to the side, everything is about money, and conferences don’t even make sense anymore (Stanford in the Atlantics Athletic Conference). However, if not for Texas A&M, would the Longhorns have ever really wanted to leave the Big 12?
We may never get the answer to this question, but Paul Finebaum may be right. Again.