All you guys who remember the SWC think back then that A&M, Texas, Arkansas and OU would be SEC?

[GloryDawg]

Who would have imagined it back then?

 

[Dawgg]

Well OU was in the Big 8 (with Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State). I think that feels a lot less likely than the old SWC guys.

 

[GloryDawg]

Well OU was in the Big 8 (with Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State). I think that feels a lot less likely than the old SWC guys.

I know that but who would have thought all that. I worded it wrong in my original post.

 

[HumpDawgy]

Probably would have been better for the Big 8 to be absorbed by the Big 10 and we absorb the SWC. The only reason I understood the Big 8 / SWC merger into the Big 12 was the OU-UT rivalry. I don't believe there were any other ones between the 2 conferences at the time.

 

[Dawgg]

I know that but who would have thought all that. I worded it wrong in my original post.

I get what you're saying though... It's really funny to look at those old conferences and how small their footprints really were.

SWC was 2 States (or 1 State and 1 Scholl)
Big 8 was 6 states, but they all bordered (or almost bordered) Kansas
ACC was 4 states, then 5 when FSU joined in 1991
Big Ten was one of the biggest covering 7 states, then 8 when Penn State joined in 1990
SEC was another "big" one covering 7 states, then 9 when SC and Arkansas joined in 1991
Pac was 3, then 4 when added AZ and ASU joined in 1978. At its biggest (2011-2023), it reached 6 (CO and UT). Funny, even in its current state, it's just back to its original footprint, state-wise. Maybe there's hope for them after all***

 

[Dawgzilla2]

I always thought Arkansas should be in the SEC. Just based on geography and demographics, not any particular affinity for the school.

As a kid I thought it would make sense for the better programs from the Big 8 and SWC to merge, and just kick out the other Programs. I thought sports conferences were supposed to have 10 teams, so maybe Texas, A&M, Nebraska, OU, Colorado (which was strong in football back then), and 5 other schools.

When the Big 8 added 4 schools from the SWC, it made sense because the SWC was dying and there was pressure to get to 12 teams and have a championship game. The conference didn't have to steal schools from another big conference, nor were there any extreme travel concerns.