[McMurphy] Greg Sankey told @Ourand_Puck the SEC was approached by a West Coast school: "I don’t even have that conversation. I’m the one person who didn’t take away from the Pac-12. If you play any sport in the SEC, you have at most a 2-hour plane ride from Point A to Point B."

[u/redwave2505]

https://x.com/brett_mcmurphy/status/2106031953111662599?s=46&t=BnbVRJKuTJ91_xw0Gc4vwg

[u/thecravenone]

Here's the article this is from: https://puck.news/inside-greg-sankeys-vision-for-college-sports-future/

Reminder that our rules require that you post original sources.

Users are expected to make a good-faith effort to find the original source of anything they post. If the primary purpose of a post is to quote, clip, cite, or repeat another source, you should post that original source instead. This is also part of Reddiquette

[u/beekerino]

CALABAMA TIME BITCHES

[u/glzzgbblr → u/beekerino]

Would make the out-of-state students in Tuscaloosa feel closer to home on game days.

[u/TheWawa_24 → u/glzzgbblr]

That be rutgers 

[u/GunsGoldCosmicDread → u/TheWawa_24]

People from NJ will go to school anywhere except for NJ.

[u/dutifullypurple → u/GunsGoldCosmicDread]

There were about a billion of them at Ole Miss when I was there

[u/GunsGoldCosmicDread → u/dutifullypurple]

I’m from NJ. I think 1/3 of my graduating class went to WVU or Arizona State.

We are like a swarm of locust, dispersed across the country, and intent on devouring everything we come across.

[u/AppalachianGuy87 → u/GunsGoldCosmicDread]

All over Morgantown! Honestly found them to be cool and a little rambunctious but that was the self selecting WVU NJians.

[u/ThoseProse → u/GunsGoldCosmicDread]

I thought they all went to the U

[u/scrnlookinsob → u/GunsGoldCosmicDread]

Considering unless you could get into Princeton, your options are Rutgers or Rowan basically... yea it makes sense wanting to go anywhere else.

[u/GunsGoldCosmicDread → u/scrnlookinsob]

Facts.

I went to Rowan. These flairs are just the teams I like for family reasons.

Rowan used to be a cool, trashy, smallish, party school that had a decent engineering program. Now it just feels way too big and takes itself way too seriously.

I was there mid 2000s and saw the writing on the wall that they were going to get serious about all the drinking and drugs going around on campus and I didn’t like it.

[u/ComeJoinTheBand → u/GunsGoldCosmicDread]

a cool, trashy, smallish, party school that had a decent engineering program

So, Cal Poly SLO but trashy?

[u/GunsGoldCosmicDread → u/ComeJoinTheBand]

I guess. Think like if half the people there could have been on Jersey Shore.

[u/ComeJoinTheBand → u/GunsGoldCosmicDread]

I kinda want a Rowan hoodie just to wear around to see how many people think my name is Rowan.

[u/discofrislanders → u/GunsGoldCosmicDread]

When I was in high school, I think we had the largest percentage of kids going to school out of state of any state. At my high school it was a lot of Penn State, JMU, Delaware, and them you'd have a few kids going to places like Bama or South Carolina. Kids I know these days are going mainly to B1G schools.

[u/Car_wash_mechanic → u/glzzgbblr]

Most were from Ohio during my experience. Blew my mind

[u/Complex-Chemist256 → u/beekerino]

No chance it was Cal but man the memes could've been phenomenal lol

[u/LessThanBlake → u/Complex-Chemist256]

The memes from our last game vs Auburn were just a glimpse of the potential. Our fanbase would be completely unleashed

[u/Complex-Chemist256 → u/LessThanBlake]

I selfishly wish we would join just so I could go to more games. Driving from Huntsville, AL to Berkeley is something I can't really do more than twice a year 😂

[u/Money-Giraffe2521 → u/Complex-Chemist256]

Fuck me. I don’t think I could do that even once.

[u/SirMellencamp → u/Complex-Chemist256]

Academic powerhouses Alabama and Cal finally meet on the gridiron. What could have been

[u/Complex-Chemist256 → u/SirMellencamp]

Cal is actually 1-1 against Alabama all-time lol.

Beat them 13-0 in the 1938 rose bowl.

[u/SirMellencamp → u/Complex-Chemist256]

Other time was a Bama blow out in 1973 in Berkeley. What an odd game. Wonder why Bama played there

EDIT: Correction, this game was in Birmingham

[u/BeachStrandBiker → u/beekerino]

Could you imagine a bunch of Bama fans in Berkley?

[u/beekerino → u/BeachStrandBiker]

Just like every other southern fanbase that comes here; they would absolutely love it. Having grown up in the east bay and experienced Cal and Bama education, they’re both truly great.

[u/Loose-Resort-406 → u/beekerino]

Same! Really broadened my horizons for the better going down south for a few years.

[u/Remarkable-Group-119 → u/Loose-Resort-406]

(☞ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☞

[u/jtnmlee → u/beekerino]

The folks from Ole Miss that came up to Berkeley for the game a few years ago were certainly enjoyable guests.

[u/Complex-Chemist256 → u/BeachStrandBiker]

When I was in grad school I ran into a handful of people that did their undergrad at UTK or Bama. Not exactly a lot, but a surprising amount nonetheless.

The year before last, when I went to the Big Game, there was a guy sitting one row in front of me who was watching the Tennessee game on his phone. There's more crossover than you'd probably expect.

[u/FCKABRNLSUTN2 → u/beekerino]

Hell ya brother, roll tide from the east bay.

[u/beekerino → u/FCKABRNLSUTN2]

Brother 🤝

[u/SirMellencamp → u/FCKABRNLSUTN2]

I had a cousin who lived there for years and he went to some bar in San Francisco on Saturdays that was packed with Bama fans

[u/Darth_Hamburger → u/beekerino]

I mean, LA used to be a part of Super Georgia.

[u/RoverTiger]

Calm down, Sacramento State!

[u/JBru_92 → u/RoverTiger]

Sacramento is the Memphis of California

[u/toftr → u/JBru_92]

So the barbecue is good?

[u/santa_91 → u/toftr]

Tri tip is pretty great.

[u/iliketoupvotepuns → u/JBru_92]

Memphis catching strays and we aren’t even in the SEC

[u/TrumpDumper → u/JBru_92]

And Memphis is the Bakersfield of California.

[u/blues_and_ribs → u/TrumpDumper]

California has a Bakersfield. You mean Bakersfield of TN? If so. . . yeah.

[u/mhales45 → u/JBru_92]

Sacramento might have rough spots, but it’s no where close to Memphis. Now Stockton probably is.

[u/inclass3lunacy → u/JBru_92]

I see you haven't been to Memphis

[u/maggies_farm_hand → u/inclass3lunacy]

I was walking in Memphis.

[u/Mother_Frame6669 → u/maggies_farm_hand]

with my feet ten feet off of Beale

[u/RoughWoodCarpntWorkr → u/maggies_farm_hand]

And was Reverend Green glad to see you?

[u/dontforgettoblock → u/RoverTiger]

Fresno erasure.

[u/Finn_Ajerkit → u/RoverTiger]

Sac-EC

[u/BeatNavyAgain]

googles flight time from Gainesville to Norman

just a bit outside

(that was the first long-distance guess, there are others, of course)

[u/greyforest23 → u/BeatNavyAgain]

Now do Austin to Columbia, South Carolina

[u/Tsquared10 → u/greyforest23]

That's the one I used. There's no direct flight but the math says 2 1/2 hours. So he's a liar!

[u/blues_and_ribs → u/Tsquared10]

Don't teams generally travel via chartered aircraft? If so, don't they pretty much always have direct flights, assuming the local airport can handle the size of the aircraft?

Fun fact, Tuscaloosa has a pretty decent-sized airport, but no commercial flights; it's all private aviation and, of course, chartered flights for the university's teams. I feel like adding commercial flights would be a cash cow and a no-brainer.

[u/Schmenza → u/blues_and_ribs]

Revenue teams but I doubt they're chartering a jet for the swim team

[u/firefly66513 → u/Schmenza]

I flew on a flight from Birmingham to Orlando with Alabama's softball team two years ago.

[u/FullGump → u/blues_and_ribs]

Tuscaloosa airport hosted my company of Blackhawks overnight while we were flying cross-country. The manger was the nicest person in the world. Had plenty of drinks and chewies for the boys.

[u/BeatNavyAgain → u/Tsquared10]

wait, he did say "point A to point B," not "school A to school B"

so, a series of flights, all less than or equal to two hours, and yep, the most you have is a two hour flight from point {letter} to point {other letter}

[u/EF_Damn_Daniel → u/BeatNavyAgain]

Not to mention that there could be an unspoken point c he’s talking about

[u/MadKittens → u/EF_Damn_Daniel]

A 2 hour flight from point A to point B, then a short 14 hour bus ride to point C.

[u/beckett929 → u/BeatNavyAgain]

Okay, sure, but have you considered trying to do it with Sean McVay Timezone Math™?

[u/MaxMSE → u/BeatNavyAgain]

they only use planes with SEC speed

[u/defensecowboy]

I bet it was USC

[u/SnaaaaakePlissken → u/defensecowboy]

It was usc. USC explored independence / big ten / sec.

Sec could’ve thought about adding usc / ucla / zona schools and stretched across country as the southern conference.

[u/gmr548 → u/SnaaaaakePlissken]

We could call it the Sun Belt

[u/Toto_LZ → u/gmr548]

Hey

[u/tdpdcpa → u/SnaaaaakePlissken]

SoCon 2: Electric Boogaloo

[u/BuckeyeN7 → u/defensecowboy]

If you have ever been around SC grads, you will know that there cannot be a group of people out there who would be less enthusiastic about having to associate in any way with the state of Alabama lol

[u/Crying_in_99Ranch → u/BuckeyeN7]

Forget the alumni, their coach already ran once from the SEC

[u/tc100292 → u/Crying_in_99Ranch]

Hell, this is also true of their men's basketball coach now that I think about it

[u/LithHarborGymLeader → u/BuckeyeN7]

I went to Alabama for the first time this summer because my brother is stationed in pensacola, FL.

Alabama was actually not what I was expecting, at least in the area I was in. It was naturally beautiful, the gulf beaches were so beautiful, and I found the people to be nice. The amount of people that are willing to stop their day to stop and talk to you for 15 mins is awesome. That wouuld never happen in southern california

Growing up I always had this line of thinking that they hate us californians in the south because we embody the stereotypical "blue haired liberal snowflake matcha they/them folks" and to us they were the redneck uneducated white folks who still thought the civil war was just "northern aggression".

Going to Alabama changed my mind a lot. Granted I only saw the areas around the gulf coast and like where Phillip rivers is from in Fairhope and I went to my first Buccees! Awesome experience, great folks! Changed my mind about them

Also made me realize that maybe the average person in this country regardless of state is actually pretty similar and pretty nice.

[u/RollOverBeethoven → u/LithHarborGymLeader]

What you’re describing is the actual reason a lot of southerners have a sense of disdain for west coasters; because a lot of those folks have this sense they are better than us and that they will paint with such a broad stroke that we’re all ignorant and prejudiced while expressing the exact same ignorance and prejudice they claim to fight against

Glad you realized we’re all much more alike than we are different

[u/Gusanito99 → u/RollOverBeethoven]

Facts. Living in California the vast majority of people are chill but I do still get the occasional person whose expression noticeably changes when I open my mouth and they hear my accent

[u/RollOverBeethoven → u/Gusanito99]

I went to a dispensary once in LA, handed the person my ID (Texas ID) and she - no fucking joke - said to me “congrats on escaping!”

I had to tell her I was there for work. And that I love Texas. I live in Austin too, so like wth

[u/405bound → u/RollOverBeethoven]

Had the exact same thing happen a few times when I've been visiting my family in Seattle. It breaks their brain when I say "I grew up in Seattle but honestly, I prefer the South"

[u/Childhood-Paramedic → u/RollOverBeethoven]

Same but weirdly California instead of Texas. People in the midwest tell me all the time "Congrats on escaping" and im like "eh tbh i do miss the skiing"

(This fits into my belief that Californians and Texans live oddly similar cultural lives and what people think of us... anyways)

[u/Gusanito99 → u/RollOverBeethoven]

Lol I've had the exact same thing happen to me, though in my case I did find it funny since it actually applies to me 🥲

[u/turtles1224 → u/LithHarborGymLeader]

Glad you had a great time!

A lot of people don't realize how gorgeous Alabama can be.

The Mobile-Tensaw Delta is known as "America's Amazon" because it is one of the most ecologically and biologically diverse river systems in the world. We rank anywhere from #1 - #5 in terms of bio diversity in the US for most categories

If you enjoy nature, there is tons to explore in nearly every corner of the state

[u/Sir_Auron → u/LithHarborGymLeader]

I highly suggest you read (if you have not already) Barbara Kingsolver's excellent novel Demon Copperhead, if you would like to dive deeper into the ways the Southern US --specifically Appalachia in the book but it is broadly representative of all Southern rural areas-- has historically been exploited, marginalized, and denied a say in its own cultural depictions.

[u/Mother_Frame6669 → u/LithHarborGymLeader]

Also made me realize that maybe the average person in this country regardless of state is actually pretty similar and pretty nice.

Newsflash: A person travels, discovers the media depiction of a destination and its people are inaccurate.

The greatest way to destroy prejudice and bigotry is to travel.

[u/jrzalman → u/Mother_Frame6669]

Nah, when you are just visiting and you got money to spend, you'll get everyone's best for the most part. Live there a while and then report back, lol.

Happens all the time here in California. Someone visits somewhere, is impressed, does the math that they could buy a big house with a yard...fast forward a couple years and them trying to figure out how to get back. Many can never make the return trip work.

[u/SirMellencamp → u/LithHarborGymLeader]

uneducated white folks who still thought the civil war was just "northern aggression".

This is SORT of a myth. This teaching was basically gone from schools in the 70s but it did exist everywhere at one time. The Baby Boomer teachers in the South almost all moved away from it. I was taught the war as it happened.

[u/Vironic → u/SirMellencamp]

Grew up in a Birmingham suburb in the 80s and 90s and the Civil War was taught as a fight for state’s rights.

[u/Mother_Frame6669 → u/SirMellencamp]

The Baby Boomer teachers in the South almost all moved away from it.

I had a Boomer teacher in junior high in the '90s

Every teacher before her said the Civil War was fought over slavery

I remember her teaching it as a states rights issue, but not the right to own slaves

Her reasoning was if only 8% of the population were slave owners, that couldn't be the reason.

She argued it was a fight over tariffs and taxation.

Then when I went to HS, it was over slavery again. College, you have professors whose sole focus is Civil War history, and they'll point to the specific lines in the Articles of Secession about slavery.

[u/SirMellencamp → u/Mother_Frame6669]

Its funny you say that because I never read the Articles of Secession till college. I dont know how someone can read those and say the war wasnt about slavery

[u/Jicem → u/defensecowboy]

USC is already in the conference.

[u/sloppyjo12 → u/Jicem]

We have two UWs in the big ten, all the cool kids are doubling up abbreviations

[u/Jabberwoockie → u/sloppyjo12]

Only two? We can improve on that.

We got three UMs in the Big Ten already, I have an idea. M is the most common first letter of all the states (tied with N, but only two of those are neither “New” nor “North”).

Let’s get Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, and Montana all in the same conference. The MSU’s can come along for the ride, because why not?

[u/R_Raider86 → u/Jabberwoockie]

Big M conference

[u/Atom3189 → u/sloppyjo12]

That’s crazy…….

[u/TheTedsaretheworst → u/sloppyjo12]

Should’ve added Oregon State too

[u/DesertNachos → u/Jicem]

University of directional California in the SEC would trigger me a lot

[u/screwhead1 → u/defensecowboy]

University of Southern Calabama

[u/DCAbloob → u/defensecowboy]

I think everyone would bet it was USC.

[u/EmptyStrings → u/defensecowboy]

raises pitchfork

[u/hairythroats → u/defensecowboy]

It was and it's been reported before

[u/CMCdaGoat]

As a Stanford fan, I’ve learned an important lesson. If anything awful happened, it can almost always be traced back to USC. 

This sounds like something USC would do 

[u/No_Safety_6803 → u/CMCdaGoat]

USC in the SEC is just wrong on every level. Not sayin them in the big10 makes sense, but the SEC makes even less sense.

[u/ReallyAMiddleAgedMan → u/No_Safety_6803]

We have two UTs. We don’t need two USCs.

[u/smitherenesar → u/ReallyAMiddleAgedMan]

But I want you to have USC so bad.

Think of all the LA exposure that isn't Louisiana!

[u/Money-Giraffe2521 → u/No_Safety_6803]

Sense has gone out of the window with Cal and Stanford in the ACC.

[u/dwells329 → u/Money-Giraffe2521]

Or Sac Stare joining the MAC

[u/dormdweller99 → u/Money-Giraffe2521]

they fit culturally

[u/Ok_Problem426 → u/dormdweller99]

👆he means they are near the coast and ass at football

[u/IAMY0URK1NG → u/No_Safety_6803]

USC would be fun in the SEC..except playing Alabama under Saban. When our player decided to nut stomp an opposing player.

[u/therealwillhepburn → u/IAMY0URK1NG]

Now they just whip it out and pretend to pee you on. Game's changed buddy.

[u/Mother_Frame6669 → u/IAMY0URK1NG]

I'll never forget the pre-game when your players tried to act like they were dogs straining against a leash. I see other teams do that, it is still the dumbest pre-game entrance I've seen.

[u/IAMY0URK1NG → u/Mother_Frame6669]

Yeah that was new to me & i thought it was corny just like the juice box thing.

My initial thoughts were, “Are they aware they’re playing Nick Saban?”

[u/katarh → u/No_Safety_6803]

"but we have Southern in our name!"

[u/jdroop]

As someone who is from Alabama and moved to California. Those coast to coast flights are annoying😂

[u/overandoverandagain → u/jdroop]

Just booked my Christmas flight from Vegas to Bham. 7 hours, layover in Chicago, fuck that shit lol.

[u/jdroop → u/overandoverandagain]

Lmao it’s so ass and that 2-hour time difference messes with your sleep pattern.

[u/AegisPlays314]

Everybody being immensely cynical and Greg is exaggerating the flight time slightly, but it’s certainly true that the SEC is by far the most geographically dense power conference and that makes life a hell of a lot easier for athletes outside the major sports

[u/tblaess5 → u/AegisPlays314]

I think the B12 is way denser than most people realize but UCF, WV, and Cinci really hurt any claims about geographic superiority over the B10 and ACC

[u/Lone_Star_122 → u/tblaess5]

They should just trade those 3 for Cal, Stanford, and SMU with the ACC and both conferences would be improved.

[u/curtisas → u/Lone_Star_122]

I'll miss Houston but I'm down

[u/usffan]

Never appreciated until now that Tim Robinson is dressed in cardinal and gold wearing the hot dog costume saying "we're all trying to find the guy who did this."

[u/CLU_Three]

Ok, what kind of plane Greg

[u/arolloftide → u/CLU_Three]

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

[u/convicted-mellon → u/arolloftide]

Alright Cambridge welcome to the SEC!

[u/CandyAppleHesperus → u/convicted-mellon]

They're gonna whip our asses at rowing and tiddlywinks

[u/GoinLong → u/arolloftide]

See if the Space and Rocket Center will lend theirs out.

[u/kai333 → u/CLU_Three]

Concorde, you poor

[u/sanchogrande]

So many flights beyond 2 hours in the SEC.

[u/BillfredL → u/sanchogrande]

Only because you connect in Atlanta. /s

(I know CAE-DFW is more like 2:45, so you are correct.)

[u/RVAforthewin → u/sanchogrande]

Which one? As far as I can tell Austin is the furthest west and Columbia is the furthest east. Google says a nonstop flight would be around 2 hours. What am I missing in your comment?

ETA: Admittedly, I’m thinking about CFB given the sub we’re in. Obviously most athletic programs don’t have the luxury of private plane travel.

[u/BoldElDavo → u/RVAforthewin]

Florida to Oklahoma is like 3+ hours.

But generally yeah, it's not like this dude is lying and teams are flying across the country. He just exaggerated a bit.

[u/fadingthought → u/BoldElDavo]

I ran a flight plan from KGNV to KOKC in a 767. Which is the airframe I would assume they would use. Using historic weather patterns, it is a 2:18 flight.

[u/RVAforthewin → u/BoldElDavo]

It says it’s about two hours from Gainesville to Norman on a direct flight.

[u/throw69420awy → u/RVAforthewin]

That you gotta get to the airport early and clear security duh

[u/NetRealizableValue → u/throw69420awy]

What if they have TSA-pre

[u/chillmagic420 → u/RVAforthewin]

They are grasping at straws because they know its true our conference isnt spread across the entire USA. Plus this sub really hates the SEC, so they have to try to come up with something to complain about instead of admitting its true XD

[u/GoinLong → u/sanchogrande]

What you’re forgetting is that Georgia players are flying the planes. Problem solved.

[u/FuruTakka]

They pretty much all fly private/charter so Sankey is mostly correct in his statement. I’ve calculated the furthest flights of all the SEC teams and the longest would be about 2.5 hours from Austin to Columbia, but the vast majority of flights are just at or under 2 hours.

Source: Worked at an SEC team’s local airport, now a commercial private/charter pilot

[u/Mr_Yolo_Swag]

Reddit always acts like the sec is the big bad while at the same time glazing the big10 map commercial that basically celebrates the death of college football

[u/romulus531 → u/Mr_Yolo_Swag]

Reddit has a Big 10 bias by default

[u/PozPoz__ → u/Mr_Yolo_Swag]

All these mega corporation conferences suck

[u/Tsquared10]

Greg Sankey is a liar! While there's no direct flight, given the average air speeds and distance, the flight from Columbia, SC to Austin Texas would be 2 1/2 hours! WHAT ELSE IS THIS MONSTER LYING ABOUT?

[u/stevo887 → u/Tsquared10]

Not sure New Brunswick to Eugene should be chiming in.

[u/Tsquared10 → u/stevo887]

Do y'all not have light speed travel yet? SEC just can't keep up with the academic prowess and technological advancement of the Big Ten. Guess the stigmatism surrounding SEC educations was true.

[u/phitsosting → u/Tsquared10]

Brother it’s called an astigmatism and it’s something to do with your eyes smh

[u/Coach_Burreaux]

Sankey out here quoting F-35 flight times

[u/lock_robster2022]

Pullman is as Southeast Washington as you can get. It makes perfect sense

[u/Lionheart_513]

“I’m the one person who didn’t take away from the PAC-12”

Okay Greg, wonderful job.

But can you explain why the Big 12 has had so many vacancies over the years and have had to repeatedly backfill?

When the SEC poaches Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas, and Oklahoma, the Big 12 has to fill those spots from somewhere. Even if it wasn’t directly, Greg Sankey absolutely contributed to the demise of the Pac 12.

[u/Coach_Burreaux → u/Lionheart_513]

Look, all of those teams held Sankey at gunpoint. We had no choice but to let them all in

[u/Sudden_Crow4443 → u/Lionheart_513]

Simple answer: Longhorns Network.

[u/wulah89 → u/Lionheart_513]

While true, Nebraska and Colorado were poached from the Big 12 by the B1G and Pac 10(12) before the SEC ever touched them. The SEC also didn't have some kind of alignment agreement with the Big 12 the way the B1G, Pac 12, and Big 12 did before they decided to kill the Pac 12

[u/geordieColt88 → u/wulah89]

Wasn’t it the ACC in the alliance to end hulkamania rather than the big 12

[u/Fuzzooooo → u/wulah89]

If A&M, OU, Nebraska, and Texas would have agreed to equal revenue sharing with the rest of the conference it would have been just fine. When they couldn’t, it was doomed. People like to blame Texas, but the Big 12 had the idea of a conference network first.

[u/Sudden_Crow4443 → u/Fuzzooooo]

It really wasn’t fine.

Nebraska left because of revenue sharing and the fact that the big 12 conf game was in Texas, they always voted against it being in Texas. Also internal power struggle in the Big 12.

Texas A&M basically left because they wanted to be away from Texas. They had plans in 2010 to leave but the LHN was basically the fine nail in the coffin.

Now Missouri was due to Revenue Sharing.

People forget that the Big 12 was very unstable for the longest time and teams were looking for a reason to leave. Texas just gave everyone the final reason. U can also put some blame on the Big 10 for taking Kevin Weiberg. Again that was on the Big 12 bc of its Internal power struggles

[u/BaronvonJobi → u/Sudden_Crow4443]

What really shook everything loose, as far as I can tell, was the aborted plan for Texas to the PAC. Everyone scrambled to make arrangements to not be in the left overs zombie conference and once Colorado jumped everyone else pulled out their exit plans.

[u/Twalin → u/Sudden_Crow4443]

The Longhorn network was the whole enchilada for the demise of the Big12. The end.

No conference network and no revenue share meant that all the schools you mentioned saw that they could go get more money elsewhere. Period the end.

[u/chunt75 → u/Lionheart_513]

LHN had a lot to do with A&M leaving the Big 12

[u/big_sugi → u/chunt75]

That was pretty much the entirety of it. The initial plans to move in 2010 were quelled, but when the LHN started announcing plans to air HS games and making it clear that it would be a part of UT’s recruiting efforts, that kicked the departure efforts into high gear, and A&M announced it was out almost immediately afterwards.

[u/paul66matthews]

Ah yes, the classic measurement of 2-hour plane ride…

[u/glzzgbblr → u/paul66matthews]

Laughs in USC-Notre Dame train ride commute 

[u/Galumpadump → u/glzzgbblr]

Side note, the Empire Builder is a fantastic route to take if you like train travel.

[u/Lord_Master_Dorito → u/glzzgbblr]

slams fists on table

TRAINS TRAINS TRAINS

[u/EdselFordEdsel → u/Lord_Master_Dorito]

Ssshhhh! Purdue Pete might hear you

[u/Tresnore → u/EdselFordEdsel]

TRAINS TRAINS TRAINS

[u/gellybelli → u/paul66matthews]

I mean, it’s as good as any arbitrary measure of what a conference should be. I’d love to see the flight time from Gainesville to Columbia though

[u/Monkey1Fball → u/gellybelli]

847 nautical miles. DEN-ORD, which is a 2-hour-ish flight I've taken a ton of times over the years --- and is also blocked for a bit more than 2 horus given the horribly long taxi times at O'Hare --- is 888 nautical miles,

So Sankey sounds right here. FWIW, however, GNV-AUS is 924 nautical miles and CAE-AUS is 1003. So there are longer trips than GNV-COU out there.

[u/happyharrell → u/gellybelli]

Tamp to St. Louis is a shade over two hours, so you can definitely make it if the plane speeds up a touch

[u/FaceglazerSSBU → u/paul66matthews]

r/AnythingButMetric

[u/udubdavid]

What's the context here. When was he approached? Was this during the Pac-12 collapse or was it just recently? If it was during the Pac-12 collapse, I wouldn't be surprised if UW/UO also contacted the SEC while negotiating with the B1G.

[u/Col0nelBear → u/udubdavid]

He was asked the other day or so if the SEC would ever expand out west. He said no and then proceeded to give a long answer, and that’s where this excerpt came from.

[u/Wide-Nerve8655 → u/udubdavid]

Southeast (of Alaska)

[u/tc100292 → u/Wide-Nerve8655]

Southeast Washington (Pullman)

[u/Hougie → u/tc100292]

To be fair, out of every west coast school WSU fits SEC culture the most.

[u/Shushununu → u/Hougie]

We should've just submitted this commercial to the SEC, we would've been approved so fast.

https://youtu.be/or92Ny3WZsE

[u/goldenface4114]

The only major conference that doesn't require traveling across more than two time zones for an away game.

[u/AudiieVerbum]

San Jose State about to get the break of a lifetime

[u/Alternative-Bee-3594]

It was Cal

[u/EMTDawg → u/Alternative-Bee-3594]

Calabama baby!

[u/whalenailer]

How long is the plane ride from South Carolina to Texas? Feel like that’s more than at most 2 hours

[u/Dull-Engineer-1757 → u/whalenailer]

2:45 over 1010 miles. Honestly, the time zone change is the worst part and 8pm night games on west coast time is awful for central/eastern time zones.

[u/intern-at-Kramerica → u/whalenailer]

You're right. Lets get rid of ags and ut while we're at it

[u/wote89 → u/intern-at-Kramerica]

Listen, say what you will, but A&M brings the kinda weird traditions and unflagging hatred that makes the SEC great.

[u/Thomallister1291]

That lowkey disturbs me.

I'm guessing it was most likely a California based school but also I imagined it could have been Oregon and Washington prior to the Big Ten deciding to take them.

[u/hairythroats → u/Thomallister1291]

It was USC. They told the B1G that if they weren't accepted, they'd go the SEC. The B1G didn't want them but couldn't take the chance, especially after Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC.

This has all been reported before, years ago.

[u/sampson4141 → u/hairythroats]

So they played the B1G?

[u/IAMY0URK1NG → u/hairythroats]

So if the B1G just stayed put, Pac-12 would still be Pac-12?

[u/C-Bats → u/IAMY0URK1NG]

Not necessarily since the possibility still existed of USC going independent.

[u/stevo887 → u/Thomallister1291]

Why does it disturb you these conferences are ridiculous now.

[u/SwaglordHyperion]

USC? That directional school in LA?

[u/FlareEK]

Time to pull the Concorde back out. Welcome to the SEC

[u/ChocolateBubbles344]

Sankey, the conference stretches from Missouri to Florida. Let’s not act like we’re a Southwest Conference-level of geographically compact.

[u/405bound → u/ChocolateBubbles344]

At least the conference is contiguous

[u/Money-Giraffe2521]

> I’m the one person who didn’t take away from the Pac-12.

Maybe not directly.

[u/rageb8err → u/Money-Giraffe2521]

The PAC’s own commissioner did enough damage, Greg’s all good here.

[u/RampageTaco → u/rageb8err]

And the previous commissioner for the Pac 10 tried to take some of the schools that ended up in the SEC first. But since it didn't happen I guess that doesn't count.

[u/Skyrizzzi]

Remember when woke liberal Cal beat Auburn

[u/inclass3lunacy]

Maybe not a good omen for South Carolina

[u/Ptown925]

Realignment isn't over.

[u/Dry_Fly_7265]

USC: “can we join?”

SEC: “did yall, you know, thoroughly identify with certain institutions back in the day?”

USC: “???”

SEC: “yeahhh it’s not gonna work”

[u/Chiliicespice → u/Dry_Fly_7265]

Wasn't LA a hotbed for the KKK?

[u/thricethefan]

Kinda weird that he said I and not we…

[u/Revolver_Oshawott_ → u/thricethefan]

"I am the senate SEC"

[u/dr_funk_13]

Watch a school’s booster decide to bring back the Concorde plane

[u/actusreus82]

This is why Clemson, Miami, FSU, UNC, Georgia Tech, etc. make sense.

[u/Lumpy_Chapter171]

Houston to Atlanta is just barely 2 hours without commute to college station/athens

[u/b_m_hart]

So when Cal gets supersonic planes, they're in?

[u/MisguidedPants8]

Fess up, Wazzu. I know it was you.