Rumors that have been circulating for some time now have finally come to be true.
SEC CEOs voted unanimously to approve Missouri as the 14th member after an extensive series of meetings between the conference, Missouri’s curators and school officials. It would appear that Missouri will join the SEC West along with Texas A&M, forcing the conference to re-align somewhat to equal out the teams in its two geographical divisions.
Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton emphasized the athletic and academic fit that drove Missouri’s decision to part from the Big 12 and join the SEC:
“The Southeastern Conference is a highly successful, stable, premier athletic conference that offers exciting opportunities for the University of Missouri. In joining the SEC, MU partners with universities distinguished for their academic programs and their emphasis on student success. The SEC will provide our student-athletes with top flight competition and unparalleled visibility. We came to this decision after careful consideration of the long term best interests of our university. We believe the Southeastern Conference is an outstanding home for the Mizzou Tigers, and we take great pride in our association with this distinguished league.”
Obviously, Missouri’s announcement will be a huge disappointment for the Big 12 and commissioner Dan Beebe who tried desperately in recent weeks to keep the Tigers on-board as part of a rebuilding process in the conference which included the recent bid of membership to West Virginia, and rumors of other forthcoming membership bids.
It makes sense for Missouri to join the SEC on the levels it has stated, but Tigers fans should not expect the Tigers to be competitive quickly. In much the same way that Texas A&M will have to adapt to the competition level of SEC sports, Missouri will have a slow transition.
Is this move best for the long-term sustainability of Missouri sports? Probably.
Will it lead to national prominence by osmosis, like Deaton’s quote seems to suggest?
Not likely.
Technorati Tags: big 12, college football, missouri tigers, SEC
Original Story:
http://www.fanattic.net/football/miss...
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November 06, 2011
