TCU vs Texas

[Gigem]

Texas was offered in during the SEC's "original" expansion in 1992 that landed us Arkansas and South Carolina, but Texas and Texas A&M was at the top of their list.  They offered UT again when the SWC disbanded prior to 1996, and probably A&M as well, for all I know.  In 2011 when the PAC 10 made its move to form the PAC 16, the SEC immediately publicly offered UT, TAMU, and OU.  No proof I can point to that says Texas has a standing offer, but that's been the scuttle for a while, and the SEC's interest in Texas (and to a lesser extent OU) is well-documented.  

There was a bunch of stuff written (in 12th man magazine) back in the 90's when I was in school about A&M and the SEC.  Supposedly, the SEC wanted A&M and we wanted the SEC but state politics interfered and we went with the Big 12 along with Texas, Baylor, and Tech.  The gist of it was that a few powerful politicians, mainly Bob Bullock (Lt. Gov and Texas Tech Alum) and Ann Richards (Tx Gov and Baylor Alum) wanted their schools to be affiliated with a major conference and not suffer the same fate as TCU and UH.  I'm sure the SEC wanted UT as well during this time but I'm thinking UT always saw itself associated with a "different culture" aka more refined.
It has been suggested that Texas has always pined for the Pac-10 (or now Pac-12) due to how they perceive themselves culturally and academically.  In fact they pretty much had a deal to take both them and A&M back in 2010 or 2011.  As you can guess our leadership was never on-board with this move.  

[utee94]

Your leadership was very much on-board with it, for a while.  But they did a double-take and decided to go a different direction, which was totally within their rights and also the correct thing to do for A&M, in my opinion anyway.

As for the SEC stuff and Texas, MDT explained it all pretty well.  Texas was "supposed" to go with Arkansas back in 1991/92.  Former Arkansas head coach, and then-current Arkansas AD Frank Broyles, who also happened to be a good friend of Texas coaching legend Saint Darrell Royal, was actually shocked when it didn't work out that way.  He thoroughly believed it was going to happen.  

As has been alluded to, the state legislature got involved and didn't want Texas to leave the remaining Texas-based members of the SWC high and dry.

Subsequently, in the 92/93 timeframe, Texas expressed interest in both the PAC and B1G,  and the interest was mutual, when UT's administrators saw the writing on the wall for the SWC based on the new "TV contract conference era."  Gigem is certainly correct that a lot of the suits considered UT to be more inline with the values of the B1G and PAC, compared to the SEC, however you choose to interpret that.

And simultaneously A&M was interested in the SEC.  But the Texas leg wasn't about to let the two teams leave the SWC.  

Interestingly enough, Ann Richards had zero to do with Baylor's inclusion in the B12.  Bob Bullock was extremely powerful and influential, and he had degrees from both Texas Tech AND Baylor.  It was completely his doing.  I have to respect how much that guy swung his weight around, he's among the most powerful politicians in Texas history, close behind LBJ and maybe a handful of others.

[CharleyHorse46]

I don’t why Amos gets so worked up when people imagine he’s saying something more relevant than he is and rebuts it.  

Program comparisons are relevant.

Saying if we stumbled across an Ole Miss or MSU game, we might be amused is a weak argument.

I’m amused by cats playing with crickets.

But I don’t want to be in a conference with cats and crickets and I’d get plenty incensed if somebody (and heaven knows it wouldn’t be you, Amos) tried to tell us cats and crickets are better conference mates than the Kansas schools.

Course, BC would probably try to split the difference and tell us the cat has earned the right but the cricket can go to hell.

[MikeDeTiger]

   This seems pretty cut and dried and I really have no idea why you're attempting to insist that people that have no reason to care about Mississippi schools should simply acknowledge they're MORE interesting than teams YOU don't personally care about.  

You missed it AGAIN.  Geez.  
Not at all what I said, but I give up.  Go start a beer or brisket thread.  

[MikeDeTiger]

I don’t why Amos gets so worked up when people imagine he’s saying something more relevant than he is and rebuts it.  

You Texas guys are shooting O-fer.  Clearly I did not get worked up about anyone's opinions about this, but admit to having then been worked up by certain sensative persons' complete and utter lack of understanding of what I'm actually saying.  Straw men and misconstruings abound, and my personality type does not handle that well, I concede.  I'm working on it.  
In the meantime, y'all could try reading and thoughtfully digesting what was said, but let's just wipe the slate clean on this one.  

[utee94]

Thoughtfully digesting stuff that's said doesn't sound at ALL like what Al Gore invented the internet for, so I'm gonna have to politely decline my friend.

[BrownCounty]

In the meantime, y'all could try reading and thoughtfully digesting what was said

It made my brain hurt on the first pass, and I had no reason to believe a 2nd pass was going to clarify.

I've almost forgotten the subject matter anyway.  Something about Oklahoma State being more relevant than Mississippi State, which any sidewalk fan of the last decade knows.

[CharleyHorse46]

Amos often jousts irrelevant windmills on the periphery of engaging discussions others are having but I’m not sure when I’ve ever seen him get so worked up about it.

Could be he’s so happy in his marriage that his negativity has nowhere else to go.

[CousinFreddie]

and hence the backporch does its job, saving marriages, like a virtual pressure cooker valve, one negative puff of steam at a time ...

[Gigem]

Did someone mention Oklahoma state?  I like oSu.  They are, after all, your 2011 college football national champions. 

[CharleyHorse46]

I 

Did someone mention Oklahoma state?  

Not that I can see or recall.
Maybe you heard some vegan say, "Oh my hummus steak."

[utee94]

i dated a vegan girl for a while in college, pretty sure she probably tried to convince me to eat hummus steak.