Why did the SEC add Missouri

[ScarletDave]

People like to talk about RU in the Big Ten (which we’re proving slowly to them what many of us know already, it’s a perfect fit) but is there any school that has possibly been more irrelevant since moving up a conference? Seriously I think I’ve seen more Wake Forest and Vanderbilt games on TV than I have Missouri in the last 10 years. And not just in football - it’s like they have completely dropped off the map. Literally can’t tell you the last time I saw a picture on Twitter/sports news of one of their home games in any sport (and I follow many RU ones). RU will benefit greatly from the Big Ten and the conference already has from us ($$$), but this has got to be one of the more head-scratching moves that has ever been made in conference realignment.

 

[RUScrew85]

People like to talk about RU in the Big Ten (which we’re proving slowly to them what many of us know already, it’s a perfect fit) but is there any school that has possibly been more irrelevant since moving up a conference? Seriously I think I’ve seen more Wake Forest and Vanderbilt games on TV than I have Missouri in the last 10 years. And not just in football - it’s like they have completely dropped off the map. Literally can’t tell you the last time I saw a picture on Twitter/sports news of one of their home games in any sport (and I follow many RU ones). RU will benefit greatly from the Big Ten and the conference already has from us ($$$), but this has got to be one of the more head-scratching moves that has ever been made in conference realignment.

Because someone got paid. Someone always gets paid.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

Identity politics, in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting and Ferguson riots, killed the program.

 

[Local Shill]

People like to talk about RU in the Big Ten (which we’re proving slowly to them what many of us know already, it’s a perfect fit) but is there any school that has possibly been more irrelevant since moving up a conference? Seriously I think I’ve seen more Wake Forest and Vanderbilt games on TV than I have Missouri in the last 10 years. And not just in football - it’s like they have completely dropped off the map. Literally can’t tell you the last time I saw a picture on Twitter/sports news of one of their home games in any sport (and I follow many RU ones). RU will benefit greatly from the Big Ten and the conference already has from us ($$$), but this has got to be one of the more head-scratching moves that has ever been made in conference realignment.

You’re a good poster but you obviously don’t pay much attention to college football. They’ve made two SEC football championship games since joining that league. Missouri’s been a bit down lately but I hope I live to see the day when Rutgers makes the Big Ten championship game just once.

 

[RUforlife]

Two cities, Kansas City and St. Louis, that is really the end of the discussion, but you do realize their endowment is over 2 billion and it is a pretty good school academic wise for the SEC. They have been going thru some tough times, but they have been to 33 bowl games.

 

[Local Shill]

Two cities, Kansas City and St. Louis, that is really the end of the discussion, but you do realize their endowment is over 2 billion and it is a pretty good school academic wise for the SEC. They have been going thru some tough times, but they have been to 33 bowl games.

Tough times for them is still making a bowl game 4 of the past 5 seasons. We can only hope that qualifies as “tough times” for RU someday.

 

[DJ Spanky]

Tough times for them is still making a bowl game 4 of the past 5 days.

That's impressive. We're lucky to make a bowl game 1 day a year.

 

[JayDogSmooth]

$$$

 

[JayDogSmooth]

Identity politics, in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting and Ferguson riots, killed the program.

Absent of a couple of token appearances in the SECGC, they’ve largely been irreverent during my lifetime

Two big moments stick out:

1. 5th down bs Colorado
2. The tipped ball TD they gave up vs. Nebraska

That along with the block M that looks like Michigan, the M logo on the endzone hill, the random grass behind the sidelines and the crazy study I saw where they were talking about expanding seating capacity to 100k (not a typo)

 

[rutgersguy1]

They fired their .500 coach Barry Odom and I've read Drinkwitz in year 3 seat may start warm if he doesn't start getting better than .500 kind of results.

Mizzou got paid and the SEC got a partner who was decent for A&M. Everyone can't be a winner and a solid program is a satisfactory add for them with some new market too.

 

[superfan01]

Head scratcher post from @ScarletDave

 

[RUnTeX]

Two cities, Kansas City and St. Louis, that is really the end of the discussion

Not sure how the two large metros in Missouri impact the Tigers' football fortunes so perhaps you could elaborate. Limits demand and pulls attendance away? Reduced visibility and/or media coverage?

I'd want to draw a somewhat similar parallel to PSU and PA's two cities - Philly & Pittsburgh - but don't see it as a downside for the Cult. State College is more remote than Columbia, unless you'd argue that's a positive and don't believe that the two situations are particularly analogous.

 

[50 yd line RR]

People like to talk about RU in the Big Ten (which we’re proving slowly to them what many of us know already, it’s a perfect fit) but is there any school that has possibly been more irrelevant since moving up a conference? Seriously I think I’ve seen more Wake Forest and Vanderbilt games on TV than I have Missouri in the last 10 years. And not just in football - it’s like they have completely dropped off the map. Literally can’t tell you the last time I saw a picture on Twitter/sports news of one of their home games in any sport (and I follow many RU ones). RU will benefit greatly from the Big Ten and the conference already has from us ($$$), but this has got to be one of the more head-scratching moves that has ever been made in conference realignment.

Because they didn’t get into the Big Ten! Why else would they?

 

[rutgersguy1]

Head scratcher post from @ScarletDave

I watch and read about quite a bit of CFB and I thinks he right in one sense. They've kind of disappeared unless you're really looking for them. I think they were a justified add for the SEC (I mean who else was available anyway) but they have kind of fallen off the map after Pinkel even if their results have been about .500

 

[RUforlife]

Not sure how the two large metros in Missouri impact the Tigers' football fortunes so perhaps you could elaborate. Limits demand and pulls attendance away? Reduced visibility and/or media coverage?

I'd want to draw a somewhat similar parallel to PSU and PA's two cities - Philly & Pittsburgh - but don't see it as a downside for the Cult. State College is more remote than Columbia, unless you'd argue that's a positive and don't believe that the two situations are particularly analogous.

Seriously? Media markets. Same reason, and only reason, the B1G invited us, media markets. Penn State owns the Philly media market and also Western Pa, no offense to any Pitt posters. The OP asked why the SEC invited Missouri to join.

 

[RUnTeX]

Seriously? Media markets. Same reason, and only reason, the B1G invited us, media markets. Penn State owns the Philly media market and also Western Pa, no offense to any Pitt posters. The OP asked why the SEC invited Missouri to join.

Ok I agree. I had thought you were addressing the OPs belief of Mizzou's lack of success and profile in the SEC and not the reason for conference invite itself. So I leapt to asking you why they might be irrelevant or hovering in relative anonymity (seemingly OPs position) even after the move to the SEC, despite being sandwiched between those media markets.

 

[mdk01]

Identity politics, in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting and Ferguson riots, killed the program.

"Can we get some muscle over here?"

Check out the records of the Missouri before that happened and you'll see why there were in the SEC. Check out the records after that any you'll the question was asked.

 

[brgRC90]

Nebraska and Colorado haven't exactly dazzled since they jumped conferences.

 

[Scarlet Jerry]

It’s true that you don’t really hear anything about Missouri, from an athletics standpoint. A rationale could be that they are located near other SEC schools and they are an AAU member, which helps the SEC with academics, and of course, they bring another media market.

Scarlet Jerry

 

[Queztastic]

Nebraska and Colorado haven't exactly dazzled since they jumped conferences.

That is interesting. I am sure that Colorado and Nebraska fans will tell you that not being in a conference with Texas schools hurt their ability to recruit the Texas athletes. I'm sure Nebraska was affected by a probable increase in competition as well. As for missouri, they definitely had an increase in competition.

 

[brgRC90]

That is interesting. I am sure that Colorado and Nebraska fans will tell you that not being in a conference with Texas schools hurt their ability to recruit the Texas athletes. I'm sure Nebraska was affected by a probable increase in competition as well. As for missouri, they definitely had an increase in competition.

Recruiting in Texas has definitely dropped off for Nebraska: 17 players from Texas in 2012 versus 5 today. I'd guess that the quality of the recruits is also lower. Recruiting in California has dropped off for Nebraska, too. Colorado has 17 players from Texas, so their recruiting might not be much worse. But they weren't good when they left the Big 12 anyway.

 

[RUPete]

Absent of a couple of token appearances in the SECGC, they’ve largely been irreverent during my lifetime

Two big moments stick out:

1. 5th down bs Colorado
2. The tipped ball TD they gave up vs. Nebraska

That along with the block M that looks like Michigan, the M logo on the endzone hill, the random grass behind the sidelines and the crazy study I saw where they were talking about expanding seating capacity to 100k (not a typo)

Yikes to both of these posts. Can you guys be any more incoherent?

 

[JayDogSmooth]

Yikes to both of these posts. Can you guys be any more incoherent?

What part is disputable?

 

[RUPete]

What part is disputable?

Did you read any of the other posts in this thread or just the incoherent one?

 

[RUPete]

I watch and read about quite a bit of CFB and I thinks he right in one sense. They've kind of disappeared unless you're really looking for them. I think they were a justified add for the SEC (I mean who else was available anyway) but they have kind of fallen off the map after Pinkel even if their results have been about .500

I think your post hits on the main point. This was one of first larger dominoes to fall at the time and it seemed to make sense. It was a program that appeared on the rise, good school academically with decent media markets. It seemed to be a good first footprint expansion step. But in hindsight, many of these moves (see ACC-BE) aren’t looking so good.

 

[WhichReligionIsRight]

Missouri seems like a no-brainer to me. The SEC expanded its footprint to include the #23 and #34 markets. Missouri is also comparatively wealthier (on a per capita basis) than every other SEC state, except Texas. Missouri's fanbase may be weaker, but the markets matter.

 

[knightfan7]

Identity politics, in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting and Ferguson riots, killed the program.

I won't even ask what that's supposed to mean.

They were one of the few reasonable choices at the time. Mo borders Ark, Tenn, and Ky. Get away from the cities and the culture is more southern than midwest. It kept the B1G out. Add StL and KC and you have a decent size media market.

 

[RUPete]

I won't even ask what that's supposed to mean.

They were one of the few reasonable choices at the time. Mo borders Ark, Tenn, and Ky. Get away from the cities and the culture is more southern than midwest. It kept the B1G out. Add StL and KC and you have a decent size media market.

Not even worth asking. Just crazy. I think people view the past moves in a prisim of the current moves. They will always pale in comparison when you do that.

 

[Salvi's Headband]

Identity politics, in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting and Ferguson riots, killed the program.

For your own good, stop huffing paint thinner.

 

[JayDogSmooth]

Did you read any of the other posts in this thread or just the incoherent one?

Yes and merely commented on Mizzou football related topics

I Have no interest in the political aspect of any related posts

 

[brgRC90]

People like to talk about RU in the Big Ten (which we’re proving slowly to them what many of us know already, it’s a perfect fit) but is there any school that has possibly been more irrelevant since moving up a conference?

Syracuse

 

[ScarletDave]

Tough times for them is still making a bowl game 4 of the past 5 seasons. We can only hope that qualifies as “tough times” for RU someday.

This proves my point, he says they’re “going through tough times” clearly unaware that they’ve had bowl seasons 4 of the last 5 years. You just literally never see them on TV anymore.

I guess really, instead of questioning why the SEC added them when they did, I should have really focused my question on why Missouri has completely fallen off the map

 

[colbert17]

Identity politics, in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting and Ferguson riots, killed the program.

My nomination for the most irrelevant post of the year.

 

[cockhornleghorn]

Because they brought the St. Louis and KCMO TV markets.

I'm a South Carolina grad and when we were added, we didn't just bring all of the SC TV markets, but Charlotte, also. I have no clue why Arky was added. Probably because they had an excellent basketball program at the time.

 

[Rokodesh]

Nebraska and Colorado haven't exactly dazzled since they jumped conferences.

Nebraska makes national news. You wouldn't even know Colorado still played football. Mizzou is almost there too. Even a laughing stock Rutgers gets more attention than those teams.

 

[RUboston]

Maybe it was Brad Pitt’s Sigma Chi influence.

 

[RUref]

Missouri borders the most other states in the US, at eight. Only they, and Tennessee have that many next door neighbors.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

I agree with Dave in that it was sort of an odd addition. There was no GOR back then. Seems in hindsight that there would’ve been better choices available seeing how the SEC was able to later add Texas and Oklahoma.

In terms of reflecting on how teams progressed post conference move - Rutgers is arguably the only mover who seems better positioned than before their move. Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, Syracuse, WVU and UofL are not better positioned than before. Pitt has a decent football team this year, but overall I don’t see them being in a better national position right now than they were in the BE. And basketball has been a disaster. Maryland is sort of on par with where they were before.

For RU, we weren’t a superpower in the BE. We were merely respectable in football and a disaster in hoops. Ironically - the way everything unfolded for us generated some national attention (although negative at the time) kind of keeps us on the radar nationally moreso than these other programs (Kansas may be in a similar position as us). Also helped that we turned around our BB program.

 

[RUTGERS95]

lol, Mizzou is awesome and has been far more successful than we have. The fans in the show me state are rabid and Mizzou enjoys some serious support. We should only hope to emulate what they have. Great atmosphere for a game too, saw them play Texas at home.

 

[RUaMoose]

Absent of a couple of token appearances in the SECGC, they’ve largely been irreverent during my lifetime

Two big moments stick out:

1. 5th down bs Colorado
2. The tipped ball TD they gave up vs. Nebraska

That along with the block M that looks like Michigan, the M logo on the endzone hill, the random grass behind the sidelines and the crazy study I saw where they were talking about expanding seating capacity to 100k (not a typo)

If RU ever went to one CG let alone back-to-back we'd be ecstatic. Nothing "token" about winning your division and reppin' it in the CG.