A Missouri-ble Split

In Favor: Mitch Kaskie

S-E-C, S-E-C, S-E-C.

It was the week of Missouri’s official announcement of their move to the South Eastern Conference (SEC). It was only appropriate for Mizzou to go out in style in their first victory against Texas in the school’s history. After the 17-5 win,  “SEC” chants rang clear throughout Faurot Field. I looked toward the small section of Texas fans and waved farewell.

Goodbye Big 12; hello SEC.

After living in Kansas City for 17 years, it would be hard for me to tell you I didn’t enjoy Missouri’s time in the Big 12.  I attended every home football game last year. I witnessed Missouri take down Oklahoma, the No. 1 team in the nation on Homecoming night along with 71,000 other fans. But it wasn’t just Saturdays at Faurot Field— It was because I was born and raised in the Big 12. My childhood consisted of Saturday football games on ABC and Big 12 basketball tournaments at the Sprint Center. If a team were out of conference, then Big 12 all the way. And as painful as it was, I even wanted Kansas to win the 2008 Orange Bowl.

I attended every home football game last year. I witnessed Missouri take down Oklahoma, the No. 1 team in the nation on Homecoming night along with 71,000 other fans.

I was a part of one of the greatest rivalry in college sports. Missouri vs. Kansas dates back to the civil war. It’s not just a college rivalry, it’s a conflict that people once lost their lives over. For me, the rivalry was the painful losses in basketball. The rivalry was “We’re Number One!” chants when KU quarterback Todd Reesing was sacked for the game ending safety. The rivalry was despising the team in red and blue for reasons that have been lost for over a century. That was the rivalry, and I was a part of it myself.

So, a Big 12 guy like myself is well aware of why people here in the KU-East region are disappointed and pessimistic about Missouri’s move: “How could Missouri end one of the longest lasting rivalries in the NCAA? Oh well, good luck in the SEC!”

Sure, for the next three years or so I’ll hear these arguments, but the fact of the matter is this: Missouri is going to have an SEC football program. Most of my great Big 12 memories are of football, and this move will only up the hype for football seasons to come. And I wholeheartedly believe that the chatter and disappointment of Missouri’s move will soon quiet down for these three reasons:

1) Long term stability: As much as it pains me to say it, the Big 12 was falling apart. Nebraska’s move to the Big 10 and Colorado’s switch to the Pac-12 marked the beginning of the end. Missouri had a choice to make: stay in a conference that may hold no future, or secure a spot with the top football conference in the nation. Fact: Missouri could be fined up to $25.9 million for exiting the Big 12. The SEC doesn’t have exit fees, because they don’t need them. You’re free to go, but you probably won’t. A school hasn’t left the SEC since Tulane in 1966.

2) Economics: The SEC equally splits revenue between their members, compared to the Big 12, which distributed revenue based only on the number of television appearances by each university. For years, Big 12 powerhouses Oklahoma and Texas had the money to shine in the Big 12—Missouri has, well, not. However, in their first year in the SEC, Missouri is projected to make $19.25 million, where as they would earn $17.26 million of Big 12 distributed revenue. Tack on to that up to $12 million from the SEC’s 15 year television contract with CBS and ESPN.

3) Football: If Missouri wanted to win more titles, they would make a move to Conference USA. Mizzou isn’t waltzing into the SEC expecting a national championship. Absolutely not. The move was about securing long term stability and making the best business choice. However, as a member of the SEC, Missouri will have some potential in the athletic department. Sure, Missouri might struggle for a few years. Sooner or later, not only will the SEC open up recruiting for Missouri in the South, but possibly make the football program a brand name. The typical capacity of an SEC football stadium is 90,000; Faurot Field stands at 70,000. Stadium improvements could bring in bigger crowds. The ZOU may become a stadium teams are scared to travel to. Either way, the Tigers may not live up to SEC standards right away, but this football program is on a rise. Oh, and don’t forget basketball. The SEC has three ranked teams; with the addition of No. 25 Mizzou and No. 19 Texas A&M, is there a possibility of a new powerhouse, or even a chance of shining some light on a conference overshadowed by football?

As a fan, and a guy who loves football, the SEC is an exciting investment for the future. From an economic stand point, Missouri officials chose the best place for their wallets. Be my guest, fuss about Missouri’s move, but what would you do?

In Opposition: Tiernan Shank

College sports are not my forte. Before I went to the “American Football” page on Wikipedia I couldn’t tell you the difference between an automatic first down and a cornerback.

And yet, so many of my weekends have been spent driving two and a half hours to Columbia, Missouri for college football against those cyclonic birds from Iowa State. Or learning to despise the red and blue of KU and the red and white from the University of Nebraska.

But now, as Missouri announces their departure from the Big 12 Conference and entry into the SEC, those rivalries are flying out the window. The tradition is hanging by…

No longer will Missouri play Oklahoma or Texas. Iowa or Colorado. The border showdown between KU and MU is one of the longest running rivalries in history and it might end for good.

In my eyes those rivalry games could make or break a season. I loved the passion that comes with those historical rivalries.

Tradition is one of the most important things to me, and to think that in 20 years I might not feel the same way about Jayhawks as I do now utterly terrifies me. What if I do the unthinkable–tolerate them

As a fan it’s hard to see the motives behind this detrimental decision. They want you to think it’s for the good of the fans. They want you to think everyone’s into it and ready to move.

But that’s hard to believe. We all know the real reasons: stability, the structure and growth that the SEC could provide and of course, the money.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I fully understand that money makes the college sports world go round.

Crucial television contracts can make or break a conference. The more television contracts, the better the athletic program. I get it.

The better the athletic program the increase in applications and alumni donations.

Now that’s all nice for the University, but what about the fan?

Us Big 12 fans have been watching the same schools play each other for 17 years.

When you pick up and move conferences life that, it’s almost like you’re forgetting the fan.

We spend our hard earned money on those season tickets. We pay the tuition for our children to attend these schools. We give donations to scholarship funds and athletic programs.

And yet we still can’t control what our university is doing. How our university is treating our money. Or the way they run the athletic department.

Missouri wanted stability and money. The Big 12 was thinking about change. The money wasn’t being fairly distributed between all the schools. When Missouri heard that Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State were talking to the PAC 10 they didn’t know what to do.

So they left the Big 12 and moved south to the SEC. But why, when they could have easily stood by their conference and dealt with the unpredictability that is the Big 12?

If we had just stayed cool, calm and collected we could have stay in the conference where we belong.

In truth, no conference in their right mind would take Texas or Oklahoma and they have too good of a deal in the Big 12 to leave.

Missouri panicked at simply the thought of Texas and Oklahoma exploring their options. We ran away from our region and from the teams that were accessible and familiar.

It’s painful for me to see my university leave where we have been for so long. Where, yes, we might not have made the most money but we had a great time. We built a solid foundation with traditions and rivalries. With Nationally ranked teams and a respectable program.

For a podcast on another staffer’s opinion about Missouri’s move, click here.