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Even A&M appearing to be on board with Texas, OU, joining SEC

Hog fans may as well embrace expansion in the SEC because even Aggies apparently changed their tune … and tone.

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A lot of Arkansas fans can’t seem to see the forest of all this talk of SEC expansion because they can’t get past the first tree, but it appears Texas A&M is accepting it, so get ready for a reality check.

Saturday afternoon the Aggies released statements to national media outlets that didn’t exactly sound like they were going to put up as big of a fight as everyone predicted:

A&M president Katherine Banks released a statement on the possibility of the SEC expanding:

“The last few days have been challenging in many ways, and I recognize that change in college athletics is often unsettling for those who love their institutions,” Banks said. “Rest assured, the chancellor, our athletic director, and I, and everyone involved in this matter are focused solely on what is best for Texas A&M University. Since 2011, we have been a proud member of the best intercollegiate athletic sports conference in history and we look forward to continued success in our SEC partnership for many years to come.”

Athletics director Ross Bjork issued the following statement to Dennis Dodd at CBS Sports:

“The culture of any conference, but especially for A&M, that’s the priority in this whole conversation,” Bjork said. “I’ve been in the league 10 years. When I first sat down and met Mike Slive, it was about culture and collaboration, excellence on and off the field. That’s what makes us the best conference. We’ve got to protect that.

“Look at A&M, We’re stronger than ever. … Look at the landscape of college athletics. Who wouldn’t want to join the SEC? Here in Texas, we’ve been able to pave the way. … Whoever joins, whenever they join, we’re ready. We embrace it at the highest level. That’s how we look at this.

“There is emotion, we get it. We’re in a great state; we’re in the best conference.”

Bjork also released a statement to ESPN:

“Regardless of who joins the SEC, whether it’s now [or] in the future, ‘the 12th Man’ is ready,” Bjork told ESPN on Saturday. “Our teams are ready. Our coaches are ready. Our athletic department is ready to compete at the highest level. That’s what the SEC is, that’s what we are as a university, and we’re ready for whatever comes next.”

That’s nothing compared to the posturing the Aggies were doing when the initial story broke at SEC Media Days on Wednesday.

Some Razorback fans don’t want the Longhorns getting in the league. The primary point is some goofball hatred for a football team they never managed to beat even three out of every 10 times they played in 75 games for most of the last century.

It’s bigger than just football. It would be much more interesting to hear what Eric Musselman, Mike Neighbors, Dave Van Horn and Courtney Deifel think about this whole expansion deal. Texas and OU do pretty well in their sports, too.

The thought here is those coaches will compete just fine, thank you, and football will do whatever it does. Playing in Austin and Norman every other year will only help the Hogs in recruiting, despite what you think.

It’s a short-sighted argument about hurting recruiting. And wrong.

Texas produces 300 players a year and the Hogs will still get about the same number they’ve been getting. Sam Pittman is recruiting nationally (they aren’t shy about making offers to anybody, anywhere). The Lone Star state isn’t the only place they look.

Besides, folks, this has nothing to do with competitive balance and the SEC hopes Texas and Oklahoma will win like they always have.

But it is happening.

The Big 12 has made a last-ditch effort to the Longhorns and Sooners by taking money from each member to sweeten the payout just to those two, according to a story at CBS Sports.

Texas and Oklahoma are expected to inform the Big 12 of their intention to leave the conference Monday. That does not mean they have a place to go because no one has said the SEC is going to be extending an offer over the weekend.

But you wonder if each member of the Big 12 is really going to be that interested in giving up millions to bump just UT and OU up to around $56 million a year while they take a pay cut … just to keep them in a conference that is teetering on the edge of collapse if just a couple of other folks walk away.

Each school would owe the Big 12 around $80 million to leave by the 2022 season, but some folks have said neither school is really too concerned about paying that. Both schools have double-digit boosters that could write the check and not worry about it.

But if they say their intention is to leave when the current TV deal expires in 2025, every other member is going to be on the phone and it’s doubtful very many will be left by 2023, much less a couple of years later.

Remember, Texas A&M and Missouri came to the SEC a year earlier than originally planned because of the disruption they caused bailing out.

 

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2024 Razorbacks Football

Thu, Aug 29vs UAPB (Little Rock)W, 70-0
Sat, Sep 7@ Oklahoma StateL, 31-39 2OT
Sat, Sep 14vs UABW, 37-27
Sat, Sep 21@ AuburnW, 24-14
Sat, Sep 28vs Texas A&M (Arl)L, 21-17
Sat, Oct 5vs TennesseeW, 19-14
Sat, Oct 19vs LSUL, 34-10
Sat, Oct 26@ Mississippi StateW, 58-25
Sat, Nov 2vs Ole MissL, 63-31
Sat, Nov 16vs Texas11:00 AM
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Sat, Nov 23vs Louisiana Tech3:00 PM
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Sat, Nov 30@ Missouri2:30 or 3:30 PM
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2024 High School Rankings

Following is the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll including the Overall Top 10, the top five in Classes 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, plus the top three in the 8-man division, as voted by a panel of sports media from around the state for the week ending August 24. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and ranking from last week's poll:
OVERALLRecordPtsPrv
1.Bryant (25)10-02681
2.Greenwood (2)10-02343
30Conway9-12022
4.Little Rock Parkview9-11714
5.Bentonville7-31625
6.Benton9-11486
7.Fayetteville8-21117
8.Pulaski Academy8-2898
9.Rogers7-3439
10.Joe T. Robinson9-122
Others receiving votes: Valley View 8, Mountain Home 7, Cabot 6, Little Rock Catholic 6, Shiloh Christian 6, Elkins 1, Farmington 1.
CLASS 7A
1.Bryant (27)10-01351
2.Conway9-11022
3.Bentonville7-3813
4.Fayetteville8-2454
5.Pulaski Academy8-2395
Others receiving votes: Rogers 3.
CLASS 6A
1.Greenwood (27)10-01351
2.Benton9-11082
3.Mountain Home8-2623
4.Shiloh Christian7-3494
5.Little Rock Catholic9-1345
Others receiving votes: Marion 6.
CLASS 5A
1.Little Rock Parkview (27)9-11351
2.Joe T. Robinson9-11062
3.Valley View10-0793
4.Farmington9-1484
5.Hot Springs Lakeside8-2205
Others receiving votes: Camden Fairview 7, Harding Academy 7, Morrilton 3.
CLASS 4A
1.Elkins (20)10-01261
3.Arkadelphia (5)8-2913
2.Little Rock Mills (1)10-0682
4.Warren8-2554
5.Dardanell (1)9-123
Southside Batesville10-023
Others receiving votes: Malvern 12, Gravette 5, Highland 2.
CLASS 3A
1.Bismarck (12)10-01051t
2.Fordyce (10)10-0961t
3.Prescott (1)9-1704
4.Osceola (2)8-1543
5.Booneville (1)9-1395
Others receiving votes: Mansfield (1) 23, Rivercrest 10, Rison 4, Salem 4.
CLASS 2A
1.Carlisle (20)10-01271
2.Conway Christian (7)10-01152
3.Des Arc8-2595
4.East Poinsett Co.7-352
5.Bigelow6-4183
Murfreesboro7-3184
Others receiving votes: Mount Ida 6, Junction City 4, Cross County 3, Poyen 3.
8-MAN SANCTIONED
1.Strong-Huttig (27)5-0811
2.Midland9-0532
3.Cedar Ridge8-1253
Others receiving votes: Woodlawn 3.

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ESPN ARKANSAS 99.5 IN FAYETTEVILLE, 95.3 IN THE RIVER VALLEY, 96.3 IN HOT SPRINGS, 104.3 IN HARRISON-MOUNTAIN HOME.