Texas A&M says show me the money

[badger]

The Big 12 Conference promised Texas A&M $20 million annually and the Aggies intend to collect, A&M president R. Bowen Loftin said Wednesday.

“A key part of Texas A&M’s decision to remain in the Big 12 earlier this summer was the commissioner’s commitment that Texas A&M would receive a minimum of $20 million annually in future conference distributions,” Loftin said in a statement. “We remain committed to the conference and fully anticipate that the Big 12 will honor its commitment to Texas A&M.”

And what happens if the Big 12 doesn’t honor its $20 million pledge? A high-ranking A&M official said late Wednesday that every legal avenue would be explored first, with the potential of bolting for the Southeastern Conference coming after.

Link (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/college/texasam/7129321.html)

TexAgs has said it repeatedly, but A&M and "Dollar Bill" Byrne really, really care about money. The article states the athletic department is, $16 mil in debt to their school, so there's likely pressure from the academic side to collect.

These payments aren't due till 2012-13, but I really, really don't know if we'll be able to give them that much without other Big 12ers suffering. The little 5 agreed to give up their shares of Nebbish's and Buffy's buyouts, but we all know that both of those traitors are trying everything they can to not give up any dough as the door hits them on the way out.

Was A&M really that close to bolting to the SEC? Are we really obligated to give A&M a big check every year through eternity? No idea, but the biggest questions are ability to pay and where the cash comes from.

[Mississippi Sooner]

I really wonder where the bluff ends, too. Can they really twist off on their own and leave without Texas? Or, when push comes to shove, will they be slapped down and told to know their role?

[Oldnslo]

the cracks in the "Big 12" are not going to do anything but get bigger.

[badger]

the cracks in the "Big 12" are not going to do anything but get bigger.

ja, and it's unfortunate.

[swardboy]

Where did A&M's athletic dept. think the money was going to come from when it originally got in hock?

[KantoSooner]

I suppose it wouldn't hurt A&M any worse to end up being abused by LSU, Flowduh, Bama or Georgia than it is to lose to OU and Texas annually.

[soonervegas]

This is going to end well....

We could all be looking forward to cross sectional games against Oregon, SC, and UCLA (and long term conference security) but instead we will be playing ISU and Kansas each year.

Yeah us.

[badger]

I suppose it wouldn't hurt A&M any worse to end up being abused by LSU, Flowduh, Bama or Georgia than it is to lose to OU and Texas annually.

As much as they would love to chant S-E-C! S-E-C like those leading states of obesity, I think the Texas rivalry is more important to them than getting to host LSU, Bammer, et al every so often.

Texas has already promised to cancel their Lone Star Showdown for all eternity if A&M tries to leave the conference in its own direction.

[MI Sooner]

This is going to end well....

We could all be looking forward to cross sectional games against Oregon, SC, and UCLA (and long term conference security) but instead we will be playing ISU and Kansas each year.

Yeah us.

We could be looking forward to games against (insert three of the beset programs from conference A here), but instead we will be playing (insert two of the worst programs from conference B here).

Yeah us.

[badger]

We could be looking forward to games against (insert three of the beset programs from conference A here), but instead we will be playing (insert two of the worst programs from conference B here).

Yeah us.

In a 16-team conference that was proposed to the west, or the 14-team confernece that was proposed to the east (yes, we had both pac-16 and SEC invites), we would not be playing top conference opponents every year.

And besides, we already get top non-conference matchups against good SEC and pac 10 opponents (not to mention ACC and Big East like this season) thanks to Joe C. scheduling. We are not Texas, A&M or other pussified schedulers that would only get good matchups against SEC and Pac-whatever opponents if we joined their conference. We will not wait, we will not hesitate, we will schedule their arse and then we will beat it.

A&M whines that they could have had games with LSU. YOU CAN HAVE GAMES WITH LSU IF YOU SCHEDULE THEM! WE HAVE THEM ON OUR SCHEDULE! WHY DON'T YOU?!

[Herr Scholz]

From what I've read, this really isn't that big of an issue. UT and OU were fine forgoing the subsidies from the other schools because we were both already forecasted to make $20M+ going forward without them as much as we're on tv. Easy decision that makes us look good. aggy was projected at around $18M so it's really only about a $2M delta that needs to be bridged by those 5 schools, around $400K per school.

They're in hock because their AD Byrne is a complete buffoon. He took out a $16M loan from his university to keep up with facility improvements with the big boys and thought it was a gift. He was actually mad when they sent him a bill for it. Even the huskers think this guy is dumb.

[Herr Scholz]

Here's an excerpt form the article in the DMN today:

...It was both magnanimous and easy for Texas and Oklahoma to decline the offer from the five league members. Neither needed any additional money to reach $20 million.

A&M? The Aggies were at $18 million, nearly double their current distribution and a figure that could improve if football makes more TV appearances.

Still, the school could hardly turn down any revenue. The athletic department faces 10 years of $1.6 million loan payments to the university. Longtime athletic department employees have been laid off.

Nor do the five schools that made the pledge want a replay after facing Armageddon. Based on the $18 million, that means about $400,000 per school to A&M...

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/topstories/stories/073010dnspocarltoncol.2905f91.html

[badger]

Sir Herr the Whorn, I love beating your team, but I almost love beating aTm more because of their ridiculous fans, athletic department and coach fran (and now shermanator, who ruined my packers before we dumped him)

[Herr Scholz]

They're a weird group for sure. They have an idiot running their ath. dept. plus their fans are very bandwagon and haven't been filling up their stadium in a long while and now they're in dire fiscal straits. What's really funny about them is that they view themselves as one of the big boys in college football when in reality they're a never was.

[Mississippi Sooner]

I don't understand why Mr. Byrne still has a job with the university after a move like that. He should be working for the government.

[SicEmBaylor]

They're a weird group for sure. They have an idiot running their ath. dept. plus their fans are very bandwagon and haven't been filling up their stadium in a long while and now they're in dire fiscal straits. What's really funny about them is that they view themselves as one of the big boys in college football when in reality they're a never was.

Saying they are weird is an understatement of British proportions. They are certifiable lunatics. I long for the day that a Guatemala sized sinkhole opens up and swallows A&M down to middle earth.

[badger]

They're a weird group for sure.

YOU...
http://pokerblog.blogspot.com/squeeze_ags.jpg

DON'T...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/3598615145_0f587a7997.jpg

SAY? ;)

EDIT: Just for fun, more silly yell pics here (http://dougklembara.com/journal/?p=241)... I found that site by a chance google image search... weird. That was probably the best day of those aggie's lives, getting to pose in their white suits :rolleyes:

[ddub0224]

A&M....weird...what....http://www.mattwalters.com/web/texastech/images/rivalry/aggies.htm

[Herr Scholz]

My wife is one of them (she's pretty laid back about sports though). You don't have to tell me. I've been to that place too many times. Now that we have kids, I don't have to go anymore. Which is nice.

[KantoSooner]

Okay, I'll bite: I get the whole military thing, the extra man, etc etc. Nice. Don't walk on the grass.
But what in the name of sweet baby tebus is the nut grabbing thing all about? I saw the video of the guy ringing the bell. Ack, ack, he looks like he's yanking. Funny. But you could tell he was ringing a bell; at least arguably. The nut grabbing? I am bumfuzzled. WTF is THAT supposed to be?
Sincerely.

[badger]

I am a n00b to the south and to the Big 12 (only since 2001 when I started at OU) but I have been told that it is one of A&M's more bizarre traditions, where the men squeeze their balls while the team is on defense so that they feel their team's pain with them.

The infamous picture shows that only the most insane (or perhaps hazed freshmen fishies) corps members still squeeze. That particular moment was near the end of the evil Tech game, where they actually thought they would beat Tech. ESPN, obviously not realizing wtf the corps were doing, embarrassed A&M on national television.

Not to be outdone by the Corps, the A&M football team itself embarrassed A&M even more by letting Tech score, losing the game late. :rcmad:

[trpltongue]

*edit* Beat me to it (forgot to hit the submit button :)

suppossed to be sharing in the physical pain of the football team to show support. Yes, ghey.

[KantoSooner]

You're s**ttin' me.

Seriously? I went to OU in the 80's for grad school, and am a life long Okie/OU fan, thus am not completely new to football in this part of the country; but I have no idea what symbolism Aggies think they are participating in. I even kind of respect them for having a deal that is so weird that I can't figure it out. But not too much.

[badger]

You're s**ttin' me.

If it walks and talks, or does neither, it is an A&M tradition:

Walks: Reveille, the highest ranking member of the Corps of Cadets, a five-star general. Also happens to be a border collie.

Talks: Yell leader, a senior or junior who promotes traditions and gets the fanbase fired up before, during and after sports events. Also happens to be a group of male cheerleaders in matching white shirts and pants that think they're the coolest thing ever.

Neither: The beautiful lawns and field turf on the College Station campus. Also happens to be a considered a war memorial. Corps members with play swords and old guys in lawn chairs stationed everyone to ensure that you do not walk on the "war memorial."

[texaspokieokie]

i like to watch the band.

funny thing to me, when aggies lose, cheerleaders (after the game) have to go work on their cheers,because apparently they didn't cheer well enough.

i bet they had to work for days after the 77-zip game.

(don't remember where i saw that)