Texas never was talking to the Big 10; shocker

by greenspointexas on Feb 24, 2010 11:58 PM CST

Per ESPN:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=4943237

Article paraphrased: Dodds says "good for us, but we never even got a call from them at all"

Again, just another off season fabrication by media outlets to boost their ratings and so they might have something to talk about. In other news, Muschamp to LA Tech, Texas to WAC, and Mack Brown is opening a car dealership, lol.

Why am I not suprised at this "news?" Fire away

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Lesson in irony

Again, just another off season fabrication by media outlets to boost their ratings and so they might have something to talk about.

Per ESPN:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=4943237

Good job.

"I live in the tower with Coach Brown." -Bevo

by run Bevo run on Feb 25, 2010 12:09 AM CST reply actions 3 recs

Two Points

1. Plans for Big 10 expansion were announced two months ago in December 2009. A consulting firm was hired, and it is known that UT was not involved in the first draft list to whatever search committee the Big 10 has formed. The odds that any school on that list has been contacted in this still embryonic time frame? Essentially nill. After Notre Dame’s rejection in 1999, expect the Big 10 to move very judiciously before even entering high level talks. We’ve beaten the topic to death on this blog, while the search committee probably hasn’t spoken as a group more than twice.

2. Deloss Dodds is not the decision maker for conference realignment, Bill Powers is. Dodds speaking about any high level negotiation or potential high level negotiation in which he isn’t the lead is too far off the ranch for an exec of his caliber. Don’t expect him to be the mouthpiece on this one.

proud to swim home

by learned hand on Feb 25, 2010 1:56 AM CST reply actions

Plus . . .

. . . Dodds says absolutely nothing which could be termed a lie or a falsehood if someone went back and took a look at this statement in a few months or years if Texas did accept an invitation from the Big 10.

Here are all of his words from the interview, spliced together:

“[The Big XII is] working. I like it . . . . We’re always going to be looked at. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. That’s a good thing . . . . I think it’s been a great conference for us and we’ve been good for the conference. Before the [Big 12], we were struggling with recruiting and struggling with all kinds of things. The Big 12 has brought us stability, kept Texas kids in Texas . . . . All the sports have been good to us. We’ve built up some good rivalries. It’s been good for us . . . . I don’t know who [a replacement school] would be . . . . People around the country kind of pick on us because we don’t have ‘tradition.’ I don’t think we need that. I think we’re pretty darn good. You don’t have to be 100 years old to be good . . . . That’s the year 2015 we’ve got the leverage [in TV negotiations]. It will be the Big 12’s turn.”

There is no unequivocal denial in interest in moving to the Big XII in those words. These words are pretty much what you would expect Dodds to say right now, no matter what he’s thinking (or what Powers is thinking). And until I hear such an unequivocal denial — something like “Texas is never going to the Big 10 under any circumstances whatsoever” — then the door remains open.

And if people want to misinterpret these words (like the color guy in the hoops game last night, who said that Dodds “shut the door” on relocation talk), that’s their own fault.

"Texas played without its best player for nearly 56 minutes. There's an asterisk." -- Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com

by Hopkins Horn on Feb 25, 2010 9:40 AM CST up reply actions

Good point.

I think you meant moving to “Big 10”, right? Just making sure I read correctly.

There is no unequivocal denial in interest in moving to the Big XII in those words.

"Football is an incredible game. Sometimes it's so incredible, it's unbelievable." - Tom Landry

by TXStampede on Feb 25, 2010 9:51 AM CST up reply actions

Yes, good catch

"Texas played without its best player for nearly 56 minutes. There's an asterisk." -- Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com

by Hopkins Horn on Feb 25, 2010 9:59 AM CST up reply actions

To me, the most interesting part of this

Is Dodds taking the “move along, nothing to see here” approach, even as top level administrators at Colorado, Nebraska, and Mizzou have all commented publicly that they’re interested in exploring new opportunities. Sometimes the story is embedded in the contrasts.

proud to swim home

by learned hand on Feb 25, 2010 11:49 AM CST up reply actions

Believe it or not . . .

. . . “move along, nothing to see here” was what I was going to call my post on this subject once I saw the article yesterday (and knowing this would be brought up) until the opportunity to piggyback on your post presented itself.

And to stress, it’s not just that he’s saying what he should say now even if he thinks Texas is going to move. He’s also saying exactly what he should now even if he thinks Texas is going to stay. Even if Powers, et al have no intention of moving, there’s no reason to shut the door in public completely.

"Texas played without its best player for nearly 56 minutes. There's an asterisk." -- Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com

by Hopkins Horn on Feb 25, 2010 12:05 PM CST up reply actions