SEC Cross Division Rivals

[Dutchrudder]

This deal just keeps getting worse and worse. I can't believe how ****ing stupid A&M's president is. The guy goes out and announces something on Twitter that isn't even confirmed by the conference yet. Might as well change his title to General Manager of Athletics.

Mizzou and Arkansas appear to be on a collision course as future permanent cross-divisional rivals in the Southeastern Conference, a topic believed to have been in discussion at last week's SEC meetings and probably at another one today in New Orleans.

On Tuesday, Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin confirmed by Twitter what South Carolina president Harris Pastides had strongly hinted several days ago: that A&M of the SEC West, initially set as MU's cross-division rival for annual football games, will instead be paired with South Carolina of the SEC East.

"Just had a great conversation with the South Carolina president about our permanent SEC rivalry," Loftin tweeted. "We will make this very special!"

Arkansas and South Carolina had a history as cross-divisional rivals.

With MU assigned to the East and Arkansas in the West, a series between them has seemed appealing and logical all along. The schools are about 300 miles apart.

"Arkansas and Missouri have kind of buddied up because they are neighboring states and wanted to play each other," South Carolina president Harris Pastides told a Columbia, S.C., television station.

However, at Mizzou, officials either didn't know or couldn't confirm the impending pairing.

"I have no idea," football coach Gary Pinkel said. "I talked to Mike (Alden), and every meeting he's ever been in, it's never even been discussed. That's what he said to me. And at the head coaches meeting, that wasn't even discussed. So I don't know anything about it."

Pinkel had been interested in keeping A&M as Mizzou's cross-division rival so that Missouri could keep a closer tie with the state of Texas for football recruiting.

"I don't want to comment," Pinkel said. "Since I don't have any control over it, it doesn't really matter."

By text message, Mizzou spokesman Chad Moller said he'd heard nothing official; MU associate athletics director Mark Alnutt, who works with football scheduling, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Arkansas spokesman Kevin Trainor, calling on behalf of Arkansas athletics director Jeff Long, also said the school had no official information.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colle...#ixzz1oRrSWdvH

[Stemp]

First of all, the SC president was the one who let the cat out of the bag 2 days before Loftin.
Loftin just confirmed it. I'm sure Mizzou is trying to get the SEC to change it, but it's not going to happen.

Loftin, along with the other school presidents, has been a big part of the negotiations with the SEC as far as scheduling for all the sports. So it's makes sense for him to be the one to announce it. I'm fairly certain the SEC gave him the green light to make it public, since the SC president already said as much earlier and Loftin has been very careful about wording statements and making sure all the T's are crossed during this entire saga.