Texas A&M’s move from Big 12 will leave void in Central Texas – Killeen Daily Herald
Texas A&M’s move from Big 12 will leave void in Central Texas Posted On: Saturday, Sep. 3 2011 11:07 PM
It’s official. Texas A&M University is leaving the Big 12 Conference next year.
While not unexpected, Wednesday’s formal announcement by university President R. Bowen Loftin undoubtedly left many Central Texans with more than a tinge of sadness.
After all, the three local Big 12 universities — A&M, Baylor and Texas — have shared conference affiliation for almost a century. Starting in 1914 with the formation of the Southwest Conference, the three schools have all developed a healthy rivalry in several sports, with football leading the way.
After the conference broke up in 1996, Baylor, Texas and A&M remained linked in the new Big 12, though other traditional rivals like TCU, SMU, Rice and Houston were forced to find their own conference homes.
But last year, the Big 12 began to unravel as Nebraska left for the Big Ten and Colorado bolted for the Pac-10, leaving just 10 schools in the formerly 12-team league.
Still, Texas, Baylor and Texas A&M stayed together, despite A&M’s threat to leave for the Southeastern Conference, largely over dissatisfaction with the conference’s revenue-sharing plan, which was weighted toward Texas.
But the seeds of dissension had been sowed, and UT’s exclusive agreement with ESPN to create the lucrative Longhorn television network apparently was the final straw. A&M’s president claims the impending move — most likely to the SEC — is in the “best interest” of the university, but is it in the best interest of Central Texas?
Waco-based economist Ray Perryman recently issued a report stating that A&M’s departure would cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars, in terms of business activity and state and local revenue.
Perryman’s exact figures are 3,050 jobs lost and $217.2 million in output each year. But the report by Perryman, a Baylor graduate, lacks specifics in explaining how those figures were derived.
Texas A&M economist Thomas Saving disputed Perryman’s figures, especially those predicting job losses. He noted that SEC fans traditionally travel well and would fill A&M’s Kyle Field for football games.
Still, there can be little argument that Central Texas will feel some impact.
How can you replace the annual “Battle of the Brazos” between A&M and Baylor? And what other team would draw as big a crowd or TV audience as the annual Texas-Texas A&M game on Thanksgiving weekend?
And let’s not forget the effect A&M’s departure would have on conference rivalries in basketball, baseball and other sports.
But A&M’s impending move to another conference transcends the sports realm. It represents a change in the state’s culture.
For generations, Central Texans have attended Baylor, A&M and UT. The rich, interwoven traditions the three schools have built are part of the fabric of Central Texas, as they have been for more than 90 years. Over that span, the schools’ regular athletic competitions have formed the basis of social bonds and friendly rivalries, even among those who never attended any of the institutions.
And with Killeen now home to the fledgling Texas A&M University-Central Texas campus, the move by the parent institution has an even stronger local impact.
For their part, Big 12 Conference officials have stated they will move quickly to fill the vacancy left by A&M’s departure. Several in-state schools seem like a natural fit, such as SMU, TCU and Houston.
But it just won’t be the same. With its long and colorful history, Texas A&M is a unique university. Finding a suitable replacement won’t be easy.
In the meantime, the football season that started this weekend has effectively become the Aggies’ Big 12 farewell tour. Of course, the university isn’t really going anywhere. After next July 1, the campus will still be in College Station, just as it’s always been. Local students will still enroll there and go off to college. And A&M jerseys, T-shirts, caps and other paraphernalia will still be sold in stores around Central Texas.
But after that date, A&M won’t be bringing its teams and fans to Waco or Austin — at least, not on a regular basis. Likewise, Baylor and Texas fans won’t be packing up for tailgate parties in College Station after this season. In that regard, it will be the end of an era.
Over time, other teams may join the conference, giving rise to new rivalries and new traditions.
But for many Central Texans, A&M’s departure will leave a void that can’t be filled.
After all, you can’t replace family. And like ‘em, love ‘em or hate ‘em, that’s exactly what the Aggies are.