BREAKING NEWS: SEC Team to Travel

[indyfrisco]

Well, it's a 5 hour bus ride to a neutral site. This makes no sense to me. Why just not make it a home and home?

TEXAS A&M AND ARKANSAS ESTABLISH FOOTBALL NEUTRAL SITE SERIES IN NEW COWBOYS STADIUM



ARLINGTON, Texas—Texas A&M University, the University of Arkansas and the Dallas Cowboys organization have announced the formation of a football neutral site series to be played in the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.



The 10-year agreement calls for the series to begin in Oct. 3, 2009 with Arkansas serving as the home team in odd years and Texas A&M as the home team in even years. The stadium is expected to seat approximately 80,000 for this game with the distribution split evenly between the two institutions. With the configuration of the end zones the capacity could increase to 100,000.



“I am very excited about this agreement between our two schools and Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys organization,” Director of Texas A&M Athletics Bill Byrne said. “This provides a marquee non-conference game with national television exposure. The stadium is going to be one of the finest in the country and that should excite our players and fans. This game should generate additional revenue which will help our overall department and will give us more of a presence in the Metroplex.”



Arkansas leads the all-time series, 38-24-3. The last 10 clashes were split evenly with each school winning five times. The last meeting was Nov. 16, 1991 at Kyle Field with Texas A&M winning, 13-3, in a game nationally televised by ESPN. The Razorbacks came out in the wishbone formation on offense that day, but the Wrecking Crew held the Hogs to 121 yards of total offense.



“I was on R.C. Slocum’s staff in the late 80’s and early 90’s and we had some great games against Arkansas in the historic Southwest Conference days,” Aggie head coach Mike Sherman said. “I anticipate that the inaugural game scheduled for 2009 will be the first step in establishing a very competitive border rivalry which will become a fan favorite as two tradition-rich universities go head-to-head early in the season. It will be a great barometer for our team before we embark into Big 12 action.”



The two schools first met on the gridiron in 1903 with Texas A&M winning, 6-0. Texas A&M and Arkansas were part of the inaugural group of eight schools that formed the Southwest Conference in 1915. From 1934 through 1991, the teams met every season as part of the Southwest Conference. Arkansas withdrew from the league in 1991 to join the Southeastern Conference. Texas A&M was part of the formation of the current Big 12 Conference in 1996.



“To play in a state-of-the-art facility like the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, under the spotlight of a nationally televised audience, will be a fantastic opportunity for our players, coaches and university, as well as being able to experience the excitement of playing in front of as many as 100,000 passionate Aggie and Razorback fans,” Sherman added. “No doubt it will be difficult to tell the difference between the maroon of the Aggies and the cardinal red of the Razorbacks. I can only imagine the yells directed by the Aggie Yell Leaders and our fans waving their 12th Man towels, against the calling of the Hogs by the Arkansas faithful wearing their Hog hats will make for a deafening, yet electric environment.”



“The opportunity to get an away game in the Dallas/Fort Worth area will only enhance our goal of strengthening our recruiting efforts in that part of the state,” Sherman stated. “Since Texas high school football is our top resource for talent and there are so many excellent high school programs, players and coaches in the Metroplex, this game will no doubt be a plus for us. Because of the proximity of this road game, it will allow our current and future players’ parents a chance to see their sons play still another game in the state of Texas, thus minimizing most travel concerns. Anytime we can get our players’ parents and relatives in the stands to watch our players play, it only enhances the football family experience.”



“I would like to thank Jerry Jones and his sons, Stephen and Jerry Jr., for their tireless efforts in putting this all together and allowing Texas A&M to become a small part of the future history of the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium,” Sherman said. “I would also like to extend my appreciation to Texas A&M’s Athletic Director Bill Byrne and the rest of the Aggie athletic department, as well as Arkansas’ Athletic Director Jeff Long and his staff for their determination, effort and commitment in getting this game scheduled through the year 2018.”



“Our coaches and players will embrace this non-conference game as a great opportunity and challenge to represent Texas A&M, the state of Texas, and the Big 12 Conference against the University of Arkansas, the state of Arkansas and one of the top programs in the Southeastern Conference,” Sherman stated. “This game is what college football is all about!”



--atm--

[txangler74]

Why give Arkansas a recruiting game? Aggies have a hard enough time recruiting with LSU in their backyard. Bad enough Texas let them back into the state.

[King Crimson]

10 years is a helluva long contract in this day and age. seems strange to me, but much better than the proposed Dallas ATM-Tech series which seemed like a very weak effort to get a "neutral site" game in Dallas (and the somewhat weak sauce re: the REAL rivalry game in Dallas can't be avoided as a comparison).

but, gets you in Jerry's new crib which ought to be a novel destination for a few years, but the corny dogs won't be as good. :wink:

[indyfrisco]

no fuggin doubt on the corny dogs.

[txangler74]

but the corny dogs won't be as good. :wink:

Not to mention Cold Beer in paper cups

[RumpleForeskin]

I absolutely LOVE this.

I wish there were more cross conference rivalries such as this one.

I would love to see a Bic XII North vs Big Ten rivalry like this bust out that didn't involve Iowa/Iowa St.

I think a 5-10 year contract for a Nebraska/OSU rivalry would be awesome. The games could be played at Soldier Field. Just dreaming of other scenarios here, so save your negative retorts.

[SunCoastSooner]

I absolutely LOVE this.

I wish there were more cross conference rivalries such as this one.

I would love to see a Bic XII North vs Big Ten rivalry like this bust out that didn't involve Iowa/Iowa St.

I think a 5-10 year contract for a Nebraska/OSU rivalry would be awesome. The games could be played at Soldier Field. Just dreaming of other scenarios here, so save your negative retorts.

OU and Notre Dame have been discussing a prolonged series that would involve home and homes as well as neutral fields in Dallas, Kanas City, St. Louis, and Chicago. Nothing has come of it as yet though to knowledge.

[RumpleForeskin]

I think the only way these rivalries work are on neutral sites and the geographical angle makes sense. OU/Notre Dame although intriguing seems kinda silly to hold a "neutral" site in Dallas. Nobody travels better than OSU or Nebraska fan and I am a Texas honk, so a neutral site in Illinois is VERY doable.

It does make it tough for the West Coast, but Oregon has been know to travel and travel well. I think Oregon, Cal, or USC would be interested in setting something up against the Colorado. It could be played in Vegas. That would be kind of $$$. No pun intended.

[Adelpiero]

supposedly, LSU and Missouri had talked about a 3=4 game deal, but LSU wanted a 2 game home-home. They wanted home field for both games. So LSU out. But 2014-15 looks like MU vs Notre Dame. they would sell out and fill the Dome in hours. No doubt about it! But it makes sense for both, it would be a cash cow for both, so it wont happen, makes too much sense.


that atm-ark is glass dick. that shit was official, without the official, right after Cotton bowl officially signed on at Jerry Jones dome.

[PSUFAN]

"You can't leave! All the rankings will die!!"

[SunCoastSooner]

Nobody travels better than OSU or Nebraska fan and I am a Texas honk, so a neutral site in Illinois is VERY doable.

Nebraska I agree with but Oklahoma and Bama both travel better than Ohio State does. In fact Bama travels better than anyone.

[Danimal]

I like this idea, should a real fire going between the hogs and aggies. Just makes for more "event" games. ATM will likely get a little more fans in than Ark but the hogs are getting access to Texas-recruits, which will help them in the big picture.

Too bad geography screws up potential match-ups for Nebraska. The only nearby BCS non12 team is Iowa. I guess I wouldn't mind a long series with them. Though we'd have to make it a home-and-home unless we were to take it outside the states to KC or St Louis. Maybe we could do it in Ames.

Buckeyes vs 'skers in Chicago might work. I'm not sure which other 10-teams travel well enough to ensure a sell-out. Mich I'd bet, maybe PSU or Wiscy. Given Alvarez's ties to the husker-program I can see him wanting to do something with us.

The farther games make travel harder but would help us in terms of recruiting-ours' is as national as it gets due to Neb's low population(our whole state doesn't make-up 1/3 of Dallas).

[OUMO]

Nobody travels better than OSU or Nebraska fan and I am a Texas honk, so a neutral site in Illinois is VERY doable.

In fact Bama travels better than anyone.

Beat me to it.

[M Club]

Buckeyes vs 'skers in Chicago might work. I'm not sure which other 10-teams travel well enough to ensure a sell-out. Mich I'd bet, maybe PSU or Wiscy. Given Alvarez's ties to the husker-program I can see him wanting to do something with us.

i'm pretty sure iowa/northern illinois sold out soldier field last year. wisco travels psycho-like. michigan tends to swallow a lot of space when they play at n'western. i'm sure it'd be pretty easy to get the fans out for a game in soldier as long as the opponent's halfway decent. pretty sure they'd go anyhow considering fans who can't get a sniff of michigan stadium would be clamoring for the chance to see michigan and hit chicago bars till 4 am. YEAH, DUDE!! DRUNK!! i figure osu and michigan are interchangeable in this regard. msu wouldn't fill soldier because petrol's about to hit $4 and they can't afford the drive.

[SunCoastSooner]

I think the only way these rivalries work are on neutral sites and the geographical angle makes sense. OU/Notre Dame although intriguing seems kinda silly to hold a "neutral" site in Dallas. Nobody travels better than OSU or Nebraska fan and I am a Texas honk, so a neutral site in Illinois is VERY doable.

It does make it tough for the West Coast, but Oregon has been know to travel and travel well. I think Oregon, Cal, or USC would be interested in setting something up against the Colorado. It could be played in Vegas. That would be kind of $$$. No pun intended.

No sillier than the game suggested in Chicago. In a six game series that would be one true home game for both (Norman and South Bend) one neutral "home" game for both (Dallas and Chicago) and two truely neutral fields (St. Louis and Kansas City).

[SoCalTrjn]

Im sure the Trojans would be cool to play Colorado again, or Arkansas although neither put up any fight the last times they played USC.

I dont think BCS teams should be allowed to play non BCS level teams OOC. or cut out the Sun Belt and parts of some of the other minor D1 conferences and only allow teams to play within that group. Make D1 about 80-90 teams maximum

[King Crimson]

Im sure the Trojans would be cool to play Colorado again, or Arkansas although neither put up any fight the last times they played USC.

not exactly true. the 00-01 CU-USC game in LA was 17-14, USC. i'd say that qualifies as "putting up any fight". the game in Boulder was a complete asskicking, though. i was there.

not sure how desirable playing CU at a neutral site is....they don't travel *that* well. playing in SoCal makes a home and home make more sense since CU has a an alum base there and USC a bunch in the Denver area, judging by the previous game in Boulder and Colorado is generally a desirable destination. maybe Vegas would be different for CU fans....but recent bowl games for CU haven't been well attended. But many CU fans like to see themselves as west coast types so pac 10 matchups are usually pretty popular.

http://www.cubuffs.com/SportSelect.dbml ... EASON=2000" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[buckeye_in_sc]

I think thre is a good many big schools that travel well...

I know when I saw OSU v UCLA in 2001 right after 9/11 there were a TON of OSU fans...

not saying other schools don't...but I think if you matched up

LSU
OSU
OU
Texas
A&M
PSU
Michigan
USC
Clemson
Nebraska
Bama
Georgia

and probably about 10-15 other big schools filling stadiums will not be an issue...

just my $.02

[Danimal]

Buckeyes vs 'skers in Chicago might work. I'm not sure which other 10-teams travel well enough to ensure a sell-out. Mich I'd bet, maybe PSU or Wiscy. Given Alvarez's ties to the husker-program I can see him wanting to do something with us.

i'm pretty sure iowa/northern illinois sold out soldier field last year. wisco travels psycho-like. michigan tends to swallow a lot of space when they play at n'western. i'm sure it'd be pretty easy to get the fans out for a game in soldier as long as the opponent's halfway decent. pretty sure they'd go anyhow considering fans who can't get a sniff of michigan stadium would be clamoring for the chance to see michigan and hit chicago bars till 4 am. YEAH, DUDE!! DRUNK!! i figure osu and michigan are interchangeable in this regard. msu wouldn't fill soldier because petrol's about to hit $4 and they can't afford the drive.

Wiscy or Mich would be fine by me. Wiscy might be better for us because we'd have a better shot of beating them. The Chicago-game would get us some recruiting opportunites, plus because the 10 has the superior TV-deal the game would be seen by more folks. Too bad I don't see Osborne nutting-up and getting something like this done.

[M Club]

any big time matchup would be fine by me. any mediocre matchup would be fine by me as well. the best thing about the bowls is that i get to watch michigan play a decent program not named msu, psu, wisco, etc. i get the financial reasons for playing north-east-central buttfuck u, but not chancing a loss b/c of the bcs is horseshite. it's not like michigan's going to win the bcs every year, anyhow. for all of usc's recent dominance they've only won one undisputed mnc. it's mostly pie in the sky, so why not consistently schedule the bamas, cals, tennessees, and vatechs of the world?

nevermind, tough ooc games do hurt michigan. three years from now while we're running roughshod through the big ten a la osu it'll be that vexatious loss against oklahoma that'll do our mnc dreams in. but the other conferences, yeah, they should schedule more meaningful ooc games.

[Terry in Crapchester]

I absolutely LOVE this.

I wish there were more cross conference rivalries such as this one.

I would love to see a Bic XII North vs Big Ten rivalry like this bust out that didn't involve Iowa/Iowa St.

I think a 5-10 year contract for a Nebraska/OSU rivalry would be awesome. The games could be played at Soldier Field. Just dreaming of other scenarios here, so save your negative retorts.

OU and Notre Dame have been discussing a prolonged series that would involve home and homes as well as neutral fields in Dallas, Kanas City, St. Louis, and Chicago. Nothing has come of it as yet though to knowledge.

There is a two-game, home-and-home as of now. I believe it's for the '12 and '13 seasons.

I would like to see more games like this.

Btw, IIIRC TV deals are one of the major roadblocks for neutral site games of this sort. I believe the reason we're playing Washington State in San Antonio and Baylor in New Orleans was so that NBC could televise the games, rather than the network with the contract for their conferences.

[King Crimson]

There is a two-game, home-and-home as of now. I believe it's for the '12 and '13 seasons.

that is correct i believe.

http://soonerstats.com/football/seasons ... sonid=2009" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I would like to see more games like this.

Btw, IIIRC TV deals are one of the major roadblocks for neutral site games of this sort. I believe the reason we're playing Washington State in San Antonio and Baylor in New Orleans was so that NBC could televise the games, rather than the network with the contract for their conferences.

Baylor in New Orleans, where the F does that come from? the CFB world has been waiting eons for that matchup.....in the Big Easy! :wink:

i guess you get the Catholic-Southern Baptist thing....but seems neutralized on Bourbon Street. and, one is actually a really good school and the other pretty average (though also very expensive). one has a great football tradition, and the other hired Kevin Steele as a HC not too long ago.

[SunCoastSooner]

I believe Alabama-Penn State revive their series in 2010-11. That was a fantastic matchup in the past. Both schools' fans traveled well. Tim Curley apparently told Mal Moore that Alabama is very popular in the PSU area. That's true as far as Penn State down here, too. That series really cemented good ties between the schools.

We add Georgia Tech in 2013-14.

I would kill to see more games like the recent Alabama-Oklahoma (wonder how the Tide got out to Norman? :wink: ) home and home. Bama used to play fairly regularly against Notre Dame and PSU. Had a couple games with Boston College. Texas A&M would be a natural with all the football connections they share.

One big OOC game a year is all I ask. C'mon, Mal. Set it up!

We brought just as many to Tuscaloosa as you brought to Norman Sam. The difference was that our athletic department was kind enough to actually sit all the Bama fans together (and near the field for the most part as well) instead splitting into 4 different sections with more than half of our fans shoved into the upper decks and extreme corners of the end zone.

While the Bama fans were complete class and I can honestly say I have never enjoyed an OOC series more than I did this one I wasn't impressed with the way that Alabama's Athletic department treated our fans for the experience. I think our athletic department was, shall we say, much kinder and thoughtful in the seating arraingements than Bama's. I'd like to see the series renewed at some point in the near future but next time I say we stick the Bama fans in the corners of nose bleed sections and seperate the 23k they bring into multiple sections like the tickets they gave us in Tuscaloosa.

[Killian]

Baylor in New Orleans, where the F does that come from?

Kevin White's bloody vaginal secreations.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Bama used to play fairly regularly against Notre Dame

Only four games all time excluding bowl game matchups, so I hesitate to call that "fairly regularly." http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/di ... ?teamid=86" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In fairness, the four matchups came over a relatively short (12 years) period of time.

[War Wagon]

Sue me, I'm late to this thread. Don't check in here often enough, obviously.

But I can't believe adel wasn't all over this:

I would love to see a Bic XII North vs Big Ten rivalry like this bust out that didn't involve Iowa/Iowa St.

You mean, like Mizzou vs. Illinois in St. Louis?

That would be pretty cool... oh, wait....

[Terry in Crapchester]

Bama used to play fairly regularly against Notre Dame

Only four games all time excluding bowl game matchups, so I hesitate to call that "fairly regularly." http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/di ... ?teamid=86" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In fairness, the four matchups came over a relatively short (12 years) period of time.

Hey, compared to our OOC lately, that was regularly. I do recall some good games. Took us forever to finally beat y'all. Didn't we win our first against ND, 7-0?

There was a 7-0 game, but we won that one. Your one win in the series was 28-10 in '86, that was Cornelius Bennett's last season at 'Bama, and Lou Holtz' first season as ND's coach.

I know three games (all bowls?) were decided by a TOTAL OF 6 POINTS!!

First three games in the series were decided by a total of six points. Only the first two of those were bowl games, though.

[Danimal]

Traditionally speaking the Ill/Mizzou game hasn't meant much though. This was the first year I can remember, and we didn't realize it actually meant something this year til a month later when the teams turned-out to be better than expected.

This will be the first season where folks really look towards this game as a big deal.

[War Wagon]

Traditionally speaking the Ill/Mizzou game hasn't meant much though.

Mebbe so on a national scale, but several years ago a certain Brad Smith sure had one helluva' coming out party. I was all like wtf? Where and how did Mizzou get this guy?

This will be the first season where folks really look towards this game as a big deal.

Really? I have no idea how good the Illini are supposed to be this year, but Mizzou is bringing back 16 starters (10 on defense) from a team that finished in the top 5 in the rankings last year.

<----- Doesn't even know how to act.

[Danimal]

Big things will obviously be expected from Mizzou this year, may even take the con(I'd like to see SOMEBODY from the north do, even if it isn't Neb). The loss of Mendenhall obviously hurts the Illini but in-general you'll see the talent upgrade Zook's recruiting has brought and Juice WIlliams will probably have matured a little more.

I think Mizzou will win but it should be a tough game.


Kinda cool that this series that has been going-on a while has become a game to point to.

[SunCoastSooner]

Traditionally speaking the Ill/Mizzou game hasn't meant much though.

Mebbe so on a national scale, but several years ago a certain Brad Smith sure had one helluva' coming out party. I was all like wtf? Where and how did Mizzou get this guy?

This will be the first season where folks really look towards this game as a big deal.

Really? I have no idea how good the Illini are supposed to be this year, but Mizzou is bringing back 16 starters (10 on defense) from a team that finished in the top 5 in the rankings last year.

<----- Doesn't even know how to act.

It's definatly still OU's to lose again next year.

[War Wagon]

More like, it's Mizzou's to take.

[SunCoastSooner]

More like, it's Mizzou's to take.

Now where have I heard this before?

What are yall going to "give" us another one? I'll take our chances...

[Danimal]

Mizzou will be helped by getting Texas the week after the RRS.

I gotta give OU the inside-track on the con, they are the champs and return plenty, but anything can happen, the 12 should be very good this year.

I'm interested in seeing what the horns do with Muschamp revitalizing the D.

[Terry in Crapchester]

Sam,

I've read on the ND homer boards that 'Bama contacted ND about a home-and-home and White turned Moore down flat. Do you know anything about that?

Fwiw, if I were Kevin White (and thankfully I'm not), I'd write to Moore and say simply, "Are you interested in a home-and-home series with us?". If the answer came back something like, "Yes, but we only have open dates in September, so I guess you're not interested," I'd then get out the contracts with Michigan State and Purdue, find the first date that we're not tied down to one of those schools, and write back "We can fit you in in 2015 and 2016" or whatever. Once the ink from that deal was dry, I'd write to the AD at either Michigan State or Purdue, and say something like "Gee, we'd love to keep you on the schedule, but September is completely full in 2015 and 2016. Unless you can fit in a game later in the season, we're going to have to take you off for those years." That would kill two birds with one stone.

Btw, Moore was briefly an assistant football coach at ND during the Faust era, so perhaps he has a vested interest in getting a series done with ND. As bad, and as poorly coached, as the Faust teams were, it's amazing what some of the assistants from that era have gone on to do since.