Should Auburn leave SEC West?

[cooltigger21 0]

I would love it. Playing Florida and Tennessee every year again has a lot of appeal to me. Unfortunately I don't think the votes are there. But with the new dynamics of the CFB Playoffs, I think the SEC will be forced to periodically revisit the balance within each division anyway, so that might help the cause. They just can't afford to have most of their best teams stacked up in 1 division year after year, there is too much money at stake.

As an example, if Mizzou would happen to beat Alabama in the SECCG this Saturday, it is very likely that the SEC would not have a team in the playoffs. Now tell me that wouldn't make the SEC swing into action. Suddenly they will worry less about moving teams around and more about keeping the conference balanced. Re-balancing the 2 divisions on a periodic interval will enable the SEC to react to changes in the strength of teams and solves the problem.

I still think we are headed for the superconference model in FBS. They are hoping there will be improvement in places like Knoxville and Gainesville. Missouri is making strides. UK can be like MSU, competitive every once in a while. The other members will not vote for that.

[AURanger 0]

Taking the potential loss of the iron bowl from the equation because it is not even a possibility...

In my opinion, the move would not be good simply because warriors/champions want to compete against and beat the best. Why battle against lesser competition when we can compete and win against superior talent and gain national recognition. Just look at how FSU is seen right now. They are undefeated and have no respect from anyone because they have played absolutely no one. I lost a ton of respect for Bobby Bowden and FSU years ago when they chose the ACC over the SEC simply because they chose to be a big fish in a little pond over being challenged weekly. Guess they do not believe iron sharpens iron.

The SEC west is the most competitive conference in college football and looks like it will remain so for the next few years. If AU went to the east, it would be like saying that we have a better chance of winning in the east than we do the west. The SEC west has won the last 5 SEC championships and will likely add its sixth this weekend against an overmatched Mizzou team. Why on earth would anyone leave a conference subdivision with that sort of track record? Answer: Because they think they can do better against lesser competition.

[RBCAubie 3]

Georgia is just as bad, people need to understand its just a game but I dont know how you accomplish that task.

It is just a game-a game played by kids, coached by over-compensated multimillionaire adults. That being said, UGA and UAT lead the pack in fan extremism and it seems to be getting worse.

[KcPg14 24]

I wouldn't mind being in the East, because geographically we should be. But it would in no way change the Iron Bowl, actually I think it would just make it worse, with Bama fans saying Auburn plays on the "easy" side of the conference. The SEC won't allow it either because they don't want Bama and Auburn playing back to back in the IB and SECCG.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

I didn't realize they gave us the option of withdrawing. Do you realize how chicken shittish(pardon the language) that would make us look?

I was told by a girl setting behind the student section they were chanting luck is dead.

I was informed by a relative in the student section that isn't what they were chanting.

[lutzintheredzone 0]

No and we would still play Alabama every year anyways.

[Tiger Vision 1]

I hate this topic.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

Taking the potential loss of the iron bowl from the equation because it is not even a possibility...

In my opinion, the move would not be good simply because warriors/champions want to compete against and beat the best. Why battle against lesser competition when we can compete and win against superior talent and gain national recognition. Just look at how FSU is seen right now. They are undefeated and have no respect from anyone because they have played absolutely no one. I lost a ton of respect for Bobby Bowden and FSU years ago when they chose the ACC over the SEC simply because they chose to be a big fish in a little pond over being challenged weekly. Guess they do not believe iron sharpens iron.

The SEC west is the most competitive conference in college football and looks like it will remain so for the next few years. If AU went to the east, it would be like saying that we have a better chance of winning in the east than we do the west. The SEC west has won the last 5 SEC championships and will likely add its sixth this weekend against an overmatched Mizzou team. Why on earth would anyone leave a conference subdivision with that sort of track record? Answer: Because they think they can do better against lesser competition.

Auburn's proven they can beat West teams and many times were that West team beating up on East teams. With Auburn, a top 2-3 team in the West moving to the East, that does keep things exponentially more balanced.

[WarTim 3,456]

I remember when AU played TN-Fla-Ga-LSU EVERY year while the old drunk and the rednecks played ole miss-ms st-vandy-KY..........THAT more than anything accounts for those 458,000 MNCs..........

[AUCody15 0]

Moving to the East would be a terrible move on our part. No way would I want to see us play Kentucky or Vandy on a more regular basis.

[meh130 1,043]

The problem is Bama's permanent cross divisional rivalry is UT, so if we go to the SECe, either UA/UT goes away, or the IB goes away.

That said, after Updyke, I would have had no problem with switching to the East.

Also, I think the permanent cross divisional rivalries should be rethought. The only ones which make sense are UA/UT and AU/UGA.The rest were invented out of whole cloth. I say keep the UA/UAT and AU/UGA permanent rivalries, and let the other teams go to a rotating schedule.

[aubaseball 2,583]

We never played LSU every year. Our permanent games were TN, GA, FLA., Miss St. and bama

[Charleston Tiger 134]

I think we would have to have a 100% buy in of the other schools to restructure, or at least 10? If we go East and Mizzou goes West, you'll have Bama against it, Tennessee against it, and Mizzou most likely against it. All we need is one more no and it doesn't matter. Likely that no would be LSU.

Third Saturday in October is why it didn't go through the first time, at least partly. And why would Mizzou want to go to the West? They'd be 0-3 on division championships right now rather than 2-1. If I'm Mizzou I'm liking the status quo.

[Charleston Tiger 134]

The problem is Bama's permanent cross divisional rivalry is UT, so if we go to the SECe, either UA/UT goes away, or the IB goes away.

That said, after Updyke, I would have had no problem with switching to the East.

Also, I think the permanent cross divisional rivalries should be rethought. The only ones which make sense are UA/UT and AU/UGA.The rest were invented out of whole cloth. I say keep the UA/UAT and AU/UGA permanent rivalries, and let the other teams go to a rotating schedule.

Legally the Iron Bowl can't go away. All but threatened to stop public funding because of it. From Wikipedia:

In 1947 the Alabama House of Representatives passed a resolution encouraging the schools to "make possible the inauguration of a full athletic program between the two schools".^[11] The schools were disinclined to resume the series despite the passage of the resolution, since it did not have the effect of law. However, the Alabama State Legislature threatened to withhold state funding from the schools unless they did resume the rivalry. With that threat in mind, Ralph B. Draughon, the president of Auburn (then officially named the Alabama Polytechnic Institute), and Alabama president John Gallalee decided during the winter and spring of 1948 to end the disagreement and renew the series.

[cooltigger21 0]

I think we would have to have a 100% buy in of the other schools to restructure, or at least 10? If we go East and Mizzou goes West, you'll have Bama against it, Tennessee against it, and Mizzou most likely against it. All we need is one more no and it doesn't matter. Likely that no would be LSU.

Third Saturday in October is why it didn't go through the first time, at least partly. And why would Mizzou want to go to the West? They'd be 0-3 on division championships right now rather than 2-1. If I'm Mizzou I'm liking the status quo.

in the east, everybody but uga would vote against it

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Ever since Texas A&M and Missouri came in, I always said Auburn should move to the East and Missouri should play in the West. I still feel that way.

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

Let's just redraw the lines: North and South

[AU-24 3,063]

Should we move to the East, Yes! Duh!!

[cooltigger21 0]

Well it ain't happening anytime soon so it's essentially a moot point.

[CJBas 4]

As gigantic as the ratings were, like AEAugirl mentioned, the Iron Bowl will happen regardless of where Auburn is. Also, unless the move was provoked by anyone other than Auburn, Auburn would look terrible across the nation, as if they're trying to get out of the division because they didn't beat UA. Sports run in cycles, so when UA starts their downward trend, their fans will (eventually) lessen in insanity (hopefully.)

Whenever bama is on their downward trends they always try to get out of playing Auburn in some form or fashion, claiming the rivalry has gotten too intense. And they tend to get worse, not better. After all it was after a loss, not a win, that harv poisoned the trees. It was during Pat Dye's win streak that they sued Auburn to try to force Auburn to play Auburn's home games in bama's home stadium.

bamzos are going to act like the gutter trash they are no matter what. Nothing is ever going to change them. Auburn is determined to field a competitive team and I see no reason to let them off the hook by letting them out of playing us every year.

[CJBas 4]

I think we would have to have a 100% buy in of the other schools to restructure, or at least 10? If we go East and Mizzou goes West, you'll have Bama against it, Tennessee against it, and Mizzou most likely against it. All we need is one more no and it doesn't matter. Likely that no would be LSU.

Third Saturday in October is why it didn't go through the first time, at least partly. And why would Mizzou want to go to the West? They'd be 0-3 on division championships right now rather than 2-1. If I'm Mizzou I'm liking the status quo.

in the east, everybody but uga would vote against it

LSU might be for it. The AU/LSU rivalry doesn't go back all that far really. But SC, FL, Vandy might oppose it as well as MO and Tenn.

But it was Auburn that took the biggest hit when the conference split into two divisions. We only had to long time rivals in the newly formed western division, AL and Miss St. Our other long time rivals; Tenn, FL, and GA, were all in the east. We lost Tenn as an annual game right off and eventually lost FL. That game had been an annual event since 1905 I believe.

[BJ17 0]

I remember when AU played TN-Fla-Ga-LSU EVERY year while the old drunk and the rednecks played ole miss-ms st-vandy-KY..........THAT more than anything accounts for those 458,000 MNCs..........

Actually Bammer has played Tennessee and LSU more than AU has. As for UF they were a mediocre to bad program for much of the 20th century and didn't even have a 10 win season until 1991 and won their first conference championship in 1991. Not trying to take up for them but the record books don't lie...now the MNC's well that is a different story for a different thread. I do my think the REC would ever allow AU to the east.

[The Plainsman 948]

Whereas playing Florida more often would be nice, I want in no way not to be in the best division in college football. This is the golden era right here, right now, and Auburn is not going to back down from anyone.

Man the heck up.

[keesler 5,923]

The East is weak, Mizzou is in the SECCG and they aren't even ranked in the top 15. Ridiculous

[AURealist 2,185]

I wonder if AU recruiting would be different in GA and FL if Auburn were in the East.