Could Arkansas have been in the Big 12? Was it just bad timing or more?

[legelegel]

If Georgia Tech (a charter member of the SEC) had not left the SEC in 1964, would Arkansas be in the Big 12 now instead of Baylor?

The SEC had 12 teams in the conference prior to Georgia Tech leaving. That number went down to 10 when Tulane left in 1966. Arkansas and South Carolina joined the SEC in 1991 to make it an even dozen again. Georgia Tech joined the ACC later in 1978.

Arkansas bolted the SWC in 1991. If the Big 12 had been formed 3 years earlier and not in Feb. 1994, would Arkansas be playing all those games in the deep south now?

Why Baylor and not TCU?

Well, it wasn't the Governor with the Baylor ties after all. See this link:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/083006dnspobaylortcusf.4bf22e33.html

[CaliforniaCowboy]

the better question might be would the SWC have folded if Arkansas had not left in the first place.

[pistolpete2002]

I thought the Big12 was formed in 1996??

[legelegel]

I thought the Big12 was formed in 1996?? It obviously took them several years to get organized and to overcome prior schedule obligations with other schools before the conference started play in 1996.

[legelegel]

the better question might be would the SWC have folded if Arkansas had not left in the first place.

Yes, that is a good question.

The next question would be: If Arkansas was still a member of the SWC when the Big 12 Conference made their offer, would Texas politics have squeezed Arkansas out along with TCU?

[Poke John I]

Arkansas bolted to the SEC for more money. Had Arkansas still been in the SWC when the Big-12 raided, they probably would have been chosen over Baylor.

Baylor was chosed over TCU because at the time they better football and overall sports. However, these things change over time.

[FalseGod]

Baylor is heading the other way right now though. The question is, will Briles stay around once they are respectable again?