How and why did the SEC select Arkansas and S. Carolina?

Here's my recollection.

Roy Kramer found a rule in the NCAA rules that stated that a conference with 12 teams could stage a championship game. This rule predated the 12-team SEC. So he set out to add 2 teams to the SEC.

The original targets were Texas and Texas A&M. But political pressures - the governor of Texas at the time, Ann Richards, insisted that Baylor get to go wherever the two big state schools went, or their funding might be in jeopardy - stymied that move. Texas and A&M also flirted with the Pac-10 around this time. Sensing the opportunity, Frank Broyles inserted Arkansas into that position. At the time, Arkansas was one of the two dominant teams in the SWC, along with A&M.

Seeking to fill out the 12, the SEC reached out to independant Florida State. But at the same time, the ACC, then at 8 members, saw the opportunity to gain a little football prestige and offered them at the same time. They opted for the lesser competition of the ACC, where they would go on to win all but one of their conference games for the first nine years or something absurd like that b

Still in need of a 12th team, the SEC took the next, closest, State univeristy, South Carolina. Almost by default.

Anyone else have a different recollection?

That's right but you have a little bit of it wrong.

The "Baylor" pressure by Ann Richards was applied when The Big 12 was formed as they weren't any more viable than Houston or SMU in reality.

The pressure about leaving the SWC was more about ALL of the Texas schools knowing they'd be screwed if/when Texas and A&M left.

Arkansas had flirted with the Big 8 years before and we were looking to get out if any opportunity came up.

You guys covered that pretty well. The FSU decision was made mostly on the input of Bowden. He came out and said that in the SEC, FSU would be an also ran due to competition, whereas in the ACC, they could dominate and actually build a national championship caliber program.

People often say Bowden should have come to the SEC, but I would say he was a freaking prophet.

Cool. I appreciate it fellas. Thanks.

Yeah. It's fun to think about the relative innocence of those days. All the SEC wanted was to be able to stage an extra game.

The way I remember it, the SEC wanted to add two teams for the above mentioned reasons. First choice was Texas in the west and South Carolina in the east. The Texas legislature threatened to cut off funding to Texas unless Texas A&M was also included in the deal, so the deal fell through. Arkansas was added instead to achieve the desired twelve members.

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Just to add a tidbit, right before the SWC imploded, they reached out to LSU and I believe there was one other school, (can't remember who) to join, but of course, LSU had no interest, for good reason...

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I think they reached out to LSU and Ole Miss at one time.

re: How and why did the SEC select Arkansas and S. Carolina?

I think that they wanted a National Championship in Basketball at the time. Arkansas for the 15th time would not have been invited to the Big 12. We would have been independent or in Conference USA.

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First choice was Texas in the west and South Carolina in the east.

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South Carolina was a back-up plan. They have never been anyone's 1st choice (except maybe Brad Scott).

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Broyles was the mastermind in the SWC.

Quit acting like we were an afterthought for an SEC bid.

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I didn't say anything about the piggies.