All valid points.....
However, your response doesn't address how those same things may lead to different decisions. Was the makeup of colleges/universities in Texas different than Virginia and might have required A&M to meet a different demand? Does population growth and characteristics as well as state government mandates play a role? You said earlier decisions are not made in a vacuum and that is true and although entities may have similarities it does not mean that there are not underlying differences influencing different paths.
The decisions on expanding Lane at the time revolved around getting a desired capacity within the structural and financial constraints as they existed at the time. It is true Lane maybe could have been expanded with equal sides and possibly designed to be bowled in, however, you still had a relatively new structure, including the press box that would have needed to be demolished and rebuilt. There was no Texas oil money at the time in Blacksburg. Also, the desired capacity fit the projected demand at the time. VT was not busting at the seams with the original 35,000 seat Lane and expanding to 52,500 was a reasonable upgrade and in line with peers at the time. A&M does have similarities to VT but, Texas oil money is a huge differentiator.
Thread Replies (63)
SEC expansion backfiring?
-- Sunsetunderground
Jun 06, 2022 at 07:47 PM ET
Sunsetunderground
•
06/06/22 07:47 PM ET
Playoff expansion to 12 is only a matter of a short time.**
-- wwhokie1
Jun 18, 2022 at 05:48 PM ET
wwhokie1
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06/18/22 05:48 PM ET
WRT the "teach them for being so greedy" statement, did the ACC learn that
-- VTHokie2000
Jun 07, 2022 at 01:44 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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06/07/22 01:44 PM ET
The Greed in Austin far surpasses
-- Sunsetunderground
Jun 07, 2022 at 04:24 PM ET
Sunsetunderground
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06/07/22 04:24 PM ET
Maybe so, but your OP was focused on the SEC's decisions and greed.
-- VTHokie2000
Jun 07, 2022 at 04:31 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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06/07/22 04:31 PM ET
Frankly the ACC's greed wasn't for purely financial reasons
-- EDGEMAN
Jun 07, 2022 at 05:59 PM ET
EDGEMAN
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06/07/22 05:59 PM ET
Or the ACC's greed was still purely financial and it just shows the ACC was
-- VTHokie2000
Jun 07, 2022 at 06:10 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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06/07/22 06:10 PM ET
Not making VT their #1 or #2 target shows how short sighted they were.
-- EDGEMAN
Jun 08, 2022 at 08:13 AM ET
EDGEMAN
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06/08/22 08:13 AM ET
What (if anything) does that say about VT since it had been trying for 50
-- VTHokie2000
Jun 08, 2022 at 09:25 AM ET
VTHokie2000
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06/08/22 09:25 AM ET
With our addition, the ACC was awesome
-- Truthahn
Jun 09, 2022 at 11:39 AM ET
Truthahn
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06/09/22 11:39 AM ET
I'm not sure the ACC had a 50 year history of short sighted behavior
-- jmanatVT
Jun 09, 2022 at 10:24 AM ET
jmanatVT
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06/09/22 10:24 AM ET
WRT the ACC adding Georgia Tech, technically Georgia Tech joined in 1979
-- VTHokie2000
Jun 09, 2022 at 01:44 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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06/09/22 01:44 PM ET
Survival or a prolonged death?
-- VTHokie2000
Jun 07, 2022 at 10:02 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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06/07/22 10:02 PM ET
It also increases the risk that the ACC will be left holding an empty bag
-- VTHokie2000
Jun 08, 2022 at 12:04 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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06/08/22 12:04 PM ET
VT was blinded by it's 50 yr fixation on the ACC.
-- Atlee Hokie
Jun 14, 2022 at 10:17 AM ET
Atlee Hokie
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06/14/22 10:17 AM ET
WRT "VT's focus on athletics and conference wanderings," we will never
-- VTHokie2000
Jun 09, 2022 at 04:09 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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06/09/22 04:09 PM ET
Lane was built with the east and west stands at the same height
-- Tailgate Guru
Jun 13, 2022 at 11:13 AM ET
Tailgate Guru
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06/13/22 11:13 AM ET
I would think the reasons I picked TAMU would be obvious to you.
-- VTHokie2000
Jun 10, 2022 at 08:25 AM ET
VTHokie2000
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06/10/22 08:25 AM ET
Given that both schools have similar, or the same, origin story
-- VTHokie2000
Jun 11, 2022 at 10:34 AM ET
VTHokie2000
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06/11/22 10:34 AM ET
Now we're getting rumblings of USC to the B1G
-- HOO86
Jun 07, 2022 at 11:00 AM ET
HOO86
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06/07/22 11:00 AM ET
i think that is a pretty idle threat
-- Vippie1
Jun 07, 2022 at 05:34 PM ET
Vippie1
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06/07/22 05:34 PM ET
It is just a hold on situation**
-- MrFantastic!
Jun 07, 2022 at 02:56 PM ET
MrFantastic!
•
06/07/22 02:56 PM ET
The Rose Bowl used to be appointment viewing before the BCS and CFP.
-- Maroon Baboon
Jun 07, 2022 at 12:34 PM ET
Maroon Baboon
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06/07/22 12:34 PM ET
I hope the Alliance insists that the Rose be in the first playoff round
-- Truthahn
Jun 07, 2022 at 01:02 PM ET
Truthahn
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06/07/22 01:02 PM ET
if expansion happens no matter what, make the Rose Bowl the permanent site
-- reestuart
Jun 07, 2022 at 01:07 PM ET
reestuart
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06/07/22 01:07 PM ET
There is no reason for Rose to be permanent Championship site.**
-- Atlee Hokie
Jun 14, 2022 at 10:28 AM ET
Atlee Hokie
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06/14/22 10:28 AM ET
I have my doubts about that
-- Sunsetunderground
Jun 07, 2022 at 12:32 PM ET
Sunsetunderground
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06/07/22 12:32 PM ET
That would be very bad for the P12
-- EDGEMAN
Jun 07, 2022 at 12:22 PM ET
EDGEMAN
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06/07/22 12:22 PM ET
"Teach them for being so greedy". Remember when we hoped that the ACC
-- 133193Hokie
Jun 07, 2022 at 08:23 AM ET
133193Hokie
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06/07/22 08:23 AM ET
I knew that was a "pipe dream" from the start
-- EDGEMAN
Jun 07, 2022 at 09:18 AM ET
EDGEMAN
•
06/07/22 09:18 AM ET
Maybe if TX could have kept the Longhorn network while in the ACC
-- Truthahn
Jun 07, 2022 at 10:18 AM ET
Truthahn
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06/07/22 10:18 AM ET
I agree with you re TX but aTm is just as bad, if not worse than TX
-- 133193Hokie
Jun 07, 2022 at 10:00 AM ET
133193Hokie
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06/07/22 10:00 AM ET
yeah, I certainly don't favor aTm over Texas these days. I enjoy watching
-- reestuart
Jun 07, 2022 at 01:34 PM ET
reestuart
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06/07/22 01:34 PM ET
Even with all that money I think the SEC is going to regret it
-- Sunsetunderground
Jun 07, 2022 at 09:15 AM ET
Sunsetunderground
•
06/07/22 09:15 AM ET
And how many schools in SEc are paying mega $$$ to coaches.
-- Atlee Hokie
Jun 14, 2022 at 10:34 AM ET
Atlee Hokie
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06/14/22 10:34 AM ET
Guess what else is going to be causing issues? Scheduling.
-- Maroon Baboon
Jun 07, 2022 at 10:25 AM ET
Maroon Baboon
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06/07/22 10:25 AM ET
TX was THE giant of the Big12 - now they are amongst peers for the most
-- 133193Hokie
Jun 07, 2022 at 09:57 AM ET
133193Hokie
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06/07/22 09:57 AM ET
The only way to ensure there is turmoil is to keep the playoff...
-- EDGEMAN
Jun 07, 2022 at 08:19 AM ET
EDGEMAN
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06/07/22 08:19 AM ET
I'd rather have mix of top 4 teams, plus top champions
-- Truthahn
Jun 07, 2022 at 11:45 AM ET
Truthahn
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06/07/22 11:45 AM ET
I don't trust voters when ranking teams
-- EDGEMAN
Jun 08, 2022 at 12:42 PM ET
EDGEMAN
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06/08/22 12:42 PM ET
Then make it "top 4, then conf champs, max of two per conf, max one indy"
-- Truthahn
Jun 09, 2022 at 10:07 AM ET
Truthahn
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06/09/22 10:07 AM ET
I think the SEC now realizes the playoff structure
-- Sunsetunderground
Jun 07, 2022 at 09:04 AM ET
Sunsetunderground
•
06/07/22 09:04 AM ET
Remember its culture amd tx starts it
-- Mercury
Jun 07, 2022 at 07:41 AM ET
Mercury
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06/07/22 07:41 AM ET
Reality says............
-- MrFantastic!
Jun 07, 2022 at 05:19 AM ET
MrFantastic!
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06/07/22 05:19 AM ET
I thought that when the CFP-12 scheme fell through, that UT and OU might
-- Maroon Baboon
Jun 07, 2022 at 03:50 PM ET
Maroon Baboon
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06/07/22 03:50 PM ET
They never should have invited Sewanee.**
-- Truthahn
Jun 09, 2022 at 11:30 AM ET
Truthahn
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06/09/22 11:30 AM ET
Will they have more firings than they have now?
-- EDGEMAN
Jun 07, 2022 at 06:07 AM ET
EDGEMAN
•
06/07/22 06:07 AM ET
I've always loved the SEC culture. But their actions, along with ESPN
-- Maroon Baboon
Jun 06, 2022 at 10:17 PM ET
Maroon Baboon
•
06/06/22 10:17 PM ET
I've always loved their culture on the surface, but they are rotten...
-- EDGEMAN
Jun 07, 2022 at 08:21 AM ET
EDGEMAN
•
06/07/22 08:21 AM ET
i'd have little interest in VT going to the SEC. ACC is easily the best
-- reestuart
Jun 07, 2022 at 01:09 PM ET
reestuart
•
06/07/22 01:09 PM ET
Don't you have to have a certain academic research membership...
-- EDGEMAN
Jun 08, 2022 at 04:49 PM ET
EDGEMAN
•
06/08/22 04:49 PM ET
Used to. AAU membership was required.
-- Atlee Hokie
Jun 14, 2022 at 10:46 AM ET
Atlee Hokie
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06/14/22 10:46 AM ET
It is a big blow but.........
-- MrFantastic!
Jun 07, 2022 at 05:21 AM ET
MrFantastic!
•
06/07/22 05:21 AM ET
What happens 5 years from now makes zero difference to me.
-- Atlee Hokie
Jun 14, 2022 at 10:50 AM ET
Atlee Hokie
•
06/14/22 10:50 AM ET
ESPN is already paying them a ton of cash...
-- EDGEMAN
Jun 06, 2022 at 10:00 PM ET
EDGEMAN
•
06/06/22 10:00 PM ET