(01-10-2018 11:10 PM)hawghiggs Wrote: Arkansas tried to join the Big 8 in the late 70's and was blocked by Nebraska. So I don't know if we would have had a place to go. Most likely would have worked with Houston, SMU, and TCU just to keep the SWC going.
You forget what Orville Henry wrote a few years before Arkansas went to the SEC.
He said that Broyles believed the CFA was doomed and the future was conferences negotiating their own television.
To that end he put together a meeting of: Arkansas, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to discuss creating a new conference that would negotiate its own television.
LSU wasn't interested but did take back what was put forward to the SEC membership.
Also remember SEC was interested in going to 14 or 16 when Arkansas came in. They were prepared to add Texas, TAMU, and Florida State (I'm told by a former AD that the AD's also wanted Miami but that was not acceptable to presidents since Miami was generating negative headlines then).
It is not a foregone conclusion that LSU would have had the same stance if Tulane had remained in the SEC.
It is also possible there may have never been a Big XII, it might have been the Big 14 with Arkansas and LSU coming in.
It's feasible that if LSU were more inclined to move that the SWC might have gone to 12, 14 or even 16.
The SEC entering the CFA era with Tulane and GT has a different dynamic. An SEC looking to add say Texas, TAMU, OU, OKST or Texas, TAMU, Houston, Tech might have been possible before there was a Baylor grad in the governor's office in Texas and while Houston was a stronger program.
I think assuming there are minor changes is misguided.