As Missouri officials hung up a newly crafted, 14-team Southeastern Conference logo Sunday, they covered a century’s worth of athletic history with a sign of progressive expansion.
Many fans refuse to see it this way, each proud to share his or her reason as to why the SEC doesn’t make sense for Missouri. Too many of these are actually myths. Here are the top five:
**MYTH NO. 1: Missouri should have just gone to the Big Ten.**
I would love to move in with Kim Kardashian. But no matter how many times I say that, it isn’t going to happen until she says yes. For the record, the Big Ten’s answer hasn’t changed either.
**MYTH NO. 2: Missouri’s academics will take a hit.**
Everyone knows the SEC isn’t known for its academics. Not nearly as many people realize the Big 12 isn’t either.
According to the U.S. News and World Reports college rankings, the soon-to-be 10-team Big 12 has an average school ranking of 112. The new 14-team SEC has an average ranking of 95. The number of Association of American Universities members is four for each conference. It’s a lateral move at worst.
**MYTH NO. 3: Missouri’s recruiting will suffer with the loss of the Texas pipeline.**
So, Missouri _might_ lose the football-rich grounds of Texas. Texas is a large state, but it doesn’t constitute the entire South in either land mass or football talent. There’s also this state of Florida that happens to have some pretty solid athletes.
But beyond simple pipelines, Missouri’s status as a geographical outlier to the rest of the SEC renders it a recruiting hybrid between southern recruits and those in the Midwest. It’s true that Missouri will have its hands full battling programs like Alabama, Florida and LSU, both on and off the gridiron. But as a school, Missouri can appeal to a wider range of athletes with its engrossment in the Midwest, especially as the landmark university in its own populous state.
**MYTH NO. 4: Missouri shouldn’t go to a conference where it’s more difficult to win.**
Hold those southern horses. It’s mystifying that the predominant argument against an SEC move is based on the power of the conference. That’s exactly why the move is so great. It’s a step up in competition, in revenue, in spotlight, in everything. It’s a gut-check for a program that wants to take that next step.
Think about this: Boise State isn’t moving to the Big East because it currently loses too many conference games. Schools don’t apply for FBS or Division I status because they want an easier road.
Planning to fail and wanting the easiest road isn’t the mindset for anyone looking to bolster an athletics program. Advancement is about investing in a quality program and matching a higher level of competition.
**MYTH NO. 5: Missouri will get crushed in the SEC.**
This myth is perhaps most frustrating. Missouri hasn’t been able to match the top of the Big 12 anyway. It’s moving to a division where one of six schools has more wins during the past five years, and suddenly the Tigers are doomed?
The SEC plans to maintain its eight-game schedule, which means each team will play two games against non-divisional teams per year. Missouri can’t play any more than two of Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Arkansas in a given season, while those schools rotate with Texas A&M and the Mississippi schools.
The SEC is not a perfect league by any stretch. But at least it is a league and will continue to be one, which is more than one can say with certainty for the Big 12.