InsideMDSports: GT making push for B1G

[GT1992]

$$$$. I honestly don't like anything else about the B1G + GT.

The research opportunities are also a positive point. The biggest advantage of the Big Ten is stability. IF you think the ACC is in trouble, it would be a good move. Otherwise, I agree that the distances make it a bad fit. I would much rather be in the Big Ten than the Big XII.

 

[71YellowJacket]

It had to do with the changes they made to scholarship rules, didn't it?

You could say that. In a nutshell the SEC was "whites only" to its disgrace, until the early 60s and Tech to its lasting credit was one of the first to integrate (with a great black quarterback). After integration the flood gates opened in the "race" to put the best athletes on the field. The rest of the SEC dumbed down admission standards Tech did not.

 

[The Jacket]

You could say that. In a nutshell the SEC was "whites only" to its disgrace, until the early 60s and Tech to its lasting credit was one of the first to integrate (with a great black quarterback). After integration the flood gates opened in the "race" to put the best athletes on the field. The rest of the SEC dumbed down admission standards Tech did not.

Gotcha. I remember reading some about it a few years ago but had forgotten the specifics other than the fact that Dodd was the one that appeared to be spearheading the movement from the conference.

 

[goodbyte]

we left the SEC (in part) based on principle, I don't want to go back to that conference unless our original concerns with the direction the conference is taking college football are addressed.

It's more complicated than that.

Bobby Dodd would have been happy to go back to the SEC and Bear Bryant even offered to nominate GT. However, the Mississippi schools and UGA had major objections with Dodd because of perceived slights like GT refusing to travel to Starkville or Oxford because we were football royalty and too important to play in such hick towns and the royal butt whooping of UGA in years past.

It is true that Dodd had cautioned the administration that they could not continue to compete at the same level as before because college football players and regular students were held to different standards at all other schools. If we hadn't left the SEC, we might not have won the 1991 MNC but other than that, our history would not be very different.

 

[05GTCorndog]

It also had to do with scholarship limits and Dodd being unwilling to discard scholarship players. The scholarship limit was like 140 back then and teams like Bama would bring in 60-70 players a year and discard those that didn't meet expectations. Dodd thought this was wrong. They were going to vote to limit this parctice and Bryant said he would vote with Dodd. He didn't and it ended in a 5-5 vote. Dodd was pissed.

 

[FAN OF BOBBY DODD]

It also had to do with scholarship limits and Dodd being unwilling to discard scholarship players. The scholarship limit was like 140 back then and teams like Bama would bring in 60-70 players a year and discard those that didn't meet expectations. Dodd thought this was wrong. They were going to vote to limit this parctice and Bryant said he would vote with Dodd. He didn't and it ended in a 5-5 vote. Dodd was pissed.

I was around in those days and this is what I remember.

 

[goodbyte]

I was around in those days and this is what I remember.

Is it true that, if given a chance, Bobby Dodd would have let GT reenter the SEC? What is your personal opinion about leaving the SEC? Do you think we could have convinced the other universities to come round to our point of view? I mean, 6 unviersity presidents still voted to limit the scholarship numbers. Which means that Dodd definitely had allies - Tennessee, Florida and so on.

 

[71YellowJacket]

Not FOBD but I was there in 67. It still came down to academics so no Dodd would not have opted to stay,IMO.

 

[GruffyMcGuiness]

It'd be cool to play Michigan and Ohio State, but I think it'd wear off quickly. I like playing southern teams.

 

[ND_jacket]

It'd be cool to play Michigan and Ohio State, but I think it'd wear off quickly. I like playing southern teams.

The problem I have with B1G football is largely that it's so unbelievably boring. For instance, I'm watching Farmaggedon right now (as everyone who lives in Nebraska is required to be doing right now…I suspect stores are playing the radio feed over their PA systems for Black Friday shoppers), and it's a yawnfest. One can only hope that Urban triggers some change across the conference.

 

[GT1992]

The problem I have with B1G football is largely that it's so unbelievably boring. For instance, I'm watching Farmaggedon right now (as everyone who lives in Nebraska is required to be doing right now…I suspect stores are playing the radio feed over their PA systems for Black Friday shoppers), and it's a yawnfest. One can only hope that Urban triggers some change across the conference.

No more boring than Wake, Duke, UVA, and most of the ACC. Purdue, Michigan, Indiana, and Northwestern (and now Ohio State) run more uptempo offenses. MSU does when they have the horses. Nebraska has always been boring.

 

[FAN OF BOBBY DODD]

Is it true that, if given a chance, Bobby Dodd would have let GT reenter the SEC? What is your personal opinion about leaving the SEC? Do you think we could have convinced the other universities to come round to our point of view? I mean, 6 unviersity presidents still voted to limit the scholarship numbers. Which means that Dodd definitely had allies - Tennessee, Florida and so on.

I Do know we tried later. ( I don't remember if Dodd was still AD) but we were turned down. I also know Dodd had pushed his and GT's weight around with many of the schools (Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss. State). He would not do home and home gameswith them. He required Auburn and Clemson do do this through the 70's Actually. These school's were willing paticipant's because it helped their bottom line. Ugag played double headers with GT to enable them to have larger crowds. (Yes Grant field had more seats then).

This along with other things caused many in the SEC to resent Gt and Dodd. So I don't know if there was ever a chance that we would have been received back. By the way I agreed with him at the time and still do based on what I knew at the time. Although looking back things have not gone well for us much of the time.

One final thought thought. Some think we would not have been able to become National Champs with Bobby Ross if we had stayed in SEC based on the fact they have gone much farther down the road that Dodd was not happy with. I don't know. That is something we will never know.

 

[beej67]

Basketball definitely wouldn't be better....and having yankees from Ohio State and Michigan filling our stadium would get old quick....

Might get even officiating in basketball. Wouldn't get any older than the Yankees from VT and BC.

 

[beej67]

A old timer I talked to in Starkville said they weren't bent out of shape at all about GT not traveling there. They preferred it actually, because their AA was poor and GT would split the proceeds from the gate in Atlanta with them. GT would even front them an advance to keep their program out of the red. He thought very highly of Dodd.

 

[waynehead]

Ex-wife is from Wisconsin. The people are idiots. Just eat some cheese curds and tell yourself that you are superior.

Donna Shalala screwed up their university before screwing up the country and now attempting to do it at Miami.

Didn't Bush give her the Presidential Medal of Freedom?

 

[texstinger]

Well, the obvious answer is not so obvious.

Swofford - gone

Scott (or whatever the name of the Pac12 commish is) - in

combine the ACC and the Pac 12. Have both coasts of the USA covered. Then squeeze in a little and get UT & OU to join - one to the Pacific division & one to the Atlantic. ND comes in full time.

SUPER DUPER 1st of its kind SUPER CONFERENCE.

Not much on inter divisional play, maybe 2 / year.

Shake the hell up re: TV play and $. Open recruiting areas like crazy. Playoff games in Jerry World.

 

[QuadF]

a move any conference other than the sec ruins our away games. gt fans already don't travel well; making things more difficult wouldn't help.

 

[lonestarjacket]

The problem I have with B1G football is largely that it's so unbelievably boring. For instance, I'm watching Farmaggedon right now (as everyone who lives in Nebraska is required to be doing right now…I suspect stores are playing the radio feed over their PA systems for Black Friday shoppers), and it's a yawnfest. One can only hope that Urban triggers some change across the conference.

Do you think our offense is boring? Because the majority of outsiders who do not watch it regularly do.

Just saying one of those boring teams beat us soundly a couple of years ago when many thought no Big 10 teams had the speed to compete. And they filled a stadium across the country from their homes when our fans could not be bothered to drive down for our first BCS bowl ever.

I would rather have opposing Midwesterners in our stadium than opposing rednecks.

 

[ND_jacket]

Do you think our offense is boring? Because the majority of outsiders who do not watch it regularly do.

Just saying one of those boring teams beat us soundly a couple of years ago when many thought no Big 10 teams had the speed to compete. And they filled a stadium across the country from their homes when our fans could not be bothered to drive down for our first BCS bowl ever.

I would rather have opposing Midwesterners in our stadium than opposing rednecks.

Our offense is only boring in games where it is a mere shadow of itself. An offense that expects to put up 40 points is not boring, whether by ground or by air. Too many B1G games have fewer than 40 points total scored. Punting is winning, etc. I think that might be changing, but it's a slow process.

As a native Midwesterner, I'd definitely rather sell 10K seats to B1G fans than rednecks.

 

[Bogey]

I also know Dodd had pushed his and GT's weight around with many of the schools (Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss. State). He would not do home and home gameswith them. He required Auburn and Clemson do do this through the 70's Actually. These school's were willing paticipant's because it helped their bottom line. Ugag played double headers with GT to enable them to have larger crowds. (Yes Grant field had more

Not true about Auburn. I went to Auburn games in Birmingham in the sixties. Auburn's home field had not been expanded then. Shug Jordan and coach Dodd were vey close friends. It is true about Clemson.
I heard that Ole Miss and Miss. State were against us getting back in also.