No disadvantages but there will be a bill

There is no doubt that the move to the SEC is going to improve Tiger athletics immensely but as ESPN pointed out in one of their feature articles last week, it will come at a pretty steep price.

"“Missouri, which expects to join the SEC on July 1, 2012, still has to negotiate its exit fees for leaving the Big 12. Initial projections outlined in a confidential document previously provided to The Associated Press suggested a possible penalty of as much as $23.3 million, an amount that represents 90 percent of the school’s projected conference TV revenue over the next two years.”"

The article later goes on to say that a more reasonable exit fee would be in the $10- $12 million dollar range considering the fees that Colorado and Nebraska paid ($6.86 million and $9.26 million). The article also goes on to talk about the lavish facilities that some of the other SEC schools have that Mizzou is lacking. I would like to thank the writer of this article for pointing out another reason why this move is going to be nothing but beneficial for MU. Florida spent $113 million this year on athletics and Tennessee has a $2.29 million dollar recruiting budget. Texas spent $89 million on athletics and Oklahoma spends $1.1 million on recruiting. Which conference has the advantage here?

Sure Mizzou is going to have to pay an arm and a leg to leave. The Big 12 is bitter that they lost yet another team to greener pastures. Being apart of the biggest powerhouse conference in college sports will provide rewards in time. Once the recruits start coming in and the attendance starts going up Mizzou will be right up there with some of the best college sporting facilities in the country. So for now, we might be shelling out millions of dollars to leave but in the long run it’s still the best possible move we could make. Athletic director Mike Alden said it best at the November 6th pep rally,

"“This is our opportunity to do that, to step up, to support our program and our institution unlike any time we’ve ever been able to do so in the history of Tiger athletics”"