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Big Blue Disk 49
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WIMPSAND.ASC
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1990-09-18
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3KB
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Wimp Sanderson should know something about transition in the
Southeastern Conference. After 30 years with Alabama, he's seen plenty of
comings-and-goings, mostly coaches. But he's also seen Georgia Tech and
Tulane leave, and now Arkansas come in. And Wimp Sanderson isn't thrilled.
"I come from the thought that if it ain't broke, don't fix it," The Alabama
basketball coach said of Arkansas' announcement this week that it would join
the SEC in 1991. "I was comfortable with the way our league was, but I'm just
a basketball coach. When you get 10 athletic directors and 10 presidents
together and they all vote unanimously it's for a pretty good reason." The
reason is TV money. A proposed football championship game could bring between
$20 and $30 million. That could mean as much as $3 million extra revenue to
league teams.
But what of the other sports? Sanderson, for one, isn't so sure the
move will help basketball. With expansion rumored to include as many as five
more schools, the SEC could grow to an unruly 16-team entity. "This whole
thing hasn't ever been looked at from a basketball standpoint," Sanderson
said. "If we go to 12 teams, maybe we keep the tournament. If we go to 14, I
guarantee we won't have the basketball tournament anymore." Sanderson, along
with Mississippi State Coach Richard Williams, does see one advantage, though.
A 12 team league means the shortening of the schedule by two games. "Anything
that shortens the schedule, I'm for," said Williams, a member of the SEC's
expansion committee. "Beyond that I haven't given expansion a lot of
thought."
But, said Sanderson, "If we divide into divisions and play the other
division just once, everybody is going to want Kentucky in their division so
they get a home game with them." With a 12th team yet to be accepted, though
it is widely believed to be Florida State, no divisional breakdown has been
announced. Williams said he didn't expect the demise of the SEC tournament
because of expansion. "I don't see us having a 16-team tournament because it
would take too long to play it," Williams said. "But you could take a certain
number of teams from each division. "If we have 16 quality teams, the
tournament would still realize great TV revenues." Both coaches said the
biggest obstacle about Arkansas joining the league is just having to play the
Razorbacks. After all, Arkansas has won consecutive football and basketball
titles in the Southwest Conference and advanced to the Final Four this past
season.
Arkansas also brings a strong baseball program to the league. The
Hogs have made the NCAA playoffs 10 times. "You know more has been made of
expansion than the war in Kuwait," said LSU baseball coach Skip Bertman. "But
I think it's great. Anything that helps football or basketball in this league
is absolutely great for us. No matter what we do, my budget is always going
to be tied how football and basketball go. Steve Weber, coach of national
baseball champion Georgia, felt the same way. "if it's good for the other
sports, I'm all for it. It means a lot more money will be coming in to the
league and that means we get more money. That helps baseball."
*** From The (Shreveport) Times, Shreveport, LA ***