(05-15-2014 12:17 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  Tech is one of several public universities that are competing for additional funding with the hope of eventually making them a "Tier One" school. The others include Houston, UT-Dallas, UT-Arlington, UT-San Antonio UT-El Paso and North Texas. "Tier One" isn't well defined because the politicians don't want to promise too much (like for instance, they know none of these schools have much of a chance at AAU status given the number of better schools ahead of them waiting for membership and the organizations desire to shrink, rather than grow, membership.)

UT-Dallas, Houston and Tech are generally considered the front runners but they all have issues.

UT-Dallas has the best academics of the 3 and is a Dallas/Houston school which helps because those two argue that such big cities should not be without a "Tier One". However, they have the problem of being a UT system school and the argument is that giving them more money is playing favorites with one system over the others. With UT-Austin already in possession of so much money, the argument is "you want another strong UT school? You pay them out of your PUF funds!"

Tech has OK academics and probably the most political clout on their side. Their big issue, is as always, location. Tech is really far away from 90% of the state's population. The closest major population center is Fort Worth which is still over 5 hours away. The argument from the Houston/Dallas/San Antonio crowd is that their areas are growing like wild fire but we're putting the next Tier One out in Lubbock and not in their cities? They argue its more fair that a few talented kids from W. Texas drive East than lots of talented kids from E. Texas drive west.

Houston is who I think is going to actually get it. They have good academics are not a UT system school and are located in Texas' biggest city which makes research partnerships with the city and major corporations much easier and there really isn't much of a negative case against them. Their only flaw in this competition is that they don't have as many powerful friends in the Texas legislature, but their lack of negatives compared to the other candidates makes them the strongest candidate. This fight for funding and status is the source of the UH/TTU angst we see so much on these boards.

10th, would you say that the SEC has no need of Houston to gain that market? It seems to me that if there is one market that A&M truly delivers it is Houston. My reticence with Tech is logistics. They are truly in a no man's land. I mean really they are still a ways away from Arizona even if they improved academics enough to get a serious look from the PAC. I've often thought that Tech would be a good bridge to DFW if the PAC took them and T.C.U. How do you perceive it?