(02-28-2014 04:47 PM)ken d Wrote:  Somehow in my memory I thought Mizzou's decision to go to the SEC came before the invitation to West Virginia by the Big 12.

If memory serves, there was a lot of smoke about the Missouri move before it became official. Who knows for sure when backdoor conversations began, but after the leak of the OU consideration of the PAC 12, Missouri ran with that threat as their primary motivating force for considering SEC membership. That may well have been the case - after all, many scenarios floating around at that time which had the Big 12 imploding had Missouri in a raft along with KU, KSU, ISU and others.

Even if their final primary motivation wasn't fear of being left behind in a severely diminished conference and the surprise opportunity to join the SEC was simply too good to pass up, there was some genuine conflict in views in the MU community as to the right move. Since they could fit well in the SEC (or Big 12, or even the B1G), all political and public relations considerations aside, it probably took some time for a critical mass of consensus to coalesce for the SEC move. In the meantime, talks were proceeding with West Virginia and Louisville, and the official invitation was tendered to WVU.