The South Eastern Conference is not wasting any time to take advantage of the first-class facilities from their newest members: Texas A&M (and hopefully Missouri). Reports are circulating that A&M has been selected to host the 2013 version of the SEC Championship meet, their first as a member of the conference. 2013 was set to be A&M’s turn in the Big 12 Championship rotation as well.
The decision won’t be official until the SEC Athletic Directors have their next meeting in Auburn, Alabama, but that hasn’t stopped the buzz from circulating in College Station. One of the reasons why A&M and Missouri were attractive candidates to the SEC during the realignment frenzy last fall is the level of their facilities.
Obviously, the buck stops at football, but an overall level of national/international-class venues for all athletics played into the decision as well to maintain an overall positive reputation of the conference; and Missouri and Texas A&M each play home to one of the elite swimming facilities in the country. That’s not necessarily a big money-maker, but it’s still part of a positive overall impression of the department, and is an indicator of a well-managed athletics plan.
The new reality for both A&M and Missouri in the SEC is that the conference championship meets will be a whole different ballgame. Aside from the new volume of competition, the SEC doesn’t allow B-squad entries at their championship meet like the Big 12 did (it’s easier to do with only 8 squads competing than the SEC’s 20+). That means that there will be swimmers from both teams left out of that championship meet, which is a mentality that both staffs will have to address with their teams, though it could increase both teams’ intensity as swimmers vie for spots on the conference roster.
This pool adds to what already is a glut of facilities in the SEC – they have an overall level of facilities unrivaled by any conference in the country. The A&M Rec Center Natatorium has played host to a FINA World Cup meet and four NCAA Championship meets (2001 men, 2004 women, 2009 men & women). The Auburn men will certainly be pleased with the decision, as they won their most recent NCAA Championship in College Station in 2009.