I don’t doubt that’s the story you heard...but come on, man. Does that pass the common sense test for you?
If they wanted Arkansas, why would they come to us first? Why not just go direct to Arkansas?
If they came to us first, it’s because they wanted Miami.
Again, not calling you a liar and I believe you’re repeating what you heard, but the more likely scenario is that the SEC invited us, Tad Foote ****ed it up, and he invented/spread that 48 hour bull**** story to make himself look better.
Tad Foote was a ******* moron, after all.
Give me a motherfvcking break. I didn't "read about it". I was at UM at the time. I have multiple friends in various roles who know the story and who have shared it with me.
Also, to correct the record, the SEC invited Arkansas BEFORE offering Miami or South Carolina. The school that the SEC approached AFTER F$U and Miami was South Carolina (also an Independent at the time), not Arkansas, but my point about Arkansas not having a time limitation on their invitation is still true and valid.
It has NOTHING to do with "if they [the SEC] wanted Arkansas/South Carolina over Miami", and you need to go back and figure out what was happening in the world at the time. Arkansas accepted the invitation to the SEC on August 1, 1990. South Carolina's BOT voted to accept an SEC invitation BEFORE the invitation was even extended, and South Carolina was invited on September 25, 1990. The SEC Presidents only voted to authorize expansion on May 31, 1990. That means that EVERYTHING happened for the first invitation in June and July. Two months. The second invitation took less than two months. That is a total process of less than four months.
Furthermore, in 1990, Miami was the DEFENDING national champion, and the winner of 3 of the last 7 national championships. F$U had just finished #2 in 1989, #3 in 1988, and #2 in 1987.
On the other hand, Arkansas had managed to win 10 games in 1989 (and the SWC) and 10 games in 1988 (losing to Miami). Arkansas also won 9 games in 1987 (getting ROASTED by Miami) and 9 games in 1986 and 10 games in 1985. So even with those good years, Arkansas had no national championships, 2 SWC trophies (1988 and 1989) AND MOST IMPORTANTLY Clemson just managed to hire Ken Hatfield away from Arkansas (and Arkansas was terrible in 1990 under Jack Crowe). South Carolina finished unranked in 1989 and 1988 (losing to F$U in both years), though they won 8 games in 1987 (losing to Miami). IN 1986, South Carolina won 3 games and lost to BOTH Miami and F$U.
AND EVEN WITH ALL THAT, the top target for the SEC was...F$U. Yes, the SemenHoles were priority #1. So in those two months of SEC expansion, there were six schools that were targeted as potential expansion candidates, F$U, Miami, South Carolina, Arkansas, Texas, and Texas A&M.
In order of priority, the SEC wanted:
1. F$U (Independent, and 2nd best team over the preceding 5 years)
2. Texas (Southwest Conference)
3. Texas A&M (Southwest Conference)
4. Miami (Independent, and best team over the preceding 5 years)
5. Arkansas (Southwest Conference)
6. South Carolina (Independent)
The approach to F$U/South Carolina was to harm the ACC to the east, which was also contemplating expansion. The approach to Texas/Texas A&M/Arkansas was to harm the SWC to the west, which was not very stable, made up of 7 teams from Texas out of 8, and which had suffered a huge loss when SMU got the death penalty.
Texas/Texas A&M did not want to swap Texas-centric dominance for being one (or two) teams in the SEC. Furthermore, the UGa president had approached the Texas president IN SUMMER 1989 TO TELL TEXAS THAT THE SEC WANTED TEXAS TO JOIN. Also, the Pac 10 was talking to Texas in 1990 as well. Also, the Big 10 was starting to whisper to Texas. Also, Texas A&M tried to reach out to the SEC on its own, but AT THE TIME, the only way the situation would have worked P-ANALYTICALLY is if both Texas and Texas A&M both went to the SEC together, and because Texas was hemming and hawing, the SEC couldn't quite swing a double-offer. Effectively, the SEC eliminated both Texas and Texas A&M from the priority list, leaving F$U, Miami, Arkansas, and South Carolina. Because the SEC still wanted to damage the SWC, this allowed Arkansas to jump Miami into the Top 2 of SEC targets.
At the same time, the ACC was making a pitch to F$U, and F$U was feeling a bit sketchy about (a) being dominated (p-analytically) by the Gaytors and the rest of the SEC, and (b) having a much tougher strength of schedule in the SEC (when they couldn't even beat Miami).
SOOOOOO...the SEC decided on a double-damage move. First, they take Arkansas, and damage to the SWC in the west. Second, they take F$U or Miami, and damage the ACC's plans for expansion in the east. South Carolina was the "safety school".
And here's how it went down.
---The SEC informally/secretly invited both Arkansas and F$U in JULY OF 1990, contingent upon becoming a public invitation when/if each school agreed to accept the invitation. No "48-hour time limit".
---Arkansas accepted on August 1, 1990, since they felt that the SWC was going to fall apart.
---F$U hedged and decided to see if the ACC would invite them as well. F$U preferred the ACC over the SEC.
---On September 2, 1990 the ACC made a formal presentation to F$U, but not a formal invitation, as the ACC had not yet voted to invite F$U.
---On September 11, 1990 the SEC made its final formal presentation.
---On September 12, 1990 the ACC only gave 3 votes to invite F$U.
---On September 12, 1990 the SEC decided to save face and fvck over F$U, the SEC moved on to Miami, and the SEC voted NOT to invite F$U.
---On September 13, 1990 the ACC re-voted to extend and invitation to F$U, and F$U accepted the ACC invitation.
---On September 16, 1990 the SEC came to Miami with its "48-hours or else" invitation, since they were already humiliated by the F$U drama and South Carolina had already voted to accept the SEC offer, if it was ever offered.
---Because Miami was NOT informally/secretly invited in July of 1990, and because Miami was such a rapid replacement for F$U, the UM Board of Trustees never had the presentation and due diligence prepared to join the SEC. Of the major Independents, F$U had the most power, UM had to do the most due diligence (being a private school with no state resources), and South Carolina was the most desperate and worst football school of the bunch.
---Miami asked for more time to consider the SEC proposal.
---On September 20, 1990, the SEC made its formal presentation to South Carolina.
---On September 25, 1990, the SEC formally invited South Carolina, and South Carolina accepted.
So, to sum up:
1. Arkansas and F$U were invited first. Arkansas took a week to decide. F$U was given nearly 6 weeks to decide.
2. Miami was presented third, and was given 48 hours to decide.
3. South Carolina was presented fourth, and had nearly a week to decide.
Hmmmm...who was given the most insincere high-pressure pitch of those four?