Mizzou AD Desiree Reed-Francois weighs in on who Tigers' permanent SEC rival should be
Mizzou AD Desiree Reed-Francois was part of the conversations at SEC spring meetings in Destin, Florida, last week surrounding future scheduling models for SEC football.
No decision was reached during the meetings, with some favoring an 8-game league schedule and others pushing for 9 games.
Reed-Francois was asked who the Tigers’ permanent rival should be, and she weighed in (via PowerMizzou.com):
“Arkansas because of the geographical fit, makes a lot of sense,” Reed-Francois said. “There’s also some others that we just genuinely don’t like.”
The Tigers are 9-4 all-time against Arkansas and are 6-2 against the Hogs since joining the SEC.
We’ll see what happens to the league’s scheduling format once Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC, but it sounds like the Tigers would like to keep the Razorbacks on their schedule moving forward.
In this case it’s not a permanent “rival”, just a permanent opponent.
Mizzou has no rivals in the SEC. If I had to pick one it might be South Carolina or Kentucky. Florida is a team that I love to beat but definitely not a rivalry despite recent history.
Texas and Oklahoma will feel more like rivals to me when they join. Hopefully we’ll get one of them, most likely Oklahoma.
The problem with Arkansas being a rival is most people in both states like each other. If Mizzou returns to being competitive in basketball maybe we can start a rivalry with Arky but don’t think so. I think KY would be a good rival in football maybe. I still hate kansas.
It should be ou all the years we’ve played
Simply put, piglandia and lil mizz will never have a true SEC rivalry with anyone but each other. USC and ATM each came to the league with existing rivalries with SEC teams that have been strengthened since their inclusion.
USC has a natural rivalry with UGA (been playing since 1894) because they are so close to each other & the HBC made sure that USC/UF fire burned hot (and screamin willy helped the cause as well).
ATM and LSU have been antagonists for almost as long (since 1899) and for longer than either of their current fan bases probably realize, and it does not hurt that their fans are so durn similar to each other.
Man, and to think I’ve hated Clemson all these years (for no reason) when UGA was our rival all along… To be honest, I don’t like nunyazz when we are playing your team, but there is always a hate like no other, deep down, for Clemson.
I know it’s fun to be a hater for some fans. Why do the rest of us need to know your mental health issues.
A rival is simply who you are playing this week. And needing to play a University every year is just needy and weak. Dump the SEC permanent cross-dressing game. Rotate all conference games equally or it’s not a conference. Only the athletes themselves, then their fans, can decide who their rivals are.
If a rivalry gets out of hand, drop it and have real football life.
Yea, those legendary rivalries like the Cardinals and Cubs, the Yankees and Red Sox just ruin the game of baseball. Please note the sarcasm. Rivalry games manufactured by the conference are not really rivalries, they are marketing exercises. Rivalries, like nick names, must form organically or they are BS. The Mizzou rival in all sports is KU and this was true for around 100 years, making it lasting and important to fans and players. We should always play one nonconference game with KU in every sport we can, every year. Because the fans want it, it will make lots of money for both schools as well.
Based on equitable talent and similar poor fit in the SEC…Vanderbilt.
Man be careful with all that salt. Causes heart disease.
Little mike has trollitis. Go away little troll.
From a historical perspective, it will probably be TX for us once they join due to the SWC lineage.
Bet Texas gets OU or A&M as a permanent rival.
Yeah, Texas has a lot of enemies. I could see the Hogs getting Texas in the 9 game SEC schedule with 3 permanent opponents, which I am personally in favor of. Aside from that, we’re probably stuck with each other in the 8 game format.
We’re the bad guy in the SEC. And I don’t mind it but we do need to do a better job living up to the part. We petered off during Odom’s years and Drink needs to get the band playing.
Unfortunately, in reality, literally no one in the entire SEC gives a sh!t about Mizzou. I just listened to a random sports show where the host said he forgot Mizzou was even in the SEC…and we hear that a lot.
We bring no excitement to anyone’s schedule, no one looks forward to playing us, and no one wants to get stuck with us as their permanent rival. Including Arkansas, which somehow has more clout than Mizzou despite being a worse program in football the last decade.
It is what it is. We’re not the bad guy, we’re the boring guy. Unfortunately the lack of Mizzou fans supporting the program is to blame. Ever go to a store to look for Mizzou gear? Good luck, you’ll find more stuff for Kansas, K state, Iowa, Nebraska, OU, and everyone else. And thats at stores located IN MISSOURI. It’s pretty sad how bad Mizzou has been at getting fans and their own alumni excited about the program, there’s no excuse for it.
Great football games make great memories and expectations. The Florida finish last year is great for college football…. goal line stand…. tremendous. Shoe on the other foot, the drenching at South Carolina a couple years back probably made a lot of Gamecock fans want to keep those wet clothes on till next the next Sat.
We don’t hate tejas, we Loath tejas.
According to the article I referenced in my comment below, Arkansas’s permanent opponents would be: LSU, Mizzou, and Texas
Texas permanent opponents would be: Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
If it’s the 8 game schedule, I would think it’s Arkansas. If it’s 9, then the two new additions come into play.
LSU’s permanent opponents would be: Arkansas, Texas A&M, Ole Miss
If it’s 9 I think Ark and OU. So much history
Little Mike should not talk about school he would have a difficult time getting into, let alone graduating from.
I like Zack Miller’s idea “forget pods and divisions”. I suggest everyone google it. I think that is the way forward with 16 teams. In his proposal Mizzou’s permanent opponents would be: Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky. I like those: We have ties to Oklahoma dating back to Big 8 days, then Big XII. Arkansas has been our rival since inception and think that the Friday after Thanksgiving game is a must stay. Then I also like Kentucky as we have been very competitive in football and if we could get back to the good days, we are also a basketball school. I think all the other schools would be happy with their 3 permanent opponents too.
I think the sc zou games been better games but Kent is a border
Mizzou rival should be OU we go way back and have a hatred for them lol. Or South Carolina those games are awesome between Mizzou and sc
South Carolina’s permanent opponents would be: Kentucky, Florida, and Georgia.
Regionally that makes more sense too. I would much rather play Kentucky in football and basketball than South Carolina…a lot more excitement imo.
Another thought about building a new rival, it would be easier with states that are neighbors, since they will have alumni living in each other’s state.