It's clear the Missouri Tigers football team is going to have to make a statement upon entering the world of the SEC. That's because as much as the heartland seems to respect Missouri with double digit win seasons and a strong record of recent success, the national brand still isn't strong Listening to the responses of various fan bases from SEC schools, it's clear that the addition of Missouri is a bit of a head-scratcher to them.
Gabe DeArmond over at Power Mizzou has a series of quotes from other Rivals sites of SEC schools wondering about the vibe of adding Missouri. The results are a bit humbling when you realize how much other teams wanted names like Clemson or Florida State. Here are a couple of the responses.
From Georgia:
Pretty much neutral. Fans that do not understand the monetary aspect of television markets, etc., are left scratching their heads wondering how Missouri fits into the SEC, while fans who want to beef up the conference with the likes of Florida State, Miami, or Clemson, fail to see that making a powerhouse conference even more of a powerhouse hurts the league when it comes to national implications as they will beat up on each other.
From LSU:
Many in the LSU fan base are a little bit surprised about Missouri coming to the SEC. They do not think of Missouri as a SEC team. Most LSU fans wanted a Florida State or a Clemson. I don't tink they have much of a perception of Missouri football.
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