As for TAMU’s appeal in the ’50s, you have to remember that we are not talking about the appeal to dedicated future academics, or agriculturists, but to star HS football player, which is a different thing altogether.

1. I wonder — why choose Bear Bryant and Texas A&M as your only detailed example? The SMU and TCU play-for-pay issues in the 1980s are much more relevant in time and detail.

2. I think it’s unfair to say A&M was not attractive to prospective recruits in 1955 because it was an all male school with required ROTC. Those might be negatives today; they were a lot less significant 50-plus years ago.

3. It is inaccurate to say the state was “carved up” regionally. In fact, TCU prospered by recruiting mega talent from East and West Texas — far from the Fort Worth area. Jess Neely and his Rice staff covered major portions of the state with their recruiting. Of course SMU, TCU and Rice got a larger percentage of players from their hometowns; Texas does the same thing today with the Austin area. This is not “carving up” the state, thus leaving the small towns to A&M and Baylor. Texas A&M got a lot of small-town athletes (and students as a whole); it was THE place to study agriculture, and many of those students were from rural towns. That’s where farms and ranches are.

4. As pointed out in one of the comments, it was the norm at the time for the conference to clean up its problems and mete out punishment. It wasn’t until ADs and faculty reps decided to distance themselved from the lawyering and judging of their members that conferences kicked those things to higher authority (the NCAA).

5. I won’t even get into the “worth of degrees.” I’ve known geniuses from Texas A&I and Texas-El Paso (not picking on anybody here), and dunces from UT and Harvard (or here).

Funny thing about that if you want to get in the way-back machine with me for a minute.

Picture my room at the fraternity house at Alabama 95ish. I know that it was some time after lunch because I was in a fog that only week old hunch punch, and Mrs Ps burgers can induce.

On the tv, Dan Patrick is talking about “Tractor Trailer”’s suburban up at Michigan, and what an affront it is. As I gaze to my right, out the window, I can see Dwayne Rudd finishing up a nice detailing job on both his new jeep, and his new mustang. He was a really good linebacker and stuff.

Give Wilkinson credit for integrating in the ’50s. Note also that the Big 6 conference had been integrated for awhile already. Also note that he stopped integrating, and why.

Also, in your article, did you note the comments about the Arkansas 1965 football staff, and how cruel it could be? You do know who were assistants on that staff, don’t you?