(Image Source: Mizzou2Sec)

BY MADISON MACK

ANCHOR CHRISTY LEWIS 

Finally. The Southeastern Conference and the University of Missouri have made it official. Here’s the Columbia Tribune.

“After weeks of winks and nods, curator meetings, an inadvertent press release and a canceled overseas trip, the Southeastern Conference broke the silence on the worst-kept secret in college sports: The Missouri Tigers are coming.”

Mizzou never recommitted to the Big 12 after its most recent shuffle in August when Texas and Oklahoma were flirting with the PAC 12 and Texas A&M announced its intentions to leave.

ESPN blogger David Ubben says The Big 12 only has itself to blame for the Tigers departure.

“The Big 12, while it was busy sorting itself out, showed Missouri a terrifying future of constantly shifting leagues and a possible future in the Big East, where three members left in the past month and six more appear to be on the way, each a worse geographical and cultural fit than the other. Boise State? Houston? … Stability won't be a concern anymore for the Tigers.”

Mizzou will officially join the conference on July 1st, 2012 but many in the sports media, like Grantland editor Robert Mays, say Mizzou will have a tough time competing with the SEC powerhouses.

“The spread offense was designed as a way to account for disparities in talent, and nowhere would that be more important for Mizzou than in the SEC ... where letting fast, powerful defenses tee off on the quarterback might be a dicey proposition. SEC speed is not a fabrication, and a schedule featuring Alabama, LSU and Auburn might mean a long wait before Mizzou comes near another big-time bowl....”

During the height of the speculation back in late October -- a writer for Outkick the Coverage said both Missouri and Texas A&M will thrive in the SEC.

“Can the SEC make Missouri and Texas A&M national title contenders? Not consistently. But can the SEC take Missouri and Texas A&M to heights heretofore unseen by their football programs? The evidence suggests that contrary to what the doubters would say, the answer is yes.”

West Virginia it set to replace Missouri as the Big 12’s 10th member but the school is currently engaged in dueling lawsuits with its current conference, the Big East to determine when they can leave.