The Southwest Conference ended 25 years ago the same way it lived: with fire in its belly and pettiness in its heart.
Even its ceremonial closing came with a tinge of spite. Two football games were to be played that final Saturday, Dec. 2, 1995, but Rice officials were determined theirs would be last. So when they discovered that Texas and Texas A&M -- who were playing for the SWC title -- were locked into a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC, Rice scheduled its kickoff with rival Houston for 4 p.m., to the dismay of the Longhorns and Aggies.