Updating what’s been the overriding story over the past week -- and reiterating that I’m so thankful the 2011 season doesn’t kickoff in three weeks -- a report has emerged that gives a timetable for Texas A&M either moving to or moving on from the SEC.
And, oddly/coincidentally enough, the reported timeline could coincide with the start of the upcoming season.
According to Chip Brown of OrangeBloods.com, the Longhorns-centric Rivals.com website, it will be announced within 21 days that the Aggies will be moving from the Big 12 to the SEC ion 2012. Brown describes the source of his information as “locked into Texas A&M’s situation”.
Of course, it was announced earlier Sunday by the SEC that “[n]o action was taken with respect to any institution including Texas A&M” and that the conference is not interested — for now — in expanding beyond its current 12 members. It was subsequently announced by A&M president R. Bowen Loftin that meetings scheduled for Monday and Tuesday to discuss the school’s future conference affiliation would go on as planned, despite the SEC tapping the brakes on adding additional members -- for now -- to their 12-school configuration.
A&M’s dissatisfaction with the Big 12 is based on Texas generally and their in-state rivals’ network in particular. Brown reports that those issues will not be discussed with the school’s Board of Regents and the Texas House of Representatives over the next two days; rather, Brown writes, Loftin will “talk about the benefits to Texas A&M of moving to the SEC, including more national exposure and branding as part of the SEC and equal revenue sharing.”
There’s also the matter of what could reportedly be costs of up to $30 million -- we’ve been told that’s “an inflated number that’s not even in the neighborhood of the right ballpark” -- A&M could face in exit fees if they leave the Big 12, so that financial part of the equation will undoubtedly come up in the conversation early on this week.