Overshadowed by Texas A&M’s Board of Regents’ unanimous decision to give President R. Loftin Bowen permission to “take action on conference alignment” was the announcement of the A&M system’s new chancellor John Sharp.
Sharp, the lone finalist for the position in Monday’s meeting, practically put to bed any speculation as to what the A&M suits were thinking when it came to possibly leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.
“Yes, I’m for going to the SEC,” Sharp said via the Austin-American Statesman. “I think it’s a win-win situation.”
Sharp’s comments were far more forward than Loftin’s, who’s post-meeting Q&A echoed what the media has been writing for the past two weeks:
Maybe they will, maybe they won’t.
“This is all about what is best for Texas A&M, along with visibility for us and our athletes and financial resources,” Loftin said. “It’s not so much what’s wrong with the Big 12; it’s what’s right for Texas A&M and where we want to go in time.
“What we do will be in the best interest of Texas A&M and the state of Texas. We don’t want the Big 12 to go away.”
The logistics and legal matters of a potential move seem to be the current hurdle the Aggies are trying to jump. Whether they’ll trip over it as they move forward is still to be seen. One thing is clear, though: the intent is there. There are no more denials from the A&M camp about where their heart lies.