And the plot thickens.
In a statement earlier Wednesday addressing their conditional acceptance into the SEC, and in remarks seemingly aimed directly at Baylor, Texas A&M stated that it is “disappointed in the threats made by one of the Big 12 member institutions to coerce Texas A&M into staying in the Big 12 Conference.” The SEC, however, wrote in its own statement “that at least one Big 12 institution had withdrawn its previous consent and was considering legal action” against the conference to prevent A&M from leaving.
Now, it appears that the SEC was correct in using the “at least one” qualifier.
An Iowa State spokesperson has confirmed to the Des Moines Register that "[t]here has been no waiver of any legal rights” on the part of ISU. Additionally, it’s being reported that both Kansas and Kansas State will be joining Baylor in taking legal action against A&M’s move to the SEC.
The spokesperson added that ISU had not been asked to join a lawsuit by any other Big 12 school.
At least based on the letter sent from Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe to SEC commissioner Mike Slive on Sept. 2, it appeared all the remaining members of the Big 12 were on board with allowing A&M to be free of any legal repercussions.
The reality, though -- despite the awkward wording of Beebe’s letter -- is it should come as little surprise that those four schools would not relinquish their rights to legal action and/or decide to file suit; all four would likely be left high and financially dry if the Big 12 were to implode, although the two Kansas schools have been rumored as potential Big East targets if their current conference were disbanded. In essence, they have no choice but to continue fighting, regardless of how misguided it may seem to others.
Which, of course, leaves A&M feeling like it’s, well, being held hostage.
“We are being held hostage right now,” A&M president R. Bowen Loftin told the Associated Press. “Essentially, we’re being told that you must stay here against your will and we think that really flies in the face of what makes us Americans for example and makes us free people.”
On the other hand, it’s believed Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech and Missouri have agreed not to stand in the way of A&M’s flight to the SEC. In what is surely a mere coincidence, all five of those schools have been prominently mentioned in the formation of “superconferences” -- the latter connected to the Big Ten/SEC, the former four to the Pac-12.
So, what’s the end game here for Baylor and the three other schools that would ostensibly be left on the outside looking in if there’s a seismic shift in the conference landscape?
The more people I talk to today, the more I’m convinced Baylor -- as well as ISU, KSU and Kansas -- is fully aware that it will not be able to stop A&M from heading to the SEC. What this does do, however, is fire a shot across Oklahoma’s bow -- and the Pac-12’s as well -- warning them that this is what awaits if you and Oklahoma State and Texas and Texas Tech attempt to leave for another conference and, effectively, fire the fatal bullet into the Big 12’s head. This is not an attempt to get A&M back in the Big 12 fold, per se, but rather an attempt to rein in Oklahoma et al.
It’s almost like a game of chess; Baylor’s using this move to set up something a couple of moves ahead. In the end it won’t matter, however, as the Baylor Four will still find themselves on the wrong end of a checkmate, regardless of how many judicial hoops they make A&M jump through to get to the SEC or how difficult they make it on OU et al to go to the Pac-12 -- if that’s where they want to be, of course.
UPDATED 5:28 p.m. ET: And, just as we had hit the “Publish” button on this post, we find out what the end game really is. And how many schools it actually involves.
From the Waco Tribune-Herald:Baylor was among six Big 12 schools that will not sign a waiver to allow Texas A&M to go to the Southeastern Conference following a meeting of the Big 12 presidents Wednesday afternoon, a source close to Baylor told the Tribune-Herald.
The other schools were Kansas, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Missouri.
If Oklahoma reaffirms its commitment to the Big 12, the schools are expected to sign the waiver that would allow the Aggies to go to the SEC without any legal action. The Sooners, who are reportedly considering a move to the Pac-12, are expected to make their decision within the next two weeks.
I love the smell of legal blackmail in the evening.
So, as has been the case for the past week or so, the ball’s in your court Oklahoma. Your move.