The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[SteelBlue]

Does this really mean anything? There's no deadline on any of this, so it never made much sense to vote on A&M before A&M gets all of its own ducks in a row. "For now" could mean "until next week."

Exactly. Consider this quote from the NYT story yesterday:

"They have a contract now," the SEC official said, according to The Times. "We're very sensitive about being part of breaking a contract. What we asked them to do was to go settle their issues and not have us be on the table as the agent of causing them to leave."

[Uncle Ted]

Uh,

Joe Schad (@schadjoe)
8/14/11 1:48 PM
BREAKING: UF's Bernie Machen statement says no action on A&M; satisfied with present alignment; for now

Chip Brown is reporting the same thing...

There will need to be some reading behind the lines here, but on its face it looks like the SEC has decided to stand pat with 12 schools.

Here is the statement from Dr. Bernie Machen, Chair, Southeastern Conference Presidents and Chancellors:

“The SEC Presidents and Chancellors met today and reaffirmed our satisfaction with the present 12 institutional alignment. We recognize, however, that future conditions may make it advantageous to expand the number of institutions in the league. We discussed criteria and process associated with expansion. No action was taken with respect to any institution including Texas A&M.”

If this means the SEC is content not to grow at this time, it's an unbelievable twist in the realignment game and means Texas A&M is still an unhappy member of the Big 12.

If this is just posturing until the legislative voices in Texas can talk to A&M, we'll see. Lots of reporting to do still.

Deep depression is now setting in down in college station.

[Uncle Ted]

My prediction: they announce the construction of a new sports megaplex, funded entirely by the entire aTm fiscal budget for 2012.

LOL. Or that they have an invite to the SEC.

[CJF]

Chip Brown is reporting the same thing...



Deep depression is now setting in down in college station.

Bwahahahaha. How absolutely stupid does A&M look now? Incredible.

[Pheidippides]

Bwahahahaha. How absolutely stupid does A&M look now? Incredible.

For aTm, it's par for the course.

[Jarid in Cedar]

If the highest priority is exposure, not money, then I'm still unclear why the timing is relevant. It seems that independence is the only option in either scenario. As it stands, the only reason the answer is no longer as clear cut as it once was is because BYU is in a better position now than had it remained in the anemic MWC. And that is because BYU went independent when it did.

I agree with this. The issue is that most BYU fans beleive that being a member of the Big 12-2 is superior to independence on several levels. While some of the powers that be may disagree and feel that remaining independent is superior. As a fan, I would be discouraged by this viewpoint. From a fans standpoint, I would feel much better if the decision was clearcut to those who make the decisions.

[TripletDaddy]

Pilgrim: prophet, seer, revelator

[TripletDaddy]

[UteStar]

UteStar is, not surprisingly, as fabulously right as ever.

I would blush if this was the first time that I was so fabulously right. Now, its just pretty much par for the course.

[Uncle Ted]

For aTm, it's par for the course.

Yep...

[UteStar]

I think we are seeing a couple of things playing out from the SEC. Why should they vote to accept a school who has not officially left the Big 12? It makes no sense to them at all. If they accept aTm, and aTm decides not to go, the SEC would look silly.

I will bet that the SEC met today and said, OK, if aTm decides to leave and they make the split from the Big 12, would we take them. Yes? OK, lets wait until they make the official decision to leave. The SEC won't say YES until aTm leaves their conference.

[oxcoug]

Yep...

I stared at that for around 60 seconds before giving up on figuring what those cadets are up to.

[TripletDaddy]

So clearly this makes no sense at face value (if they did not want to expand, why meet in Atlanta to decide that?)

A read between the lines says that this press release was a preemptive move to distance the SEC from the tortious interference claim. Once Aggie officially leaves the B12, then the SEC is free to act.

If anything, the meeting in Atlanta was to strategize, clarify their united front against the media on this issue, and discuss the 14th team.

At this point, I will throw BYU out there as the 14th team! :rockon1:

Ps slight meltdown mode on texags. If they hadn't already banned MikeWaters, he would be feasting on flesh over there today.

[Portland Ute]

My take is that this is nothing more than an official statement.

They didn't meet just to say they were happy.

My guess is this:

TAMU said they wanted to join, the SEC said, "Okay, we'll consider it."

So, the SEC met and has probably arrived at a decision today that they will take TAMU IF....IF TAMU can get out of the BIG12 without too many repercussions. Publicly, however, the SEC is saying that they aren't going to extend offers...unless "conditions change."

Well, now TAMU knows it has a soft landing spot in the SEC. It can go about doing what it needs to do. IF it can get out of the Big12 alive (the Texas Legislature doesn't make it too ugly), then they will vote to leave the Big12 and apply to the SEC already knowing that the SEC will accept.

The SEC, with the conditions having changed, will, amazingly ( ) vote to accept TAMU. (This was already decided today.)

This saves the SEC egg on their face if TAMU can't get out of the Big12 and/or decides it's not worth it because they get concessions.

Privately, I think TAMU has been given the go ahead to leave the Big12 should they wish and that they will be welcome with open arms. But the SEC isn't going to invite them, they are going to have to apply. This also avoids any legal wranglings.

[Portland Ute]

I think we are seeing a couple of things playing out from the SEC. Why should they vote to accept a school who has not officially left the Big 12? It makes no sense to them at all. If they accept aTm, and aTm decides not to go, the SEC would look silly.

I will bet that the SEC met today and said, OK, if aTm decides to leave and they make the split from the Big 12, would we take them. Yes? OK, lets wait until they make the official decision to leave. The SEC won't say YES until aTm leaves their conference.

Damn you! YOu beat me while I was making my post!