The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[TripletDaddy]

Fwiw, from Aggie Prez

posted 4:48p, 08/14/11



Statement from Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin regarding athletic conference discussions:

"As we have seen over the past several days, there has been a considerable amount of misinformation regarding these discussions and any associated timelines. The chairman of our board has indicated that the regents will proceed with tomorrow's agenda item, which authorizes the president of Texas A&M to take all actions related to athletic conference alignment. I will also accept Chairman Branch's invitation to participate in his committee's hearing on Tuesday. These are extremely complex issues, and it is imperative that we proceed methodically and in the best interests of Texas A&M."

Looking for legit link to source

[Jeff Lebowski]

Are the BYU fans that have piled on recruits like Te'o, Havili, Ngata, Olson etc for "lying" to BYU going to be upset if BYU goes to the Big 12 after lying to the WCC?

Lying how?

[Uncle Ted]

Chip Brown...

A source locked into Texas A&M's situation said the Aggies will be announced as members of the Southeastern Conference beginning in 2012 within 21 days.

"Texas A&M wants the SEC, and the SEC wants Texas A&M," the source said.

The SEC presidents met Sunday and decided to take no action on Texas A&M but certainly left the door open.

"We discussed criteria and process associated with expansion," said Florida president Bernie Machen, chairman of the SEC presidents and chancellors, in a statement.

The A&M source said the process to complete A&M's move from the Big 12 to the SEC was always expected to take two to three weeks. That process continues uninterrupted, the source said.

On Monday afternoon, Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin is expected to receive the ability to make all decisions with regard to "conference alignment" at a meeting of A&M's board of regents.

Loftin released a statement Sunday that the regents meeting will proceed and that he'll appear at a House Higher Education Committee hearing Tuesday at 2 p.m., called by committee chairman Dan Branch, R-Dallas, to look at A&M's situation.

"As we have seen over the past several days, there has been a considerable amount of misinformation regarding these discussions and any associated timelines," Loftin said in the statement.

"The chairman of our board has indicated that the regents will proceed with tomorrow's agenda item, which authorizes the president of Texas A&M to take all actions related to athletic conference alignment.

"I will also accept Chairman Branch's invitation to participate in his committee's hearing on Tuesday. These are extremely complex issues, and it is imperative that we proceed methodically and in the best interests of Texas A&M."

A source close to Loftin said he will not talk about the Aggies' disatisfaction with Texas and the ESPN-run Longhorn Network at the committee hearing. Instead, he'll 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.

Three sources in the know about the Texas A&M and SEC situation said they all believe the statement released by Florida president Bernie Machen, chair of the SEC presidents and chancellors, was merely a chance for the SEC and A&M to catch their breath during this courtship.

The plan is still very much for Texas A&M to be added to the SEC, the sources said.

But the presidents and chancellors of the SEC wanted to slow down the process and make sure everyone was on the same page as far as expansion plans as laid out by SEC commissioner Mike Slive, the sources said.

There was probably some concern in the SEC about possible litigation from the Big 12 with regard to the SEC interfering with Texas A&M's current contracts with Big 12 TV partners (ABC/ESPN and Fox), the sources said.

Texas A&M's lawyers have also been looking at all the details involved with leaving the Big 12.

According to an official in the Big 12, Texas A&M's buyout (exit fees) could reach $30 million to leave the Big 12.

By hitting the "pause button," according to one source, the SEC also gets to see how Texas A&M handles questions from state lawmakers during a hearing on Tuesday before the House Higher Education Committee.

The decision to take no action on Texas A&M Sunday also gives the SEC more time to decide who and when a 13th (most likely still the Aggies) and 14th school may be added.

House Higher Education Committee chairman Dan Branch told Orangebloods.com on Saturday that A&M officials have told him they thought any possible move to the SEC would take "two to three weeks to finalize."

Here is the entire 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.”

It seems that SEC wants A&M to get their house in order first before handing out an invite.

[Uncle Ted]

Lying how?

True dat. It seems I read or heard somewhere the WCC contract has an exit clause for a BCS conference invite. That's pretty standard.

[LiveCoug]

True dat. It seems I read or heard somewhere the WCC contract has an exit clause for a BCS conference invite. That's pretty standard.

Yes, but you can't leave after one year! That's mean and rude!

[TripletDaddy]

The decision to take no action on Texas A&M Sunday also gives the SEC more time to decide who and when a 13th (most likely still the Aggies) and 14th school may be added.

[Uncle Ted]

Let the bidding war begin.

[Maximus]

So we will have to take another 2-3 weeks of guessing BYUs fate? Just let it be done with, Big 12 invite us already.

[Babs]

Yes. A thread title of "Big 12 aspiration" is perhaps more apropos in both senses of the word.

Oh, come on. That's funny! See, 'cause like aspiration is an ambitious hope but aspiration also means to choke! So see? It's funny like that!

[Jacob]

Someone said they might want Colo St because of the Denver market? Who are these people?

[Coach McGuirk]

According to what a FOX exec is asking for

ChrisLevel Chris Level



One Big 12 school leader was told by FOX execs that UH would not be team invited to join initially and that BYU would be first team asked.

[Uncle Ted]

So we will have to take another 2-3 weeks of guessing BYUs fate? Just let it be done with, Big 12 invite us already.

The way I see it BYU football can go to the big 12 pretty much anytime if invited. BYU may need to pay some teams to get out of some 2012 scheduled games but the Big 12 will most likely make it worth it by giving BYU some of the TAMU exit fee. For the other sports BYU may need to play another year in the WCC or pay them an exit fee.

As for the TAMU exit fee... TAMU athletic department's finances are a mess. I have read somewhere they currently have something like $18M of debt to the Texas tax payers. It will be interesting to see how they will come up with the (up to) $30M for the exit fee. Maybe if Mitt Romney doesn't get elected as president he can help them get their department back in the black like he did for the SLC Olympics.

[New Mexican Disaster]

The way I see it BYU football can go to the big 12 pretty much anytime if invited. BYU may need to pay some teams to get out of some 2012 scheduled games but the Big 12 will most likely make it worth it by giving BYU some of the TAMU exit fee. For the other sports BYU may need to play another year in the WCC or pay them an exit fee.

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We could just drop the series with the Utes in 2012. It would only mean something to them then.

[LA Ute]

I don't mean to irritate; this is a serious question. Apart from Texas fans like Lebowski and Ted (I say that affectionately, guys) how do BYU fans feel about being in the same conference with Texas? It sure looks like they are firmly planted in the Big 12 as the "big dog at the dish," and that prospect can't feel good to a lot of Y fans.

[LiveCoug]

I don't mean to irritate; this is a serious question. Apart from Texas fans like Lebowski and Ted (I say that affectionately, guys) how do BYU fans feel about being in the same conference with Texas? It sure looks like they are firmly planted in the Big 12 as the "big dog at the dish," and that prospect can't feel good to a lot of Y fans.

Feels fine to me.