Texas A&M notified the Big 12 of secession. (Maybe?)

[caf]

Per Pete Thamel at NYT:

Texas A&M President sent a letter to Big 12 chair tonight notifying their withdrawl from B12. No exit fee yet.

To which ESPN "debunked" this post, here. (Not going to quote. It just says TAMU denied this report)

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/s...n-denies-school-sent-withdrawal-letter-big-12


And Pete Thamel responds that the denial was correct because of semantics:

It was a phone call from A&M President Loftin to Brady Deaton at 8 P.M. last night about withdrawl. Not a letter. I was misinformed.

I believe Pete Thamel. He is pretty good and usually doesn't post unless he has a credible source. He can be followed here: http://twitter.com/#!/petethamelnyt

This is pretty big for A&M. They pretty much pissed off the entire B12, including Texas, and now are hanging their hopes on joining the SEC. I am assuming the SEC will take them and there are some closed door communications between the two. It just doesn't make sense to me why A&M would leave. I guess they have long term security with the SEC, but they have been mediocre in the B12, how do they think they will fare in the SEC?

On a national landscape this is the first domino to fall. From what I have heard, it appears that the B12 is done for. Sure they can pick up a few teams to save face (a la Boise State, Nevada, etc). But I think Texas takes this opprotunity to go independent. I have heard from a few people in-the-know that the Big East has previously contacted members of the Big 12 (such as Mizzou, Kansas, and Kansas St.) about joining the BEast and those phone lines have opened up recently with the news of A&M leaving. The biggest hurdle is the Basketball conference and its massive size. There is much resistance against doing what needs to be done and boot the lower feeder BB only teams (i.e. DePaul, Providence). DePaul would be the first to go, but the AD's don't want to kick out Providence because they are a founding member of the conference.

What are you're guy's thoughts predictions as to how this will play out?

 

[bob2the2nd]

i still think its going to be a while before we get into super conferences if only because its one thing for highly respective, high money making football teams to travel across the country. its quite another for the girls softball team, mens lacrosse team, etc to do the same thing.

that said oklahoma and texas will stick together, if texas goes independent oklahoma will probably do the same. Hell oklahoma has been working on this one since the mid 80's

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_v._Board_of_Regents_of_Univ._of_Oklahoma

 

[JayP146]

Texas A&M notified the Big 12 of secession.

Rick Perry would approve.

 

[DDJ7777]

Good for A&M. They have an amazing school and awesome traditions but no one ever hears about it due to them being in the shadow of Texas. I wish them good luck in the SEC next season.

 

[Bob_The_Cat]

Good for A&M. They have an amazing school and awesome traditions but no one ever hears about it due to them being in the shadow of Texas. I wish them good luck in the SEC next season.

Exactly. Becoming the only Texas school in the SEC could prove to be a very powerful thing. Obviously they live in Texas' shadow in the Big 12. In a talent rich state for football, who's to say that those top notch Texas recruits going elsewhere within the SEC to play wouldn't chose A&M? I'm not saying it's a definite, but they are a developing program. It wouldn't shock me to see them become really good, really fast with a jump to the SEC.

 

[caf]

Sounds like Baylor is pissed, however it doesn't look like there is any stopping now.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/s...-aggies-accepted-sec-legal-threat-delays-move

Legal threat delays Aggies' move to SEC

The member presidents of the Southeastern Conference unanimously voted to accept Texas A&M Tuesday night as the league's 13th member, but the Aggies' official acceptance has been delayed by the potential threat of legal action.

The SEC's presidents want assurances that no individual Big 12 school will sue for contractual interference over Texas A&M's departure. Baylor has not given that assurance to this point, according to sources.

"We were notified yesterday afternoon that at least one Big 12 institution had withdrawn its previous consent and was considering legal action," University of Florida president and SEC chairman Dr. Bernie Machen said in a statement released Wednesday. "The SEC has stated that to consider an institution for membership, there must be no contractual hindrances to its departure. "

The SEC received written assurance from the Big 12 on Sept. 2 that it was free to accept Texas A&M as a member, Machen said.


Texas A&M had planned a celebration and news conference at the College Station campus for Wednesday but that is now on hold.

Texas A&M has said throughout the process that it was taking methodical steps. The Aggies hope to begin play in the SEC next season and have already sold out season tickets, in part from anticipation of the move.

Texas A&M is interested in making what it considers a bold move to separate itself from Texas while aligning with a conference it believes is a cultural fit and provides high visibility and financial stability. The SEC is interested in adding Texas to its television and recruiting footprint.

 

[ssopata]

A&M fans are calling it a SECession.

I think this won't be a good thing for the SEC. They have the wrong Texas school to bring in. A&M has had 4 sub .500 seasons since 2000 and 5 seasons where they've been 2 games over .500. I don't see that improving much once they hit the SEC. They may get a bump in Texas recruits who may go there to play in the SEC but I don't see much of an impact that'll make them a power of even a contender for the SEC crown anytime soon.

 

[caf]

A&M fans are calling it a SECession.

I think this won't be a good thing for the SEC. They have the wrong Texas school to bring in. A&M has had 4 sub .500 seasons since 2000 and 5 seasons where they've been 2 games over .500. I don't see that improving much once they hit the SEC. They may get a bump in Texas recruits who may go there to play in the SEC but I don't see much of an impact that'll make them a power of even a contender for the SEC crown anytime soon.

You're assuming their #1 priority is getting a good college football team. Which I think is completely wrong. The SEC's concern is getting a new market for it's TV contracts. This is all about $$. Texas A&M could get better recruits being in the SEC, but who cares, not the SEC.

 

[bigjmac0815]

Notre Dame and Texas in discussions to join Big Ten Conference

LullonSportsJoe Lull
Just got tipped of by a source in Big Ten offices. Texas AND Notre Dame are involved in discussions to join the conference by 2014. No joke.

 

[caf]

Notre Dame and Texas in discussions to join Big Ten Conference

Good. Get ND out of a BEast tie in bowl. Sad to see them go in BBall, but oh well. I am sick of them.

 

[calleger]

Texas and ND in the Big Ten.... Holy Crap that would be a lot of money tied up in one conference. And a logistic nightmare.

 

[KB]

Found this on a forum concerning the Texas/ND Big Ten rumor posted at 2am EST this morning (apparently it's from a guy that is similar to W&G on the linked forums from what I gathered, could be wrong though)

link

http://northwestern.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=57&tid=162506546&mid=162506546&sid=901&style=2

Terms Presented by Notre Dame and Texas Reply

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Earlier this evening, Notre Dame and Texas jointly presented the Big Ten Conference with their proposed terms of entry into the conference. These terms resulted from lengthy discussions among both schools and the Big Ten over the past several months.

The major items include:

1. The preservation of an eight game (plus championship) conference football schedule. Both ND and Texas wish to preserve rivalries with non-Big Ten universities on a regular basis. This would require the Big Ten to abandon its current plans of a 9 game conference schedule.

2. The staggering of the schedule to allow for mid-season scheduling with non-conference football opponents.

3. The preservation of the status quo conference makeup until approximately 2014, unless the Big XII fails to retain key (NOT including A&M) conference members. This will provide the member schools, acting in unison, with the greatest leverage negotiating ongoing television contracts, particularly with ESPN.

4. Should Texas depart the conference for the Big Ten before ND due to the further disintegration of the Big XII, ND will remain independent until approximately 2014

5. The Longhorn Network would remain independent until approximately 2014, at which point the network would become a part of an expanded Big Ten Network (specifically referred to as "BTN2"), likely either in partnership with Fox, NBC, or less likely ABC

The Big Ten just wrapped up a meeting to initially consider all of the terms presented by the schools, including the aforementioned.

Notably, there is a general discontent with the reporting of the situation by ESPN with specific regard to Texas. ESPN has, for self-serving purposes, drastically exaggerated the lean of Texas to the Pac12 conference in nearly all commentary. ESPN has essentially waged a propaganda campaign to drive support among the Texas stakeholders to the Pac12 conference. ESPN has gone so far as to attempt to accelerate the disintegration of the Big XII to pressure Texas into making an immediate conference change decision. Texas has steadfastly resisted change, and will do so until the appropriate time occurs for Texas to stand in a strong position to renegotiate television contracts, including with ESPN.

In reality, the preference expressed by Texas' relevant leadership is to depart the Big XII for the Big Ten at the time that gives Texas the greatest leverage in negotiating a new television rights deal. The Big Ten and Texas agreed that Texas should do what is best for Texas, which they also both agree is a move by Texas to join the Big Ten Conference. Delaney's top priority has been to create an environment for Texas and Notre Dame to join the conference on mutually benefical terms.

Notre Dame has an interest in preserving its traditional rivalries, three of which occur already in the Big Ten, and creating a new national rivalry with a traditional powerhouse. The Big Ten believes that ND prefers independence, but realizes that it will soon have no choice but to join a conference. The Big Ten also believes that ND is trying to position itself so that if it must join a conference, it does so on the most favorable terms possible. Hence the return to the 8 game schedule and a protected game with national power Texas. The Big Ten will attempt to create a mutually beneficial environment for ND that allows it to preserve a great deal of independence to retain all its traditional rivalries within the conference context.

The initial mood at the Big Ten to the terms provided by the two schools is "receptive."
This post was edited on 9/8 2:20 AM by PURPLE Book Cat

 

[cdt]

^ I'd welcome it, it's time we got some competitiveness back in the Big 10.