New York, NY – Texas A&M has reportedly notified the Big 12 that it is leaving the conference.
The New York Times reported Monday night that Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin sent a letter to Big 12 board chairman Brady Deaton, who is the president of the University of Missouri, that the Aggies would formally withdraw. The announcement is likely to come Tuesday, according to the newspaper.
The school's potential departure was discussed during a conference call Saturday between the Big 12 board of directors, according to a report in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which quoted a league source as saying he "wouldn't be surprised" to see Texas A&M take steps to join the SEC soon.
However, the Times reported Monday that there are two stumbling blocks for the Aggies to join the SEC. One is the school's exit fee from the Big 12, which has not been negotiated, and that could be upwards of $15 million. The other is that nine of the 12 SEC school presidents would have to vote to have the Aggies become a member of the conference.
Texas A&M notified the Big 12 on Thursday that it was exploring options to join another conference, but would do so only in accordance with the conference's bylaws and with a promise that the school would support the Big 12's efforts to seek a new member.
Talk of expansion in the SEC is nothing new. There were reports last summer as well that Texas A&M was courted by the top college football conference in the country.
If the Aggies leave the Big 12, it will add to the demise of the conference. It's already down to 10 teams after Nebraska (Big Ten) and Colorado (Pac-12) departed.
