BRENT ZWERNEMAN, COLLEGE STATION BUREAU
Published 10:45 p.m., Thursday, August 25, 2011
- R. Bowen Loftin Texas A&M University president 2010 school photo / HC
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FontCOLLEGE STATION - Quarterback Ryan Tannehill fired pinpoint passes, and tailback Cyrus Gray broke multiple long runs Thursday night, meaning it was business as usual during eighth-ranked Texas A&M's daily practice. Off the field, however, it was anything but in Aggieland.
While the Aggies tried focusing on their task at hand - a Sept. 4 season opener against SMU - A&M's administration was focusing in on bolting the Big 12 and entering the Southeastern Conference. University president R. Bowen Loftin informed Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe via letter Thursday that the Aggies are "exploring our options" concerning conference alignment.
The letter - ending with, "We look forward to hearing from you" - marked A&M's first official move outside College Station in its quest to exit the Big 12 and join the SEC, preferably by the 2012 football season.
"If Texas A&M withdraws from the conference, we want to do so in a way that complies with the bylaws and is supportive of your efforts to seek a new member of the conference," Loftin wrote to Beebe in the letter provided by A&M. "We would appreciate your conferring with the other member institutions and outlining for us the process to be followed by Texas A&M should it withdraw from the conference."
The Big 12 responded in a statement: "The letter received today … will be addressed by the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors. It remains our strong desire for Texas A&M to continue as a member of the Big 12, and we are working toward that end. However, if it is decided otherwise, the conference is poised to move aggressively with options."
An A&M official dubbed the letter to the Big 12 simply part of the complex legal process in leaving the Big 12 for the SEC. The Big 12's board is scheduled to meet Saturday. Once the Aggies' exit of the Big 12 becomes official, the SEC is expected to name A&M its 13th member, an A&M insider said. The Big 12 is expected to court BYU, Notre Dame and potentially Houston if it gets to that point, the insider added.
The A&M official said the Aggies are following Nebraska's example in June 2010 in exiting the Big 12 - right down to the letter. Nebraska reached an agreement to pay $9.25 million in exit fees, and A&M is expecting to pay in that ballpark, even though Big 12 bylaws call for a much higher amount if less than a year's notice is given. The Cornhuskers split the Big 12 for the Big Ten, while Colorado left for the Pac-12.
Loftin also said in a release Thursday, "As I have indicated previously, we are working very deliberately to act in the best long-term interests of both Texas A&M and the state of Texas. This truly is a 100-year decision. While we understand the desire of all parties to quickly reach a resolution, these are extremely complex issues that we are addressing methodically."
He added, "Ultimately, we are seeking to generate greater visibility nationwide for Texas A&M and our championship-caliber student-athletes, as well as secure the necessary and stable financial resources to support our athletic and academic programs. As a public university, Texas A&M owes it to the state's taxpayers to maximize our assets and generate additional revenues both now and well into the future."
Meanwhile the football team continued its preparation for what's shaping up as its final Big 12 season, and coach Mike Sherman said Thursday night the SEC chatter isn't distracting his squad.
"It's not even part of our conversation, although I know it's hard for you (reporters) to believe that," Sherman said.
Senior receiver Jeff Fuller concurred.
"We don't talk about it at all," Fuller said. "It's not a distraction. I won't be playing in the SEC. Our main focus is SMU right now - that's all that's on our minds. There's really no time to think about the SEC."
A&M has said it would like its 117-year-old football rivalry with Texas to continue regardless of conference affiliation, but it's to be determined if the relationship will continue if the state's two flagship universities are in separate conferences.
brent.zwerneman@chron.com twitter.com/brentzwerneman
While the Aggies tried focusing on their task at hand - a Sept. 4 season opener against SMU - A&M's administration was focusing in on bolting the Big 12 and entering the Southeastern Conference. University president R. Bowen Loftin informed Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe via letter Thursday that the Aggies are "exploring our options" concerning conference alignment.
The letter - ending with, "We look forward to hearing from you" - marked A&M's first official move outside College Station in its quest to exit the Big 12 and join the SEC, preferably by the 2012 football season.
"If Texas A&M withdraws from the conference, we want to do so in a way that complies with the bylaws and is supportive of your efforts to seek a new member of the conference," Loftin wrote to Beebe in the letter provided by A&M. "We would appreciate your conferring with the other member institutions and outlining for us the process to be followed by Texas A&M should it withdraw from the conference."
The Big 12 responded in a statement: "The letter received today … will be addressed by the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors. It remains our strong desire for Texas A&M to continue as a member of the Big 12, and we are working toward that end. However, if it is decided otherwise, the conference is poised to move aggressively with options."
An A&M official dubbed the letter to the Big 12 simply part of the complex legal process in leaving the Big 12 for the SEC. The Big 12's board is scheduled to meet Saturday. Once the Aggies' exit of the Big 12 becomes official, the SEC is expected to name A&M its 13th member, an A&M insider said. The Big 12 is expected to court BYU, Notre Dame and potentially Houston if it gets to that point, the insider added.
The A&M official said the Aggies are following Nebraska's example in June 2010 in exiting the Big 12 - right down to the letter. Nebraska reached an agreement to pay $9.25 million in exit fees, and A&M is expecting to pay in that ballpark, even though Big 12 bylaws call for a much higher amount if less than a year's notice is given. The Cornhuskers split the Big 12 for the Big Ten, while Colorado left for the Pac-12.
Loftin also said in a release Thursday, "As I have indicated previously, we are working very deliberately to act in the best long-term interests of both Texas A&M and the state of Texas. This truly is a 100-year decision. While we understand the desire of all parties to quickly reach a resolution, these are extremely complex issues that we are addressing methodically."
He added, "Ultimately, we are seeking to generate greater visibility nationwide for Texas A&M and our championship-caliber student-athletes, as well as secure the necessary and stable financial resources to support our athletic and academic programs. As a public university, Texas A&M owes it to the state's taxpayers to maximize our assets and generate additional revenues both now and well into the future."
Meanwhile the football team continued its preparation for what's shaping up as its final Big 12 season, and coach Mike Sherman said Thursday night the SEC chatter isn't distracting his squad.
"It's not even part of our conversation, although I know it's hard for you (reporters) to believe that," Sherman said.
Senior receiver Jeff Fuller concurred.
"We don't talk about it at all," Fuller said. "It's not a distraction. I won't be playing in the SEC. Our main focus is SMU right now - that's all that's on our minds. There's really no time to think about the SEC."
A&M has said it would like its 117-year-old football rivalry with Texas to continue regardless of conference affiliation, but it's to be determined if the relationship will continue if the state's two flagship universities are in separate conferences.
brent.zwerneman@chron.com twitter.com/brentzwerneman
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