REPORT: Texas A&M prefers SEC over Pac-10

By Adam Silverstein
June 13, 2010

When conference realignment became a hot topic a few weeks ago, a contingent of six Big 12 schools – Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado – were expected to leave the conference and join up with the Pac-10, with Nebraska also deciding to part ways and become the 12th member of the Big Ten.

A report Sunday from Chip Brown of Orangebloods.com states that, while Colorado and Nebraska have already left, a retooled 10-team Big 12 may be able to stay together if conference commissioner Dan Beebe can secure a substantial television contract. Texas is reportedly considering all options and would be amenable to earning as much as $17 million per season under the new deal.

In the same article, Brown notes that Texas A&M “has been in deep discussions with the SEC and as of Saturday night had enough votes on its Board of Regents to join the SEC” rather than potentially following Texas and company to the Pac-10. The SEC, which covets Texas and Oklahoma for expansion, would settle on adding Texas A&M due to the expanded reach it would receive in the Dallas and Houston television markets.

[UPDATE: Texas A&M turned down an official offer to join the Pac-10 on Sunday.]

However, if Texas decides to remain in the Big 12 – Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are tied-in as well – chances are Texas A&M would also stay put.

Should Texas A&M choose to join the SEC, it’s 100-year rivalry with Texas would be in jeopardy, but it would pick up its old natural rivalry with Arkansas, which flourished at one time in the now defunct Southwest Conference.

12 Comments

  1. Mr2Bits says:

    Why would the rivalry be in jeopardy? Wouldn’t they keep that inked much like our FSU rivalry and instate rivalry week everywhere else across the country towards the end of the season? Guess the only way I’m missing this would be that there would be no more OOC games scheduled each year which would really make college football pretty boring.

  2. 1) With an SEC schedule including an annual game against Arkansas – which I’m sure A&M would be given similar to our annual LSU game – they may not want to schedule Texas.

    2) Texas, if in a 16-team conference, may not have the room (depending on how many conf. games they would decide to play) or may not want to face A&M every year.

    As I said, it would be in “jeopardy” – not over. It’s not like they would never play again. But think about how it is now between those two teams.

  3. Escambia94 says:

    Although I would welcome A&M into SEC, I hope Texas, Oklahoma, and A&M stand up for their own conference and fend off the Pac-X takeover attempt. Don’t let California mess with Texas!

  4. Drew 4 Orange & Blue says:

    It sounds like the Big12 has all but flat lined…if we take in A&M I assume we would have to add another team and then you would be putting games like Florida vs LSU in jeopardy as well….if the SEC goes to 16 teams you would almost have to drop games like Florida vs LSU or we would never play any other west teams!!

  5. 1) The current thought is that the SEC may just add A&M…making it a 13-team league temporarily until they find a 14th.

    2) Adding A&M to the West would not mean the annual E-W game that each school has would dissolve. It may mean dropping one of the cupcake games every year.

    3) I don’t think the SEC is making a play for 16…just 13/14. They don’t want to split-up revenues by 16 teams unless those teams included Texas and Oklahoma.

  6. JW says:

    If A&M does end up joining and the SEC wants add a 14th team, who are the logical choices? I’m assuming FSU, Miami, Georgia Tech and Clemson are out, since the SEC already has teams in those markets, and I believe the SEC has already said as much Although it would be nice to add someone from North Carolina, I cannot see either UNC or NC St. leaving the ACC. Apparently, there’s speculation that Virginia Tech may be invited to join the SEC. This would seem to make sense as it would give the SEC access to the Virginia market, and Tech does not have a long history with the ACC.

  7. From my understanding – no inside knowledge here on this topic – the SEC is not interested in FSU, Miami, Georgia Tech or Clemson. The No. 1 choice from the ACC, as you said, is Virginia Tech. No way North Carolina or NC State leaves. Texas A&M is the key – huge media markets in Dallas and Houston and a bigger face in recruiting in Texas.

    But, as I said earlier, the SEC seems to be perfectly fine with having 13 teams going into 2012.

  8. Escambia94 says:

    I was surprised to hear that many of my Texas A&M co-workers would rather see A&M go to the SEC than remain Texas’ whipping boy. At least if A&M were an SEC whipping boy, it would make more money. The Texas fans would rather resurrect the old SWC and take back LSU and Arkansas.

    Back to reality, I would rather see SEC and Big 12 shuffle around a bit by raiding ACC, Big East or C-USA. SEC gaining A&M is a win-win, as long as Big 12 picks up an old SWC team, like TCU or Rice, or maybe Houston. SEC could snag Va Tech without creating intra-state competition, as would be the case with FSU, Miami, or Clemson. In the end, I would rather see SEC grow to only 13 or 14, and Big 12 remain a conference with some shuffling here and there.

  9. Escambia94 says:

    I like it. Sure, it sounded good while the rumors lasted, but this works out better for everyone. It does not look like Pac-10 will grow to 16ish, which puts all the superconferences at 12ish teams. Big 12 should still raid someone to go from 10 to 12 by snagging Houston, Rice, or TCU. SEC now has no pressure to grow, since it is already at 12. This may mean internal restructuring of TV and bowl revenue contracts, and minor shuffling of teams, but nothing as drastic as envisioned a week ago.

  10. Drew 4 Orange & Blue says:

    They were saying Utah will be the last Pac-12 team which make a lot of sense

  11. Drew 4 Orange & Blue says:

    And another thing sheer numbers don’t make the conference….the SEC is top dog in football because no other area of the country has an entire region where football is king and we have 6 of the top 10 revenue schools with only the Big 10 having more than one with Michigan and Ohio State

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