Texas A&M to Hold a Board of Regents Meeting Regarding SEC Realignment Tomorrow

by:Brent Wainscott07/25/21
Kyle Field

(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Boy, oh boy, the Aggies really aren’t happy that big brother may be coming back to town, are they?

Ever since the subretinal rumors started swirling at SEC Media Days about Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC, Jimbo and the rest of Aggie-faithful have resisted their former Big 12 counterparts joining the SEC.

So what’s the next step in this development? Well, the Texas A&M Board of Regents will meet in executive session to hash this out tomorrow evening, but will then return to open session, “for discussion and possible action on contractual and governance issues relating to Texas A&M University and the Southeastern Conference.”

This, of course, comes after a week-long pushback from the Aggies, obviously wanting to remain the SEC’s top dog in Texas, which ultimately makes sense. It allows everyone to eat, for lack of a better term. With that said it also makes complete and total sense for Texas and Oklahoma to join the best conference in college athletics, even if it is to the chagrin of the Aggies.

Despite the big pushback, however, this meeting could very well signify the embracing of Texas and Oklahoma from the Aggies.

Earlier in the week A&M’s president, Katherine Banks sent out a statement saying:

“The last few days have been challenging in many ways, and I recognize that change in college athletics often is unsettling for those who love their institutions. Rest assured, the chancellor, our athletic director, and I, and everyone involved in this matter are focused solely on what is best for Texas A&M University. Since 2011, we have been a proud member of the best intercollegiate athletic conference in history and we look forward to continued success in our SEC partnership for many years to come.

M. Katherine Banks

President, Texas A&M University”

Then Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork chimed in saying that Texas A&M will be prepared for any change.

“Regardless of who joins the SEC, whether it’s now [or] in the future, ‘the 12th Man’ is ready,” Bjork told ESPN on Saturday. “Our teams are ready. Our coaches are ready. Our athletic department is ready to compete at the highest level. That’s what the SEC is, that’s what we are as a university, and we’re ready for whatever comes next.”

However, Bjork didn’t rule out the possibility of Texas A&M trying to block Texas from joining the SEC either, saying “We’re not to that point, we have governance structure at our campus to work through. We don’t know what a lot of the information is at this point in time to even say one way or another.”

The SEC-Big 12 compromise appears that it will take another step tomorrow afternoon, either the Aggies will accept the possibility of the two schools joining the SEC, or they will try their best to shut it down.

Gotta love some good ‘ole Texas feuds.

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