A few twists and turns before Texas A&M announces its intention to leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference.
SEC presidents and chancellors announced Sunday that the league has no plans to expand from its current 12 teams, but the SEC is merely covering its arse on this one. The league wants to clearly establish that it was first contacted by Texas A&M about a move to avoid possible litigation from the Big 12 and its TV partners (ABC/ESPN and Fox).
On Monday afternoon, regents are expected to grant Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin authority "to take all actions related to athletic conference alignment." On Tuesday, Loftin will then attend a House Committee on Higher Education hearing in Austin, where he is expected to tell lawmakers about the benefits of A&M joining the SEC, including more national exposure and equal revenue sharing.
After that, Loftin will make the formal request for admission into the SEC, which is expected to be accepted by SEC commissioner Mike Slive. That process could take up to three weeks. The Aggies plan to join the SEC for 2012 football season.
It all comes at a cost. Texas A&M's exit fees for leaving the Big 12 could reach $30 million, according to a Big 12 official who spoke with Orangebloods.
Follow my Twitter feed for updates on the story throughout the next couple of days.
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