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http://twitter.com/ChipBrownOB/status/16097298273

Texas A&M turned down invite to join P10 in mtg today with P10's Larry Scott and Kevin Weiberg in College Station, a Big 12 AD confirms.

Never a slow day in conference realignment news...

Alright!!
Now we got REAL chaos.
C'mon SMU, get in the door - somewhere.

So... going to SEC or what?

good for them

Wow...methinks they would not have done that without some back door already agreed to....

ponyscott wrote:Wow...methinks they would not have done that without some back door already agreed to....

Enter SEC, Stage Left!

If we presume Oklahoma wants it and is paired with this A&M move, then does UT and Okla State may it four? Hard to imagine the Longhorns reacting vs. controlling events.

Or, does PAC10 add UT with Colorado for 12 or more Big XII South teams, less the Aggies? Fragmentation of the South Big XII wasn't part of many scenarios.

A&M would have options; remain in Big XII as they would still have Baylor, KU, KSU, Missou and Iowa State. Could invite two more and become the Big 8 again? Leaves more flexibility in non-conference scheduling; maybe sell the Big XII name to Big 10? Align with the Cotton Bowl? Would TCU consider this rather than the MWC minus Utah? No obvious/strong choice for member # 8, but Memphis might be the strongest option with tie in to Liberty Bowl.

Of course, if the SEC wants A&M, seems like a no-brainer move to me. That would help them make up ground and close the competitive gap with Texas and even Tech these days.

I live a stone's throw from the UT campus, hence live and work around Texas Exes daily. An interesting aspect to the UT to the PAC 10 story: Some of the liberal UT folks are not happy with the fact that the PAC 10 East would include frequent travel to Arizona, bastion of anti-immigration laws of note. Some are griping for what good it might do.

And by the way: Good for A & M. I actually think that getting out of UT's conference, and playing in the best conference in America top to bottom, the SEC, would actually enhance their profile. I also think it would be great for CBS affiliates in Texas.

Topper wrote:I live a stone's throw from the UT campus, hence live and work around Texas Exes daily. An interesting aspect to the UT to the PAC 10 story: Some of the liberal UT folks are not happy with the fact that the PAC 10 East would include frequent travel to Arizona, bastion of anti-immigration laws of note. Some are griping for what good it might do.

Yes, I was recently thinking that this is part of the motivation for the original PAC teams to try to get Az teams into another division.

Good God! Could this stuff be any more nail biting. If I were Orsini, I would have stroked out by now.

For what it's worth, A&M officials denying they've told Pac10 no:

http://twitter.com/ChipBrownOB/status/16100994474

Cook said A&M has not turned down the Pac-10 and denied Orangebloods.com's report to that effect, citing a Big 12 AD's confirmation.

With almost every pot being churned it is more important that ever to have a pro-active AD keeping your schools name in as many pots as possible.

The PonyGrad wrote:With almost every pot being churned it is more important that ever to have a pro-active AD keeping your schools name in as many pots as possible.

You know Orsini is working his butt off during all of this. He has Turner working on the Conference stuff as well and has $ lined up for when that is needed. They know they have to be involved in every conversation and can't wait for someone else to make decisions for them, which will have to lived for years to come.

1983 Cotton Bowl wrote:Good God! Could this stuff be any more nail biting. If I were Orsini, I would have stroked out by now.

He better be spending his time finding a better conference for us, not doing that.