Now aTm denies withdrawal papers...

[Peach Fuzz]

Associated Press
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M said Tuesday it has not sent a letter of withdrawal to the Big 12 Conference.

Big 12 blog
ESPN.com's David Ubben writes about all things Big 12 in the conference blog.

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College Football Nation

The brief statement by school spokesman Jason Cook comes a day after The New York Times said in a story posted on its Web site Monday night that university president R. Bowen Loftin sent a letter to Missouri chancellor and Big 12 board chairman Brady Deaton to inform the league it was leaving. The report cited two unidentified college officials with direct knowledge of the decision.

Cook declined to comment further on the newspaper report.

The university said Monday it had received a letter from Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe outlining the withdrawal procedure should the Aggies decide to leave the league.

Cook said on Monday that the letter "outlines the withdrawal procedures according to the financial provisions of the Big 12 bylaws and mutual waivers of legal claims." He wouldn't provide any other details of the letter or comment on what A&M's next step might be.

The Aggies are interested in joining the Southeastern Conference. Loftin sent a letter to the Big 12 last week formally telling Beebe they are exploring their options and asked for the conference to outline the process if they decide to leave.

The league's board of directors addressed the possible departure of the Aggies last weekend.

SEC blog
ESPN.com's Chris Low and Edward Aschoff write about all things SEC football in the conference blog.

• Blog network: College Football Nation

"I certainly appreciate the discussion among the Big 12 presidents/chancellors and the expression of their desire for Texas A&M to remain in the conference," Loftin said in a statement Monday afternoon before The New York Times report. "We all agree that Texas A&M is an extremely valuable institution; thus, it is incumbent upon me, as the president of the university, to ensure that we are in a position to enhance our national visibility and future financial opportunity."

Loftin added this is a "complex and long-term decision," but "it is not our intent to prolong our conference exploration for an extended period of time."

The SEC said earlier this month it was happy with its current 12-school membership but left the door open to expansion. Loftin then received authority from the board of regents to take any action he deems necessary in terms of realignment.

There is concern that a departure by the Aggies could jeopardize the future of the Big 12, which is down to 10 teams after Nebraska (Big Ten) and Colorado (Pac-12) left the league in July 2010. Loftin has said the Aggies would consider how their departure would impact the future of the Big 12 before any decision is made.

The Big 12 would need to find a team to replace the Aggies if they exit the conference and there has been a lot of speculation about possible schools. So far, the only school to publicly express interest in moving to the Big 12 is SMU. Athletic director Steve Orsini said he's had informal talks with Big 12 officials for some time to inform them of the school's improvements and growth.

In the letter Loftin sent to the Big 12 last week, he said if the Aggies leave, they would want to do it in a manner that complies with league bylaws. He also has said financial concerns will factor into any decision to leave. The school likely would face an exit fee.

The Big 12, including Texas A&M, agreed to a 13-year television deal with Fox Sports in April worth more than $1 billion. There is a chance the contract could be voided if the Aggies leave the conference, which could lead to legal issues for Texas A&M and its new league.

The Big 12 declined to comment on Monday's letter outlining the procedures the Aggies would need to follow if they decide to leave the league.

[MountainOkie]

Is the distinction that they "recieved" withdrawal letters from the Big 12, but haven't "issued" withdrawal letters to the Big 12?

[Peach Fuzz]

Eff if I know... I don't really believe anything until it's official with all this **** journalist 'report first, verify later' crap.

[saucysoonergal]

aTm just wants a little attention.

[TMcGee86]

This is getting ridiculous.



RT @PeteThamelNYT: It was phone call from A&M President Loftin to Deaton at 8 p.m. last nite about withdrawal. Not letter. Was misinformed.

[OULenexaman]

aTm just wants a little attention. but not the kind they wanted...

[Soonerfan88]

A&M notified the Big XII they were exploring their options and asked what the procedures were for withdrawal from the conference. The Big XII, as tracked by Flight Aware, gave them a letter outlining the process and costs of leaving the conference. This has been acknowledged.

NY Times relied on 'sources' and reported that A&M went a step further and officially gave the Big XII notice of withdrawal. A&M has denied that at this time but I'll bet the letter has been drafted and will be delivered soon.

[TheresOnlyOne]

Ahhhhhh Fack!!!!! Hell why is everyone giving A&M so much attention. They've done JACK SQUAT since being in the Big 12 outside of a pull-it-out-our-kiesters upset of Bishop and KSU in the title game. I went to College Station for games twice (OU miracles in 2000 and 2004) and the place and the fans are just weird. Letem walk.

[Widescreen]

I'm sick of all the "sources" out there. They don't seem to know anything.

[badger]

Attention whorns. They've becomes what they hate. The whorns. They are now whorns. Attention whorns.

[BASSooner]

Oh they're still leaving. Pay attention to what they are DOING and not what they are SAYING. They're just trying to keep everything hush hush...but I don't know why. Everyone knows they want to go and we want them out. Sign those papers and LEAVE!!!!

[Sabanball]

All these comments are simply posturing and legalspeak. Just because they haven't stuck the letter in the mail yet is no big deal.

[Chuck Bao]

I think that A&M's administration is afraid of making a mistake. And, they are on the verge of making a very grave mistake.

It is a bit odd that OU remains steadfast and is not going around bitching about UT.

We don't want or need any stinking SEC chants in the southern plains. We are good enough to compete with anybody and anywhere. We have had the best coaches in the past and will continue to attract the talent in the future.

Super conferences may be a back door way into having real play-offs. I still don't like the idea of selling out to the east or west coast conferences for football money only when all of the sports that OU tries to promote is so easily sold out.

I want a BCS championship bowl game in the state of Texas, not because we need home team advantage, just a reward for the fans.

[badger]

Cmon Sabbie... surely you don't want to ruin something as seemingly perfect as the S-E-C and winning the football title every year by adding aggie crap into the mix... and perhaps another crap tier program to become 14 total.

This will dilute your brand, not make it stronger. If you really want a new TV deal, just rip up the old one or have your agent arrange a holdout or whatever they do in the NFL, hehe.

[madillsoonerfan5353]

Breaking New on Espin 103.3 out of Dallas said that aTm has turn in paperwork to leave?

:bri:

[JLEW1818]

offical from aggie school website

http://www.tamu.edu/athletics/conferenceChange.html

[sooner59]

Just got a text from the SA saying: "Texas A&M is leaving the Big 12, Aggies sent letter to conference stating intention to withdrawal."

Also, there is this at ESPN:

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6912807/texas-aggies-tell-big-12-seek-new-conference

[badger]

To clarify, they're only leaving if they find a new home. Otherwise they're staying.

This seems like the perfect opportunity for a vBookie event, but I would like your feedback before posting:

Question: What will happen to Texas A&M?

1- Big 12 gets fed up and votes them out before they find a new conference.
Odds: 3:1
2- SEC invites them and they accept
Odds: 2:1
3- Someone other than the SEC invites them and they decline
Odds: 4:1
4- Texas A&M gets absolutely no invite anywhere, ha ha
Odds: 1:1
5- Texas A&M is a mediocre football program that only succeeds in minor sports. Eff them and their 70+ year old national championship that is also claimed by USC.
Odds: 19:39

Feedback!

[BoulderSooner79]

Didn't see that one coming! :hororr::D

[JLEW1818]

To clarify, they're only leaving if they find a new home. Otherwise they're staying.

This seems like the perfect opportunity for a vBookie event, but I would like your feedback before posting:

Question: What will happen to Texas A&M?

1- Big 12 gets fed up and votes them out before they find a new conference.
Odds: 3:1
2- SEC invites them and they accept
Odds: 2:1
3- Someone other than the SEC invites them and they decline
Odds: 4:1
4- Texas A&M gets absolutely no invite anywhere, ha ha
Odds: 1:1
5- Texas A&M is a mediocre football program that only succeeds in minor sports. Eff them and their 70+ year old national championship that is also claimed by USC.
Odds: 19:39

Feedback!


thanks Mod. :D

[badger]

OK, I'm gonna go ahead and post that vBookie event in case anyone has any vCash left to burn (I have... 20. Everything sank into this weekend's games!)

[badger]

Courtesy of Shaggy:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/30314481/Screen%20shot%202011-08-16%20at%201.54.12%20AM.png

^^^ Aggie pictured here losing to the SEC ^^^

[SoonerMom2]

It is breaking news on many sites including the Austin paper (http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/aggies/entries/2011/08/31/am_officially_withdraws_from_t.html) and ESPN that A&M has officially notified Beebe they are leaving the Big 12. What a bunch of crap saying what they did yesterday and giving him the official notice today. Been better to save nothing yesterday.

[JLEW1818]

aggies suck, all of them.

[badger]

btw, you hae to vBet by tomorrow. I may just end the event early and pay off everyone who voted for 19:39. Seriously. Eff Aggie. Eff them and their SINGLE national championship from more than 70 years ago. Eff their grass that is too sacred to walk on, eff their corps that march around in expensive leather boots, eff their towel waving and nut squeezing. Eff their five-star general collie. Eff their firing of RC, the only coach that would ever let them be competitive in the Big 12 (or the SEC later). Eff Mike Sherman and the way he ran the Packers into the ground. Eff the way they propped Jerrod up to be a Heisman candidate only to bench him after the disastrous OSU showing. Eff the way their school song is all about beating Texas. Eff the yell leaders and their tra la la ding dong song.

[virginiasooner]

My grandfather will be rolling in his grave for me contemplating this, but I MAY be cheering on the whorns against the Aggies this year. And I am SO LOOKING FORWARD now to November 5, in Section 8, row 60-something and we kick their candy-asses back to College Station.

[Peach Fuzz]

So what happens when you walk on the grass? Do they whine like normal and yell at you? I would do it on puropse :D

...that smiley is so ****in gay.:tyrannosaurus:

[Lawton4Life]

You can walk on the field now..they changed their minds about that. in 2004 they were actually telling us to exit across the field

[badger]

So what happens when you walk on the grass? Do they whine like normal and yell at you? I would do it on puropse :D

...that smiley is so ****in gay.:tyrannosaurus:

I have not encountered this, but I've heard from others that they have old guys stationed in lawn chairs to tell people to stay off the grass on gamedays.

Good luck with that when the SEC comes to town :P

[Sooner_Tuf]

I have not encountered this, but I've heard from others that they have old guys stationed in lawn chairs to tell people to stay off the grass on gamedays.

Good luck with that when the SEC comes to town :P

Yeah then they will have a bunch of old guys asking Tiger Fans to please not go #2 on the grass.

[Bourbon St Sooner]

Now, hopefully Missouri will go so we can put a fork in this turd of a conference that's left.

[Peach Fuzz]

That's stupid.... how about hopefully they stay, we get ND and BYU and maybe Pitt or someone and have a badass conference again.

[saucysoonergal]

What if the SEC says, "No Thanks." That would be hilarious!!!!

[badger]

What if the SEC says, "No Thanks." That would be hilarious!!!!

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/thujone/sec8a.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/thujone/sec98.jpg

(with some kudos to Shaggy's Thujone, even though he obviously hates Bob Stoops)

[lexred]

The Texas Aggies are total idiots. They will be nothing more than an SEC bottom feeder in all sports. Their hatred of Texas is understandable,but to let it drive you into athletic suicide is pure Texas Aggie. This whole football super conference do da will eventually get some unwanted attention from lawmakers representing the "have nots". OU is a great program and will continue to be a winner no matter what happens, BUT, when you get into a so called "super conference" the road to a MNC will get much harder and the overall won/loss record will not be as shiney.

[BigDeezy]

FoxSports confirmed their intentions in a report released today:

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/Texas-AM-officially-notified-the-Big-12-Wednesday-that-it-will-submit-application-to-leave-the-conference-083111?GT1=39002

The report does say they will leave IF they are accepted by the SEC or another conference.

[Lott's Bandana]

My grandfather will be rolling in his grave for me contemplating this, but I MAY be cheering on the whorns against the Aggies this year. And I am SO LOOKING FORWARD now to November 5, in Section 8, row 60-something and we kick their candy-asses back to College Station.

This should NEVER happen. Unless a whorn win gives OU the Championship. Otherwise, NEVER.

Aggie is stoopid. Whorn is evil.

[Sabanball]

Not sure that I understand all the hate for TAMU since they've decided to leave. We've all been predicting that the days of the Big 12 are numbered anyway, so what does it matter if they leave now or later?

[Sooner_Tuf]

Not sure that I understand all the hate for TAMU since they've decided to leave. We've all been predicting that the days of the Big 12 are numbered anyway, so what does it matter if they leave now or later?

Hating the Aggies is nothing new. Get with the program as you'll be hating them soon enough.

[badger]

Not sure that I understand all the hate for TAMU since they've decided to leave. We've all been predicting that the days of the Big 12 are numbered anyway, so what does it matter if they leave now or later?

I have had aggie hatred ever since having to endure them. I do not have Auburn hatred, because I haven't had to endure them (yet).

See the difference?

[GottaHavePride]

Not sure that I understand all the hate for TAMU since they've decided to leave. We've all been predicting that the days of the Big 12 are numbered anyway, so what does it matter if they leave now or later?

To steal a line...

If you haven't hated Aggie, you can't understand it. And if you have, you can't explain it.

[49r]

aggies suck, all of them.

You know, if you move that comma from after suck to after aggies, that statement goes from being a standard declarative we all can agree on to a hilarious directive...

[49r]

...or you could remove the comma altogether to make an equally hilarious declarative.

[LASooner]

http://i56.tinypic.com/4tt6pv.jpg

[northspeter]

it's merely a flesh wound....

[Dio]

Not sure that I understand all the hate for TAMU since they've decided to leave. We've all been predicting that the days of the Big 12 are numbered anyway, so what does it matter if they leave now or later?

Give it time