Official - A&M sends notice to Beebe, Big 12 that they are exploring options

Let the speculation begin. I saw this on another forum regarding flight tracking between University of Oklahoma, Columbia, MO, and College Station, TX. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/OUA36/history/2%200110828/2300Z/KCLL/KOUN

Any tea leaves here, or no?
Oklahoma, Missouri and (I believe) Tech officials requested that President Loftin meet with them early this week (it looks like Sunday...I was expecting Monday) to discuss the Ags' leaving the Big 12, face-to-face. I'm sure the hope of those teams would be to convince A&M to stay. Obviously, that's not happening and I'm sure the Aggies took the meeting out of respect for those three programs/universities and their decision-makers.

Oklahoma is not joining A&M in the SEC, neither is Missouri (I guess I have to say Tech isn't either because, if I don't, everyone will think the Red Raiders are SEC-bound, as well). If anything, those schools could make a pitch for A&M to join the Pac-12, along with OSU, but that's just not going to happen.

Texas A&M - and the Aggies alone - will join the SEC either early this week or early next week. Nothing has changed and nothing will change.

 
According to Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News, the Big 12 is looking for something in the neighborhood of $28 million from Texas A&M if it wants to leave. Which is an incredibly expensive divorce. Understandably, Texas A&M isn't looking to pay quite that much. In another tweet from the Austin American-Statesman's Kirk Bohls, the Aggies are negotiating to pay something between $10 and $15 million. Roughly half of what the conference wants.
To put it in perspective, when Nebraska left the Big 12 for the Big Ten last year, the Cornhuskers paid just over $9 million. Colorado paid about $7 million. So, as you can see, it's pretty understandable that Texas A&M isn't looking to fork over more than three times what Nebraska paid and four times what Colorado paid to leave.

LINK
Ha ha! $28 million?? Dollar Bill Byrnes just shat a brick.

 
According to Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News, the Big 12 is looking for something in the neighborhood of $28 million from Texas A&M if it wants to leave. Which is an incredibly expensive divorce. Understandably, Texas A&M isn't looking to pay quite that much. In another tweet from the Austin American-Statesman's Kirk Bohls, the Aggies are negotiating to pay something between $10 and $15 million. Roughly half of what the conference wants.
To put it in perspective, when Nebraska left the Big 12 for the Big Ten last year, the Cornhuskers paid just over $9 million. Colorado paid about $7 million. So, as you can see, it's pretty understandable that Texas A&M isn't looking to fork over more than three times what Nebraska paid and four times what Colorado paid to leave.

LINK
Ha ha! $28 million?? Dollar Bill Byrnes just shat a brick.
Something I read said if A&M left the conference, they would forfeit any TV money they would have received which would be in the $18-20M range bringing that amount way down.

 
I guess it never hurts to ask, but did they seriously think there was a chance of Notre Dame joining the Big 12-3? My link

The Big 12 has thrown out some big names for potential replacements, with perhaps none being bigger than the old conference expansion standby, Notre Dame. Unfortunately for the Big 12, if Notre Dame is the conference's Plan A for replacing Texas A&M, then it's already time to move on to Plan B.
In a talk with the American-Statesman's Kirk Bohls, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick repeated the same party line he's been repeating for years now. Notre Dame isn't interested in your conference.

“Our priority — and our clear priority — is maintaining our football independence and continuing to build our relationship with the Big East with our other sports,” said Swarbrick.
 
I guess it never hurts to ask, but did they seriously think there was a chance of Notre Dame joining the Big 12-3? My link

The Big 12 has thrown out some big names for potential replacements, with perhaps none being bigger than the old conference expansion standby, Notre Dame. Unfortunately for the Big 12, if Notre Dame is the conference's Plan A for replacing Texas A&M, then it's already time to move on to Plan B.
In a talk with the American-Statesman's Kirk Bohls, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick repeated the same party line he's been repeating for years now. Notre Dame isn't interested in your conference.

“Our priority — and our clear priority — is maintaining our football independence and continuing to build our relationship with the Big East with our other sports,” said Swarbrick.
I read on another board (so take if FWIW), IF Notre Dame joined the Big 12-2(3), they would be allowed to keep their TV deal. Not sure that would bode well with the Uterus's but...

 
Notre Dame is not joining the Big 12-3. BYU is also not joining the Big 12-3. They are both independents with their own television deals. There is absolutely no advantage for either school.

 
I guess it never hurts to ask, but did they seriously think there was a chance of Notre Dame joining the Big 12-3? My link

The Big 12 has thrown out some big names for potential replacements, with perhaps none being bigger than the old conference expansion standby, Notre Dame. Unfortunately for the Big 12, if Notre Dame is the conference's Plan A for replacing Texas A&M, then it's already time to move on to Plan B.
In a talk with the American-Statesman's Kirk Bohls, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick repeated the same party line he's been repeating for years now. Notre Dame isn't interested in your conference.

“Our priority — and our clear priority — is maintaining our football independence and continuing to build our relationship with the Big East with our other sports,” said Swarbrick.
I read on another board (so take if FWIW), IF Notre Dame joined the Big 12-2(3), they would be allowed to keep their TV deal. Not sure that would bode well with the Uterus's but...
I think I even posted above that if they did join a conference, it might be the B12 because of all the self-interest perks (paraphrased). However, I didn't actually think they ever would. It would probably take the super-conference formation to get the fire under ND. For the moment, they gain nothing by associating themselves with a different conference.

 
I guess it never hurts to ask, but did they seriously think there was a chance of Notre Dame joining the Big 12-3? My link

The Big 12 has thrown out some big names for potential replacements, with perhaps none being bigger than the old conference expansion standby, Notre Dame. Unfortunately for the Big 12, if Notre Dame is the conference's Plan A for replacing Texas A&M, then it's already time to move on to Plan B.
In a talk with the American-Statesman's Kirk Bohls, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick repeated the same party line he's been repeating for years now. Notre Dame isn't interested in your conference.

“Our priority — and our clear priority — is maintaining our football independence and continuing to build our relationship with the Big East with our other sports,” said Swarbrick.
I read on another board (so take if FWIW), IF Notre Dame joined the Big 12-2(3), they would be allowed to keep their TV deal. Not sure that would bode well with the Uterus's but...
I think I even posted above that if they did join a conference, it might be the B12 because of all the self-interest perks (paraphrased). However, I didn't actually think they ever would. It would probably take the super-conference formation to get the fire under ND. For the moment, they gain nothing by associating themselves with a different conference.
Small possibility of joining for all non-football sports. I don't see why we would though.

 
New York Time is reporting that Loftin has informed Missouri Chancellor and Big 12 board member Deaton its leaving the conference. Two unconfirmed sources from Texas A&M cited the info. Expect the story to break tomorrow officially.

 
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