Texas A&M to SEC Rumors Heat Up Again

Last summer Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe looked like a savior when Nebraska and Colorado bolted for the Big 10 and Pac 10 respectively.  Faced with the prospect of his conference dissolving, Beebe secured a billion dollar, multi year television deal for the Big 12.  Crisis averted, right?

The ESPN backed Longhorn Network has the rest of the conference green with envy.  No school seems more perturbed than the Horns rivals in College Station.  Leaders at Texas A&M seem to think the Longhorn Network is the beginning of the end for the conference.  If the network is successful, many believe the Horns will test the waters of being an independent in football.  If BYU can do it, certainly Texas can.

Rumors have been swirling all summer that A&M and the SEC have been discussing the Aggies joining the conference.  Texas Governor, and A&M alum, Rick Perry was asked about the rumors.  Perry told reporters,

"I'll be real honest with you. I just read about it the same time as y'all did. ... As far as I know, conversations are being had. That's frankly all I know. I just refer you to the university and the decision makers over there."

As long as the rumors are swirling, fans and the media will debate the move.  Here is my two cents.  Texas A&M to the SEC is a great fit for both, and it has nothing to do with winning games.  The SEC is the best football conference in the country, and it is only a matter of time before the conference gets its own network.  As long as the Longhorn Network is viable, the Big 12 ain't gettin' its own network.

The SEC will gain a stronger foothold in Texas with A&M in its conference.  It's a win/win for both parties, and I predict it will happen within the next year.  That is, of course, unless Dan Beebe can pull another rabbit out of his hat!