I'm sure this has been discussed to some degree down the board, but I thought I would throw in the info I've gathered.

First, know this. Aggies are pissed. I'm sure there will be a lot of people mocking them for being afraid to compete in the SEC, and that may be true of the leadership, but it's not true of the average alum or fan. They were really, really looking forward to this move. That "SECede" shirt would have been a biiiiiig seller if this had gone through.

U of Texas has the best spin doctors in the middle part of the country. We learned that without a doubt during this process. Basically, they had been talking to the Pac-10 for awhile now. When word leaked that Nebraska was talking to the Big 10, they leaked to their media stooges that they were angry. When Nebraska moved forward, they said they had a plan, but only if Nebraska bailed. When Nebraska bailed, they said they were taking all their little buddies with them to the promised land. Then A&M balked.

A&M didn't want to be in a conference with Oregon State and UCLA. They didn't want to have to send their tennis team to Pullman, Washington. They've always liked the idea of the SEC, and when the SEC was interested they were stoked. This scared the poo out of Texas. They don't want the SEC in their state, and they don't want A&M to have a chance to establish it's own identity. So they went on the offensive.

First, they mocked A&M. They said they were only doing this because they didn't want to listen to UT's good advice. They would get destroyed in the SEC, and they should really just let the big boys figure all this out. That didn't work.

Next, they threatened A&M. They told A&M that if they went to the SEC, they would never play them in any sport ever again. Then they got their stooges to say the same thing. That didn't work.

Finally, they got crafty. Dan Beebe, the Big 12 commish, had this crazy plan to keep the Big 12 together. UT was already getting heat for not bringing Baylor with them, and now A&M was falling in line. So they bluffed. They looked at the money Beebe had on the table and realized it was a decent deal.

So, they came out and said they wanted to save the conference. Now, if A&M left for the SEC, UT could blame it all on the Aggies. UT would, of course, be forced to join the Pac-10 at that point, but not by choice. Baylor would be mad at A&M, and it would be A&M's fault for ending those rivalries.

Instead, A&M caved. They agreed to the new deal. Now, Texas gets everything they wanted. The conference championship game is gone, so as far as they're concerned they just beat OU and then go to the BCSCG. They got twice as much TV money. They get to build their own TV network. And best of all, they can still bolt in a few years if they get a good offer. At that point they'll have established the Longhorn Network, and if the Big 10 or Pac-10 want them, they'll have to give UT extra concessions to give up all that money and hard work and join the conference's network.

In the end, the leadership at A&M got played. Fans are angry. Alums are angry. Everyone is just hoping that when Texas finally does decide to bail, the SEC will still have a spot for A&M. I guess we'll find out.


P.S. - I've read the rumors that there will be strict guidelines in the new Big 12 deal to keep schools from bailing in the future. I'll believe it when I see it. Texas is too slick to let themselves get locked down for too long without a way out.

A letter to the decision makers
By David Harris

Dearest A&M officials and decision makers,

I want to thank you for giving your loyal fan base a couple days of happiness and anticipation. It was well deserved. I mean, we’ve all sat through the garbage that has been presented every fall Saturday during the last 10-year run of inconsequence, unimportance and irrelevance. Sure, the best record we’ve seen was a very fortunate 9-4 campaign under Fran, but still we’ve packed Kyle Field religiously for the better part of every blowout, every disappointment, every embarrassing loss to an inferior opponent.

That’s of course because you’ve always got that Aggie spirit to fall back on. That no matter what product you put forth, come Saturday afternoons, your former and current students will stand in the sweltering heat, wear maroon and yell at inconceivable levels for absolutely no reason. You know you’ll pocket from the Aggie family because Aggies always stick together, right?

Of course, it was nice to envision a capacity crowd welcoming in Alabama or Arkansas or LSU to Kyle Field. But I guess we’ll settle for Baylor and Iowa State. Pretty entertaining squads, if you ask me. Heck, the Cyclones made a bowl game last season!

Yeah, today, y’all had the opportunity to free this great university from the firm hold that our rivals in Austin have had on us for the better part of 14 years, but we can understand that you enjoy resting in Texas’ shadow. It’s cooler and more comfortable there. Nobody in the country expects anything from you, so you can only exceed expectations, right? Sound logic, for sure.

Yeah, yeah, I get it. I understand we’ve only beat Texas four out of 14 years on the gridiron. It’s not that big of a deal, I guess. Those four times were super-fun and extremely memorable. I get that their program is the most prominent and prestigious currently constructed in the country. It’s not like we share the same recruiting base as them…

How could you turn down the Big 12’s ? wait, it’s the Big Ten, now right? ? offer of increased, guaranteed revenue? It’s like these fans don’t understand that we’re currently in a multi-million dollar hole the size of the Grand Canyon. Heck, we’re still paying off Fran. Of course, we have to go after the gold.

I guess we’ll ignore that Texas is going to make millions more annually than us. That this move makes them the Yankees of our conference. Besides, equal revenue sharing is boring. Everybody does it. We’re A&M. We like to be unique.

Fine, we’ll also ignore the little fact that Texas is now going to be capable of starting their own television network. I think they’re going to call it the “Longhorn Sports Network.” Pretty creative name if you ask me. They’ve always been the more creative types down there.

Just think about it. They were able to play not only the Pac-10 but also their supposed brethren here in College Station. They’re going to get a television network that will only increase their brand name across the country ? hard to do considering it already is the most recognizable name in college athletics. They’re going to get to dominate this pathetic excuse of a conference for five more years, make unholy and unparalleled amounts of money and bolt as an independent entity ? like Notre Dame ? leaving A&M and the Big 12 in shambles.

I get it, I get it. It was awkward being in a position of power for once. If you play too close to the sun, you’ll get burnt. Too many expectations. Lots of heat. Not worth it.

Sure, we could’ve been the sole school from this recruiting hotbed of a state in the most powerful, prestigious conference in the country. It would’ve been a pretty good selling point to the best players in Texas. “Hey, come play on national television against the best players in the country in front of boisterous, sell-out crowds. It’ll be sweet.”

Sounds like a pretty good pitch to me. A lot better than “Yeah, we’re still second-fiddle to the empire of Texas ? and yeah, our conference is a failing one built on a faulty foundation, but have I told you about Northgate, our gorgeous campus and our time-honored traditions?”

But I can see the other side. You want Coach Sherman to earn that fat contract. Make him work for these recruits’ devotion.

I mean, we could’ve been like the University of Florida. Same premise. Fertile recruiting state. In the best conference in America. Did you know they’re the same team that has won two national titles in five years and is one of the top three programs in college football? That’s probably just a stupid coincidence.

But I get it. That’s not us. We’re Texas A&M. Besides, that 1939 National Championship is still fresh on all our minds. And who needs more than one conference championship every 15 years?

Wait, what is the date again? June 14, 2010. Oh, that’s right. The day A&M could’ve, for once, been proactive. The day A&M could’ve made an audacious, bold move into an unknown abyss. The day the Aggie athletics program could’ve taken the next step ? the key step ? towards national relevancy.

Instead, we’ll remember this as the day everything stayed the same. The day A&M proved that money, and not its devoted fans, is all that matters. The day A&M crept back into its cave of insignificance. The day A&M showed its contentedness with being Texas’ redheaded stepchild. The day this university’s decision-makers lost my respect.

With love,

Dave