Texas A&M is done messing with Texas.
Texas A&M has notified the Big 12 that it plans to apply for membership to a new conference, and if accepted, it will end its membership with the Big 12 on June 30, 2012.
Big 12 blog
ESPN.com's David Ubben writes about all things Big 12 in the conference blog.
The announcement comes after conversations between Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin and SEC commissioner Mike Slive that began on July 21, the day after a meeting of the Texas A&M board of regents.
"I have determined it is in the best interest of Texas A&M to make application to join another athletic conference," Loftin, who was authorized by regents to act on behalf of the university regarding conference affiliation on Aug. 15, wrote in a letter to Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe on Wednesday.
Texas A&M previously asked the Big 12 to provide an outline of requirements to leave the league and the Big 12 responded earlier this week.
"We appreciate the Big 12's willingness to engage in a dialogue to end our relationship through a mutually agreeable settlement," Loftin said in the release. "We, too, desire that this process be as amicable and prompt as possible and result in a resolution of all outstanding issues, including mutual waivers by Texas A&M and the conference on behalf of all the remaining members."
Loftin has stated he has no desire for A&M's "conference exploration" to be "prolonged" but did not offer a timeline for when the Aggies would become members of their new conference.
Texas A&M had been in the Big 12 since its founding in 1996.
"We are seeking to generate greater visibility nationwide for Texas A&M and our championship-caliber student-athletes, as well as secure the necessary and stable financial resources to support our athletic and academic programs," Loftin said in the statement. "This is a 100-year decision that we have addressed carefully and methodically. Texas A&M is an extraordinary institution, and we look forward to what the future may hold for Aggies worldwide."
The move by Texas A&M leaves questions about 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 after a wild round of realignment that also affected teams in the Mountain West, Big East and WAC.
Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton, who serves as the chairman of the Big 12 board of directors, said Tuesday that the group has formed a committee to look at possible replacements.
The SEC said earlier this month it was happy with its current membership but left the door open to expansion, and the Aggies certainly wouldn't have made this move if they didn't believe they could eventually join the conference.
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 by the Aggies leaving the conference, which could lead to legal issues for Texas A&M and its new league.
The Aggies also will likely face an exit fee for leaving the Big 12, although it's unclear how much that could be. Nebraska paid $9.25 million and Colorado paid $6.9 million.
David Ubben covers the Big 12 for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Source: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6912807/texas-aggies-tell-big-12-seek-new-conference
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