Is Texas A&M really what the Southeastern Conference wants or needs right now? Does a league that already has something of an image problem regarding the way it runs roughshod over the rest of college football really want to add another member before that member has divorced its current conference?
Maybe the SEC tampered with A&M (doubtful) or maybe the Aggies began flirting before they had begun divorce proceedings from the Big 12 (probable), but neither party is winning any public relations points these days.
After all, it was wa-a-a-ay back on August 14 — though who can remember that long? — that Florida president Bernie Machen dismissed that weekend’s rumors that A&M was about to join the SEC by saying, “The SEC Presidents and Chancellors met today and reaffirmed our satisfaction with the present 12 institutional alignment.”
Then came Wednesday and Machen released this statement on behalf of the league’s presidents and chancellors:
” After receiving unanimous written assurance from the Big 12 on September 2 that the Southeastern Conference was free to accept Texas A&M to join as a new member, the presidents and chancellors of the SEC met [Tuesday] with the intention of accepting the application of Texas A&M to be the newest member of the SEC …”