Southeastern Conference Presidents Accept Texas A&M’s Application to SEC [UPDATED with Loftin Statement]

The Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle and other Texas media outlets are reporting this morning that Texas A&M plans to hold a news conference this afternoon at Kyle Field to announce its entrance into the SEC.

The 12 current SEC presidents met last night in Atlanta to vote on A&M’s application for membership and to discuss a 14^th team for the SEC.  The vote by the SEC presidents was reportedly 10-2 in favor of A&M and it’s contingent on the 9 remaining Big 12 Conference schools waving their right to sue the SEC.  The Big 12 Conference has already waived its right to sue the SEC.

Texas A&M would officially join the SEC on July 1, 2o12 and be able to play an SEC schedule for the 2012 football season.

Texas A&M is the third Big 12 school to the leave the conference within the past 18 months.

-------------------

Updated 8:55a, September 7, 2011

The SEC this morning released a statement confirming the vote on Texas A&M's application and confirms Baylor's new stance concerning possible litigation against the SEC.

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 last night with the intention of accepting the application of Texas A&M to be the newest member of the SEC.  We were notified yesterday afternoon that at least one Big 12 institution had withdrawn its previous consent and was considering legal action.  The SEC has stated that to consider an institution for membership, there must be no contractual hindrances to its departure.  The SEC voted unanimously to accept Texas A&M University as a member upon receiving acceptable reconfirmation that the Big 12 and its members have reaffirmed the letter dated September 2, 2011.

---------------------------

Updated 10:40a, September 7, 2011

Just after 10:30 this morning, Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin released the following statement:

"We are certainly pleased with the action taken last night by the presidents and chancellors of the Southeastern Conference to unanimously accept Texas A&M as the league's 13^th member. However, this acceptance is conditional, and we are disappointed in the threats made by one of the Big 12 member institutions to coerce Texas A&M into staying in Big 12 Conference. These actions go against the commitment that was made by this university and the Big 12 on Sept. 2. We are working diligently to resolve any and all issues as outlined by the SEC."