SEC Expansion II

So the SEC voted not to extend an invitation to Texas A&M. That would seem to nullify what I just said in my previous post, right?

Not so fast there, my friend!

This post explains it well. It is very important to read, closely, the statement from the SEC (specifically from University of Florida president Bernie Machen):

The SEC Presidents and Chancellors met today and reaffirmed our satisfaction with the present 12 institutional alignment. We recognize, however, that future conditions may make it advantageous to expand the number of institutions in the league. We discussed criteria and process associated with expansion. No action was taken with respect to any institution including Texas A&M.

At first, this would appear to say no to Texas A&M. But what it really says, if you read it closely, is that no decision was made today regarding any requests for membership, because no requests for membership have been made. Essentially, there was nothing for them to vote on at all other than extending an offer. Which they weren't about to do for 2 reasons:

1. SEC prez Mike Silve has repeatedly stated that he doesn't want to be the one to kick off another round of realignment and the eventual birth of 16-team super-conferences (which is going to happen anyways, but that's another story entirely).
2. They wanted to keep out of the inevitable lawsuits that would emerge from them actively poaching Texas A&M from the Big 12.

This is the SEC staying out of the nasty divorce between Texas A&M and the Big 12. Like any spurned lover, the Big 12 will react badly. The SEC is essentially telling Texas A&M to get divorced first before we start dating. To be sure that all of the loose ends are tied off and to be the one to actively apply for membership. They're telling A&M not to use the SEC as a bargaining chip against Texas. Finally, they're telling A&M to follow the procedure (which, in fairness, they probably intended to do, and this meeting was just the result of public pressure on the conference).

Now, were Texas A&M to apply for membership in the SEC - say, at a Board of Regents meeting tomorrow - the SEC would be willing to seriously look at it and make a decision at that time.

This is a process, and it's far from over sports fans!