Aggies to SEC in the fine-print stages

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Fast forward nearly a decade, and fans who've grown accustomed to having their news nearly the instant it exits a coach's or player's mouth are demanding an answer now on Aggies-to-the-SEC. Goodness gracious, they claim, it's already been an entire week since the Southeastern Conference presidents put the “ball in the Aggies' court” — to quote one of the presidents — and nearly a week since A&M's regents cleared university president R. Bowen Loftin to take whatever action necessary on the conference alignment front.

But let's be clear: This is no microwave action. This is now Grandma Z back in Dime Box circa 1939, kneading dough from wheat grown on the family farm, painstakingly going about the process of making fresh bread sans any microwaves.

In other words, the Aggies and the SEC are neck deep in the part of the process that's as old-school as it gets: pouring over fine print and addressing every legal detail — and the many moving parts.

Last Monday, Loftin said following the regents' teleconference that A&M will leave no element untouched in addressing league alignment.

“We want to really be sure that Texas A&M's visibility, nationally, is enhanced, and that for our student-athletes this is (for) the best, and we need to be sure we financially obtain the best resources we can for the purposes of the entire university's future,” he said.

Let's be clear Part II: Everything is still a go for A&M to the SEC, no matter the vocal protests of Baylor or anyone else in the Big 12. It's just a matter of finalizing said details.

Ideally, the Aggies would like wrapping this up sooner than later — meaning by the end of this month — so they can start play in the SEC in 2012, and not drag out their remaining membership in the Big 12 over two years instead of one.

In terms of Big 12 exit fees, Nebraska's $9.25 million agreed upon last year, when the Cornhuskers announced they were bolting for the Big Ten, is perhaps in the ballpark of what A&M can expect. But that's all to be determined and a key part of the negotiations now taking place.

You can bet A&M brass pushing for the SEC smiled, too, at the announcement late last week that the ESPN-owned Longhorn Network, the initial spark to this all-out fire, intends to show high school highlights and televise a Big 12 football game. A&M insiders have said from the start that they expect ESPN and the LHN to try and push the envelope at every opportunity, and this was but the latest news on that front (and helped solidify A&M's SEC stance).

Finally, and A&M insiders have harped on this, as well: The move to the SEC is much bigger than any knee-jerk reaction to the Longhorn Network; it's about what Aggie leaders envision is in the best interests of the university years, and a century, from now.

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