Texas A&M has announced that they have moved their Board of Regents meeting to this Monday at 3 p.m. (previously scheduled for August 22nd), and it seems that everything is falling into place for the Aggies to join the Southeastern Conference in 2012. The following is listed as agenda item 15 for the meeting:
"Authorization for the President to Take All Actions Relating to Texas A&M University's Athletic Conference Alignment."
Bret Zwerneman wrote late Friday evening that multiple A&M insiders have claimed that the move is inevitable and indeed true. While officials in College Station will be mulling things over on Monday afternoon, the leaders of the SEC have also planned a meeting this weekend in order to approve Texas A&M "officially."
After similar rumors last summer, I think it's time that A&M jolts to college football's most prestigious conference. If the Aggies cannot decide on moving after all of these recent events, they will certainly be losing credibility amongst everyone in the Big 12. Dan Beebe, the Big 12 commissioner, appears intent on keeping the conference together through all of this realignment. The conference will likely add another team to offset A&M's departure, and the University of Houston could be the favorite.
I believe that the Aggies will initially encounter some roadblocks playing in football's toughest conference, but it will be extremely beneficial in the long run. If Mike Sherman continues to turn things around in Aggieland, the sky's the limit for his program. Sherman feels the same way:
“Whatever direction they tell us we’re going, we’re going full speed ahead.”
Monday afternoon can't come any sooner for those Aggie fans yearning for SECession.