Posted on 09/26/2011 9:07:31 AM PDT by Constitutionalist Conservative
The Southeastern Conference Presidents and Chancellors, acting unanimously, announced today that Texas A&M University will join the Southeastern Conference effective July 1, 2012, with competition to begin in all sports for the 2012-13 academic year.
The addition of Texas A&M will increase the SEC membership to 13 institutions. It is the first expansion for the SEC since September of 1991 when the University of South Carolina joined the league. The University of Arkansas joined the SEC in August of 1991. With the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina, the SEC was the first conference to split into divisions and add a conference championship game in 1992.
"The Southeastern Conference Presidents and Chancellors are pleased to welcome Texas A&M University to the SEC family," said Dr. Bernie Machen, chair of the SEC Presidents and Chancellors and president of the University of Florida. "The addition of Texas A&M University as the SEC's 13th member gives our league a prestigious academic institution with a strong athletic tradition and a culture similar to our current institutions."
"The Southeastern Conference provides Texas A&M the national visibility that our great university and our student-athletes deserve," said Texas A&M University President R. Bowen Loftin. "We are excited to begin competition in the nation's premier athletic conference. This is a 100-year decision that we have addressed carefully and methodically, and I believe the Southeastern Conference gives the Aggies the best situation of any conference in the country."
Texas A&M , located in College Station, will also be the third institution in the Southeastern Conference to hold membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities, joining University of Florida and Vanderbilt University. Texas A&M has an enrollment of 50,000 students, ranking as the sixth-largest university in the country, with 360,000 former students worldwide.
Texas A&M also adds to the athletic excellence of the SEC. Last season, the Aggies won three NCAA team titles (men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's basketball) and finished eighth in the prestigious Learfield Sports Director's Cup all-sport rankings.
"On behalf of our presidents, chancellors, athletics directors, students and fans, I welcome Texas A&M University to the SEC family," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. "Texas A&M is a nationally-prominent institution on and off the field and a great fit for the SEC tradition of excellence—athletically, academically and culturally."
The Aggies sponsor 20 varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country. Women's sports include basketball, equestrian, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country and volleyball. Texas A&M participates in every sport sponsored by the SEC except gymnastics and the SEC sponsors every sport the Aggies participate in except equestrian.
The college “musical chairs” in action.
Boo, orange!
Bummer about Thanksgiving now.
Welcome! (AU’89). Some people are trying to blame A&M for all this. I lay the blame squarely at the feet of those boys in Austin.
TAMU Class of '88; Law Hall (may it R.I.P.) Ramp 9 Mule; f.u.p.!
Is that official? I like it best when A&M play tu on Thanksgiving. It just didn’t seem like Thanksgiving when they played the week after.
Gig ‘Em (’84)
That ol' Aggie War Hymn won't be making much sense anymore ... you'll probably be needing a re-write.
Enjoy playing the other UT - hopefully you'll have overcome your penchant for folding like a cheap tent (see OSU game last Saturday) by then.
Hook 'em
5-7, 24-17
TAMU will be good for the SEC, and vice versa..
“Plus, we’ll still have a UT on our conference schedule. ;-)”
Be careful what you wish for...
http://www.aggieathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&SPSID=632660&SPID=93232&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=27300&ATCLID=205238864
I’m also class of ‘88. Moses Hall my first two years.
and Bristol, CT.
Big 12 down to 9?
“...hair piled high and wide atop their heads..sprayed to a stiffness that would survive a CAT 1 hurricane...also the first time I ate REAL BBQ and had chicken fried steak..
TAMU will be good for the SEC, and vice versa..” <<<
What a great post!! God Bless Texas, and God bless you. Very nice post.
UNless Texas whine and weasels out of it there is no reason on earth that the UT-A&M can’t be played as always.
Georgia plays Georgia Tech the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year - they are in different conferences.
South Carolina plays Clemson at the end of every season, they are in different conferences.
Florida plays Florida State at the end of every season, they are in different conferences.
The only reason the game would not take place is if either school used it as an excuse to get out of the rivalry.
http://vimeopro.com/aggiebandshow/2011halftimes/video/28955604
overall series UT - A&M
75 - 37 - 5
2000 - 2010 records
115 - 26 vs 72 - 64
Keep digging, aggy
Enjoy getting spanked in the SEC
A&M has already said they would like to continue to play UT...but the t-sips are pouting so we shall see.
It really depends on who you believe.
UT says that it initially approached A&M about the concept of a television network and A&M said "no." UT says that by the time A&M came back around and said "that might not be such a bad idea," UT had already laid the groundwork for the Longhorn Network and said "sorry, you had your chance."
A&M says either "it never happened" or "we don't recall those conversations" depending on the spokesperson.
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