Texas A&M to make SEC announcement

Published Sep. 6, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

An official announcement is expected Wednesday regarding Texas A&M University's move to the Southeastern Conference, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported, citing a source.

Texas A&M sent a letter to Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe last Wednesday announcing the school's decision to leave the conference, which had been rumored for weeks.

The move still required a vote of approval from SEC school presidents to extend an invitation, and that came Tuesday night, the report said.

Once completed, the move will come into effect in the 2012 season.

The Big 12 was already reduced to 10 schools after the departures of Colorado to the Pac-12 and Nebraska to the Big Ten after last season.

Texas A&M has spent the past 16 years in the Big 12, but according to reports began looking into a move after its longtime rival, the University of Texas, announced the creation of the Longhorn Network earlier this year.

In partnering with ESPN to launch the network, UT is expected to bring in $300 million over the next 20 years. That prompted Oklahoma to explore creating an all-Sooners network, and left some of the smaller Big 12 schools worrying about their ability to compete financially with the two traditional powers.

The Aggies' move to the SEC could trigger another domino effect across the college sports landscape, since the SEC would be expected to find one or more members to create a 14 or 16-member conference.

Some schools that have been mentioned are Florida State, Missouri, and Clemson.