http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/aggies/entries/2011/09/07/sec_celebration_postponed.html?cxntfid=blogs_the_12th_word_at_amAggie SEC celebration postponed
By Suzanne Halliburton | Wednesday, September 7, 2011, 03:15 PM
UPDATE, 5:30 p.m. Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe finally has addressed situation with A&M possibly leaving for the SEC.
This statement was just issued to the media.
“This is the first time to my knowledge that a conference has been requested to waive any legal claims toward another conference for any damages suffered with a membership change. The Big 12 Conference was asked by Texas A&M University and the Southeastern Conference to waive any such claim to help facilitate Texas A&M’s departure from the Conference without any consideration to the Big 12. Although they were not obligated to do so, the Big 12 Board of Directors decided to accommodate that request as it relates to The Big 12 Conference, Inc., which is reflected in the September 2 letter sent to SEC commissioner Mike Slive. However, the waiver did not and could not bind the individual member institutions’ governing boards to waive institutional rights. If the departure of Texas A&M results in significant changes in the Big 12 membership, several institutions may be severely affected after counting on revenue streams from contracts that were approved unanimously by our members, including Texas A&M. In some cases, members reasonably relied on such approval to embark on obligations that will cost millions of dollars.”
Meanwhile, A&M student leaders, who were supposed to help with a press conference initially scheduled for Wednesday, then Thursday, have been told the event has been canceled.
UPDATE, 5 p.m. _ Here’s the text of an email sent from Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe to Mike Slive, his Southeastern Conference counterpart.
The email is dated Sept. 6 and was provided to the American-Statesman by a Big 12 school official.
“Dear Mike,
“You have notified me that the SEC is willing to accept the application of Texas A&M to become a member of the SEC, provided that the Big 12 member institutions individually waive any legal actions against the SEC for its decision. I recognize that this issue has been raised due to Baylor University’s governing board’s decision not to waive the university’s rights. As you know, the attached letter waived the right of the Big 12 Conference, Inc, to take legal action against the SEC. Missouri Chancellor Brady Deaton has told me he has informed Texas A&M president Bowen Loftin that such action by the Big 12 Board of Directors was not binding on the individual institutions’ governing boards. If you seek waivers by the individual institutions, you must receive them directly from those institutions directly.
“I regret any confusion on this issue.
“Best regards, Dan”
That email was sharply different than the one Beebe sent to Slive last Friday, saying “We both agreed it is in the best interests of each of our conferences and our member institutions of higher education to waive any and all legal actions by either conference and its members resulting from admission of Texas A&M into the SEC, as long as such admission is confirmed publicly by September 8, 2011.”
**UPDATE, 4:30 p.m. _ There may be as many as six schools declining to waive their legal rights to sue the Southeastern Conference if Texas A&M leaves the Big 12.
That report comes from the Waco Tribune Herald, quoting an unidentified Baylor source. The schools are Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Texas Tech and Missouri.
Baylor was the first school to protest the potential move of the Aggies.
We’re still waiting for the Big 12 to issue a statement regarding its teleconference conducted earlier today.
UPDATED, 4 p.m. Kansas may be joining Baylor and Iowa State in refusing to give up its legal rights to file a lawsuit against the Southeastern Conference if A&M leaves the Big 12.
The Kansas City Star is reporting that the KU chancellor is consulting with her staff about further action.
Meanwhile, the Baylor athletic department will not comment until the Big 12 makes a statement in regards to what might have happened during today’s teleconference with the league’s board of directors.
UPDATED, 3:10 p.m. —- It looks like Baylor’s not alone in considering legal action to prevent Texas A&M from going to the SEC.
Iowa State is now saying that it too is choosing to keep its right to sue either the SEC or A&M for the Aggies’ decision to leave the Big 12.
“There has been no waiver of any legal rights,” said John McCarroll, an Iowa State spokesman who was speaking for school president Gregory Geoffroy.
UPDATED, 12:50 p.m. _ The SEC football coaches participated in their weekly teleconference. They were asked about the invitation to A&M. Their reaction was a matter of if, not when the Aggies would go east.
Again, other news is brewing. The Big 12 board of directors is meeting today. Meanwhile, A&M has postponed its SEC press conference until the SEC receivers assurances that no Big 12 school will sue the league. Baylor is the school holding up the process.
Here’s a sampling of comments from the SEC teleconference:
From LSU’s Les Miles: “I’m kind of caught because I coached in the Big Eight conference and I coached in the Big 12 conference and I have historic respect for that tremendous conference and the traditions of those teams. So as happy as I am to realize that there will be a greater, plainer view of Texas, I’m saddened in some respect that the old Big Eight-Big 12 is kind of fragile right now. I don’t understand it. I guess is what I’m saying. I think it would make great sense, great rationale, that the SEC, the view that A&M would give it and the schools in close proximity, obviously they’re going to come to Texas to play and it’s obvious that the view now will be the SEC.
From Florida’s Will Muschamp: “Whatever Dr. [Bernie] Machen and our administraion decide I’ll support. But Texas A&M has a great tradition and is an outstanding program. I really think we’re headed to the 16-team leagues. Eventually I think there will be four of them at some point if you ask me personally. But whatever our conference decides I’m fine. I don’t know how it will work. Honestly I haven’t put any thought into it at all. But I do think that’s where it will go eventually. I think there’s the haves and have-nots essentially.”
UPDATED, 10:30 a.m. _ A&M President R. Bowen Loftin issued a statement Wednesday morning saying he was disappointed a Big 12 school is trying to “coerce” the Aggies into staying in the league rather than taking an invitation to the Southeastern Conference.
Loftin didn’t name the school. But Mississippi State president President Mark Keenum confirmed to the Associated Press that it was Baylor.
The statement said: ““We are certainly pleased with the action taken last night by the presidents and chancellors of the Southeastern Conference to unanimously accept Texas A&M as the league’s 13th member. However, this acceptance is conditional, and we are disappointed in the threats made by one of the Big 12 member institutions to coerce Texas A&M into staying in Big 12 Conference. These actions go against the commitment that was made by this university and the Big 12 on Sept. 2. We are working diligently to resolve any and all issues as outlined by the SEC.”
The Baylor communications office has not returned an email seeking comment from the American-Statesman.
The Big 12 board of directors are expected to meet via teleconference at noon.
UPDATED, 8:40 a.m. _ Texas A&M had been preparing for a major announcement today to celebrate its entry into the Southeastern Conference. But the celebration has been postponed until the Southeastern Conference is satisfied that no school in the Big 12 will file a lawsuit against them for inviting the Aggies.
The possible deadline for taking the invitation is 5 p.m. Thursday.
According to a release issued by the SEC Wednesday morning, one Big 12 school has pulled back on its initial promise not to file a lawsuit against the SEC. Baylor is believed to be that school. President Ken Starr is a former U.S. solicitor general and special prosecutor.
Coincidentally, Baylor this week kicked off a public relations campaign “Don’t Mess with Texas Football,” asking its fans to write to the regents of Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
It says: “Texans must stand up and call the leadership of the University of Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech to clear-headed thinking about the state’s future. Texas’ flagship institutions of higher learning are the guardians of the state’s future—their loyalties must first be to Texas and to her citizens. Ask these leaders to take a stand for Texas and to stop this madness that will lead to the dissolution of the Big 12 and the end of an era for Texas.”
The statement released by the SEC says that Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe sent a letter last Friday saying all conference schools were in agreement not to pursue a lawsuit if the Aggies left. However, late that afternoon, Oklahoma president David Boren announced the Sooners were looking at their options. Then Oklahoma State indicated it would stick with what Oklahoma planned to do. These moves would cripple the Big 12 and a school such as Baylor would have no options.
The SEC statement said: “After receiving unanimous written assurance from the Big 12 on September 2 that the Southeastern Conference was free to accept Texas A&M to join as a new member, the presidents and chancellors of the SEC met last night with the intention of accepting the application of Texas A&M to be the newest member of the SEC. We were notified yesterday afternoon that at least one Big 12 institution had withdrawn its previous consent and was considering legal action.
“The SEC has stated that to consider an institution for membership, there must be no contractual hindrances to its departure. The SEC voted unanimously to accept Texas A&M University as a member upon receiving acceptable reconfirmation that the Big 12 and its members have reaffirmed the letter dated September 2, 2011.”
The SEC also included the text of a letter from Beebe, who promised on Sept. 2 that they would have unanimous content to take A&M so long as the deal was announced by 5 p.m. Thursday.
EARLIER _The Aggies had planned a celebratory press conference announcement for today in College Station. But participants have been told not to come.
The SEC has carefully gone through the process to make sure it isn’t blamed for tearing up a conference. Since A&M sent the Big 12 notice that it planned to withdraw from the league last week, both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have announced they were looking at other options.
Stay tuned. Everything is fluid.
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