my opinion is that the SEC was walking a tight line with their meeting a couple weeks ago to try and keep from making it look like the SEC was poaching aTm...they don't want to get sued.
They want aTm to leave on their own, and in the correct way so that there is no chance of legal action being taken by the BigXII against the SEC. aTm is now going through the procedural motions of becoming available so that the SEC can take them.
Kind of like when a really hot girl tells you that you have to break up with your kinda stale looking girlfriend before she will hook up with you, so you have to go and tell your gf that its over before you get some action.