September 7, 2011
Chip Brown
Orangebloods.com Columnist
Talk about it in Inside the 40 Acres
Hold everything folks.
The Southeastern Conference presidents met Tuesday night and voted to admit Texas A&M. But the vote came with a stipulation that still must be worked out.
The SEC presidents voted to admit Texas A&M as the 13th member of that league so long as each individual member of the Big 12 waives its right to litigation against the SEC.
And it was unclear Tuesday night if all nine remaining members of the Big 12 would waive that right, sources said. The Big 12 schools were expected to discuss the matter on Wednesday, sources said. That's the same day Texas A&M has planned a celebration in College Station to announce its admission into the SEC, sources said.
If even one of the Big 12 schools refuse to waive their right to sue the SEC over its courtship of Texas A&M, the SEC could withdraw its vote to admit A&M, sources said.
After letters were exchanged by SEC commissioner Mike Slive and Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe Tuesday, Beebe told Slive the Big 12 conference office had waived its right to litigate against Texas A&M or the SEC but that the Big 12's waiver was not binding on the individual members of the Big 12, sources said.
The SEC indicated it would admit Texas A&M only upon condition that each individual member of the Big 12 waive its right to sue the SEC, sources said.
And that condition was in doubt Tuesday night, sources said.
Stay tuned.
