Back in 2012, Texas A&M made the move from the Big 12 over to the SEC. Now, they hope to block other teams from doing the same.
According to reports from the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday, “a high-ranking college official with knowledges of the situation” indicated that both Oklahoma and Texas have expressed interest in joining the SEC.
Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork wasn’t too happy about this news, publicly expressing his opposition to the proposal.
The third-year AD reportedly had no prior knowledge of the potential expansion as it has not yet been discussed by SEC athletic directors.
“We want to be the only SEC team from the state of Texas,” Bjork said, per Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated. “There’s a reason why Texas A&M left the Big 12 – to be stand alone & have our own identity. That’s our feeling.”
Ross Bjork says he was unaware of Texas/OU interest in joining the SEC. SEC ADs have not discussed the issue, he says.
It’s clear where the Aggies stand.
“There’s a reason why Texas A&M left the Big 12 – to be stand alone & have our own identity. That’s our feeling,” he says.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 21, 2021
In the history of the Big 12, Oklahoma and Texas account for 17 of the league’s 27 conference championships. The Sooners (14 titles) have claimed the Big 12 conference champion distinction in each of the last six seasons.
Texas A&M notched one Big 12 title as a member of the conference back in 1998, but have yet to log an SEC championship win since joining in 2012.
If Texas and Oklahoma were to join the SEC, the conference would balloon to 16 teams — making it the largest Power Five conference in the nation.
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