http://v4.texags.com/Stories/2662 On Texas A&M's current displeasure with the Big 12... "A number of issues are out there. It's not so much what's wrong with the Big 12, it's what's right with Texas A&M and where we want to go in time. We have, for quite some time, evaluated the effect of our visibility on our brand value and on our athletes as well. Clearly these are difficult times financially for all universities, especially public universities, and we certainly owe it to the taxpayers of Texas to make sure that whatever we do here at Texas A&M helps to benefit the University financially in ways that support not just one part but the entire University itself. We're looking at this more as a forward-looking, positive thing, evaluating where we are in time. And, again, achieving greater visibility for us as a University and for our student-athletes and also being able to deal with additional revenues that we possibly can to help the University enterprise be successful and grow."
On the timeline of discussions with the SEC... "Just to give you a sense of timing here, Commissioner Slive and I have known each other for a while. Recently, I spoke to him at the Cotton Bowl on the seventh of January this year, we just kind of bumped into each other down the field from time to time and also in the box and had very brief conversations there. That was all of it until late in the afternoon of July 21st, following a meeting of this board, where we discussed where we were with the very issues that the previous reporter asked me about. At that time, I did reach out to Commissioner Slive by telephone. We began a conversation we've had off-and-on now for the last few weeks.
On what the action today by the Board means... "It means only one thing, it means that I have the authority to move forward with any types of conversations, negotiations or agreements required over time —with time not being limited —in terms of our conference alignment."
On whether or not there is now an SEC timeline... "Not for me. None was mentioned today in the Board action. You all heard that yourselves. I feel no specific time pressure to be able to arrive at any conclusion at this point."
On whether there are other conferences than the SEC he's spoken with... "At this time, no."
On whether the SEC provides the stability for A&M that he seeks... "Let's take it one step at a time here. First of all, the Big 12 went through a very major upheaval last year. I think all of you are aware of that. We've gone through another one more recently. You can judge for yourself it that's instability or not, but more importantly if you look at the SEC, and other conferences as well, you'll find a different kind of record. That's just what it is. And you all know as well as I do the record of the other conferences."
On accepting an SEC bid if it's offered... "There are so many variables there that I couldn't answer that question. There is no bid. There has never been a bid to invite us into the SEC, received by us at any time in the past, and if it were to occur in the future we would certainly want to evaluate that."
On the significance of the SEC not extending an invitation to A&M yesterday... "I didn't expect anything to happen yesterday in that regard. I became aware, as many of you may have, through many kinds of means that there was going to be a meeting of the SEC presidents and chancellors. That happened. Given the conversations I'd had with Commissioner Slive and those internal to Texas A&M, I didn't expect anything out of yesterday's meeting."
On why the SEC didn't extend an invitation... "I believe their press release speaks for itself. It's very clear. They said simply that they are satisfied with where they are now but they understand that the landscape of college sports is dynamic and may change over time and they wanted to have a series of conversations and processes in place and mechanisms to be able to evaluate how they might want to change over time. That's a perfectly valid thing to do in this day and time."
On whether A&M would have to leave the Big 12 before the SEC could extend an invitation... "All I can tell you is, looking at last year when we had two departing members, I recall in particular the letter sent to us by the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, which said simply that, "If we are extended an invitation to join the Big Ten, we would then withdraw from the Big 12." That's how that letter was [written]. I haven't done anything like that at this point in time, nor thought about it very seriously, but clearly that's a model of last year's event that we can look to and say that's how one school chose to couch their specific termination approach to the Big 12."
On conversing with the Big 12 about this unhappiness... "Oh yes. The Big 12 directors have met twice just recently to discuss the difficulties within the conference right now. Most recently on Saturday afternoon. I think a press release again came out of that from the chairman of the Board, the chancellor of Missouri University at Columbia, which again discussed what happened at that meeting. I was there for part of that meeting."
On whether A&M's active goal is to be in the SEC... "I can't say yes to that at all. The goal I said earlier is we want to really be sure that Texas A&M's visibility, nationally, is enhanced, that for our student-athletes it's the best it can be, and we need to be sure we financially obtain the best resources we can for the purposes of the entire University's future."
On feedback from his coaches on the possible shift... "I met with most of our head coaches and Coach Sherman this weekend. We had a very frank, open conversation for a while. I invited very strongly at that meeting any comments they had, as well as anything they wanted to share with me later. We had a number of issues we talked about there, of all kinds. An example might be issues of scholarships and how they play out in different conferences, different parts of the country, different states, things like that. I felt very comfortable that the coaches understand that we are looking at probably a lengthy process to go through and evaluate what we might or might not do over time. It's very important to me to make sure that the coaches have a vehicle by which they can actually speak to me. Normally that's through our AD, but he was out of the country at the time. I thought, because of all the media attention, that I owed the coaches a time with me personally to make sure they had a chance to talk to me directly and ask questions and me listen to their comments in particular. We had a good afternoon, again, several coaches had a number of things to say about what might or might not happen within a conference shift, and I appreciated their frankness with me."
On playing Texas if A&M did leave the Big 12... "I would just say this, that if we were to negotiate with other conferences of any kind, SEC or anybody else, a primary criterion would be our ability to continue a non-conference contest each year, hopefully on Thanksgiving Day or thereabouts, with our friends at UT-Austin. That's a historic rivalry. We see no reason why it could not continue under a different conference arrangement. If they chose to do so, we certainly want to make that part of any discussion we have with another conference."
On what he would say to Aggie fans waiting this process out... "I'm an Aggie and Aggies aren't always patient. But I would ask you —we look at anything we might do. Remaining in the Big 12, changing conferences, anything we might do, as a very long-term prospect. A hundred-year kind of decision. You don't make those decisions lightly, or quickly. We really want to take our time and think about this very carefully, listen to internal voices and external voices. I've had a lot of voices lately, as you might expect, coming at me, from former students, current students. I appreciate the civility of the discussions we've had. It's been a joy to understand people are passionate but they're passionate in a civil way. We think that's the right way to do it. So we're looking forward to working through this one step at a time. We will certainly keep the press informed at appropriate milestones as this unfolds over time."
On the venom directed toward A&M by the media... "I try not to read too much of that. Certainly there's some out there and you can draw your own conclusions why that might be. Again, we've not chosen to do anything specifically, we're taking our time about this. Again, what we do, if anything, will be in the best interests of Texas A&M and the State of Texas. We're also very concerned about the members of the Big 12. We don't want the Big 12 to go away. We have no intention of doing anything that might precipitate that. The Big 12 is a strong conference. A lot of options there. Were we to leave, I think there are many schools who would love to be in the Big 12 that would add value to it. We don't see any downside to that at all. That's certainly part of our calculus right now, making sure that we think about, again, number one, what's best for Texas A&M —because any school must —but also what's best for our State and for the other members of the Big 12."
On whether A&M is prepared to handle an exit fee from the Big 12... "Money is important. I said a moment ago that this is a hundred-year decision, so you have to put that in context obviously. I've read the bylaws of the Big 12. They're confusing, to some extent. There's a lot of room for us to talk about what that might mean if we choose to explore that option with them. We have not begun that process yet. That's one of the steps we have to take —What is the cost? That's an important question to ask yourself before you take a step beyond where you are right now. We'll certainly consider that issue very carefully and think about it and make certain we can make this happen. Again, the issue is looking at the long-term, and any short-term costs must be weighed against long-term costs and benefits both. We would do that very carefully."
On whether there's a chance A&M remains in the Big 12... "Certainly. We've made no decision, again, about terminating our relationship with the Big 12. This is all about what's best for Texas A&M, along the dimensions I mentioned to you. The visibility, for us and our athletes, and financial resources. That's what it's all about, basically, and I think anybody in my shoes would have exactly the same kinds of concerns."
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