Late Thursday afternoon, a bombshell was dropped on the Big 12. According to AggieYell.com, disgruntled conference old-timer Texas A&M officially jumped ship, hitching their wagon to the SEC.
However, at this point the announcement appears wildly premature, as multiple beat writers have made clear. Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News reports "with 100 percent certainty" that no terms have been reached. SB Nation's Team Speed Kills agreed, explaining that there are still "a few finishing touches to be done," while the Houston Chronicle's Brent Zwerneman extrapolated:
While all signs still point to Ags to the SEC, was just assured it by no means is a done deal -- plenty of issues to address.
The Texas A&M fiasco is a direct result of Texas' "Longhorn Network" -- a university-run, ESPN-funded television station that was scheduled to air high school football games. As news of the network and its obvious recruiting implications leaked out, the rift between Texas and the rest of the Big 12 grew deeper, eventually leading to the current situation. While nothing is official yet, if Texas A&M does leave the already shrunken conference, the ensuing trickle-down effect should be fascinating to watch.
For more on the Longhorn Network, check out the rest of this StoryStream, and also check out Burnt Orange Nation. For more on the Aggies, visit I Am The 12th Man.