Texas A&M System Board of Regents will meet Monday to discuss ‘SEC issues’

COLLEGE STATION, TX - SEPTEMBER 08: A general view of play between the Florida Gators and the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on September 8, 2012 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) (Ronald Martinez, 2012 Getty Images)

The Texas A&M Board of Regents will hold a special meeting Monday to discuss “issues” related to the Southeastern Conference.

The meeting, which will be held via conference call at 5 p.m., will include a “discussion of contractual and governance issues relating to Texas A&M University and the Southeastern Conference.”

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Here’s the full text of the portion of the agenda relating to the SEC.

Consultation with System Attorneys Regarding Legal Matters or Pending and/or Contemplated Litigation or Settlement Offers – Texas Government Code, Section 551.071; including:

-Discussion with Counsel on pending legal matters including, but not limited to, contemplated and/or pending litigation, contemplated, on-going and/or completed investigations regarding institutional compliance and any findings, conclusions and/or recommendations thereto; and the status of negotiations regarding and/or compliance with certain letters of intent, contracts and/or similar agreements, including, but not limited to, legal obligations and duties and any and all facts relating thereto; including discussion of contractual and governance issues relating to Texas A&M University and the Southeastern Conference.

The meeting will be streamed live here.

If you open the agenda, you’ll likely notice it lists an incorrect date: Monday, July 21, 2021. On July 21, which fell on a Wednesday, news broke that Texas and Oklahoma spoke with SEC officials about switching conferences.

Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork expressed displeasure at the idea of the Longhorns, once the school’s greatest rival, joining the SEC, the Associated Press reported.

“The last few days have been challenging in many ways, and I recognize that change in college athletics often is unsettling for those who love their institutions,” Texas A&M University President Katherine Banks said in a statement Saturday. “Rest assured, the chancellor, our athletic director, and I, and everyone involved in this matter are focused solely on what is best for Texas A&M University. Since 2011, we have been a proud member of the best intercollegiate athletic conference in history and we look forward to continued success in our SEC partnership for many years to come.”

RELATED: AP source: Big 12 leaders discuss how to keep Texas and OU

If UT and OU were to leave the Big 12 conference, it could have a significant impact on the remaining schools. Other Texas schools in the conference include TCU, Baylor and Texas Tech.

Following a meeting Thursday, the Big 12 put out a statement that stressed that the eight members who participated in the meeting “strongly desire to retain the current composition, which has proven it can compete at the highest levels.”

“There is a recognition that institutions may act in their own self-interest, however there is an expectation that members adhere to Conference bylaws and the enforcement of Grant of Rights agreements,” the statement said.

If the SEC added two members, it would have 16 teams -- more than any other major college football conference in the country.

While UT and OU have talked with SEC officials, no formal invitations to join the conference have been extended, he Associated Press reported. If the league did wish to add the schools to its conference, at least 11 of the 14 members would need to vote in favor of extending an invitation, according to SEC bylaws, the Associated Press reported.

RELATED: Should UT, Oklahoma join the SEC? Sports fans weigh in.


About the Author

Briana Zamora-Nipper joined the KPRC 2 digital team in 2019. When she’s not hard at work in the KPRC 2 newsroom, you can find Bri drinking away her hard earned wages at JuiceLand, running around Hermann Park, listening to crime podcasts or ransacking the magazine stand at Barnes & Noble.

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