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Well, the talk of conference realignment just does not seem to go away and it’s certainly heating up on the Internet and in the media. And the central figure in round two? Texas A&M. Here’s a post with everything we do know at this time, plus a few extra thoughts on the situation:

* Texas A&M was given an oral promise by Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe that they would receive $20 million annually, along with Texas and Oklahoma, starting in 2012-13. In an effort to fund the “Beebe Plan” and insure payout to the member institutions, Beebe was hoping that the money will ultimately come from renegotiating new television contracts. Beebe, not knowing the future of the TV deals, also made a verbal to A&M, Texas and Oklahoma that they would each receive $20 million dollars, coming from the exit fees that Nebraska and Colorado will be forced to pay out for leaving the Big 12 on short notice. The money would come from the five schools that were nearly left behind in the conference realignment wake...Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Iowa State. This move was set in motion as a way of satisfying the big three schools in case the TV money did not come through as planned.

* That promise is why Texas A&M, in desperate need for some cash, decided that it was best to stay put, join the big boy table and become a “have” in the new-look, 10-team conference.

-Dan Beebe then told several reporters on Tuesday, after his official Big 12 Media Days press conference had ended, that Texas and Oklahoma have declined the offer to receive the “exit fee” money, while Texas A&M has not declined said offer and that they are going to sit down and discuss the issue further in the near future. This story was originally reported by the Dallas Morning News and has also appeared in the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News.

* Texas A&M University President, Dr. R. Bowen Loftin, then issued this statement on his Facebook page, as a response to Beebe’s comments: “A key part of Texas A&M’s decision to remain in the Big 12 earlier this summer was the commissioner’s commitment that Texas A&M would receive a minimum of $20 million annually in future conference distributions. We remain committed to the conference and fully anticipate that the Big 12 will honor its commitment to Texas A&M.”

* If I can squeeze in a little opinion: I’m so glad that Loftin came right back with a statement and didn’t hide out on this issue. It shows he’s taking a pro-active approach to the matter.

* Here’s the problem...Beebe’s grand plan, which for the time being “saved the league,” all hinges on verbal promises and projections and nothing is set in stone and “in writing.” Texas A&M is doing what they should be doing and that’s looking out for themselves. They reportedly have a legal team in place and their goal is to make sure that the Big 12 can offer more of a written guarantee and not just empty promises.

* So the real question at hand is this...was Dan Beebe’s comments about A&M not declining the $20 million offer a knock on the institution and a tactic by Beebe to try and guilt the Aggies into also declining the offer...or look selfish by being the only team that wants their money any way they can get it? Or was Beebe just stating a fact that A&M has not declined the offer and that future talks with A&M are forthcoming? Really, only Beebe knows exactly what he meant by those comments and it should be noted that I have a call into the Big 12 office to interview Dan Beebe or get some type of response from him as a way of clarifying those comments. We’ll see if they respond.

* Regardless of the intentions Dan Beebe had when he made those comments, the situation at hand is that Texas A&M was guaranteed an annual disbursement of $20 million, starting in 2012-13. They don’t care whether that deal comes from TV contract renegotiations or exit fee money, they just want their money, and I don’t blame them.

* The other thing to consider is the fact that president Loftin and SEC commissioner Mike Slive have become very good friends during this whole process and I honestly feel that an SEC offer would still be on the table if Loftin and the Board of Regents decided that a move to the SEC would be in the best interest of Texas A&M. During my interview with President Loftin back in June, I gathered that an official offer from Mike Slive would be available in an hour, a week, a year, five years or whenever Texas A&M is ready to make a move. The SEC would love nothing more than to become firmly entrenched in the big TV markets that a Texas school would bring and adding Texas A&M at any point would be a no-brainer for them.

* I’ve had several conversations with various sources and I really don’t see the Aggies falling in line with Texas and Oklahoma and simply taking a pass on the exit fee money, knowing all along that the money from a new television contract is likely, in my opinion, a long-shot anyway. It’s just not logical for A&M to do that, primarily because of the PR hit that they would receive among their fan base for just falling in behind the Longhorns and Sooners. Texas A&M cannot afford to do that...both financially and from a PR standpoint.

* Finally, my prediction: A&M will get their money from the Big 12 and will remain in the league for the short-term future...as long as the league exists and as long as the Aggie brass is happy with how things are going. The Big 12 still has time to come up with the dollars and these things usually have a way or working out. However, if the Beebe Plan goes south or if A&M is forced into a corner on this $20-million issue (in other words, if they are being forced to decline the money), I’m of the opinion that Dr. Loftin will give a call to his new buddy, Mike Slive, and Aggie fans’ long-lasting dream of moving to the Southeastern Conference will finally come true (caveat: if Texas politics doesn’t get in the way and screw it up).

That’s what I have for now. I’ll do my best to keep you all updated if any additional news comes out on this topic.

Thanks!

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